1) Make sure something isn't seriously wrong with your cat. If you cat has suddenly started behaving in this way it might be worth taking him/her for a checkups with the vet. Cats are very good at hiding little illnesses and urinary tract infections can produce unpleasant reactions for that cat. The most common is that he/she will equate going to the litter box with a pain sensation. Thus the cat may be peeing elsewhere to try and alleviate this pain.
2) Have there been any changes to the household? Cats, like people hate sudden changes in their environment. if these changes are severe enough, cat peeing problems can develop. If a new cat has entered the household, your cat might feel threatened and ill at ease when using the litter box and thus might seek refuge in another part of the house to do her business. To solve this, give the cat a room in the house (or even a section of a room) that the other cat is not permitted to enter. By building up trust in this section of the house she will feel more confident in using the litter tray.
3) Your cat's preferences might've changed. As a young kitten the cutesy litter box you bought for her might have been sufficient, but as she has grown her tastes and needs have changed. If the litter box has a lid try removing it. It is often the case that by peeing elsewhere your cat is trying to tell you that something is wrong with her environment and it is up to you to find out what.
4) Try and stay one step ahead. Cat peeing need not be the bain of your life. When you cat pees somewhere unusual try moving the litter box to where she had her last movement. Cats are contentious, and will often return to the scene of an accident. If the cat then subsequently finds that the mess is gone and instead her familiar litter try is in its place than she may start using the litter try instead.
5) Train your cat to use a human toilet. If you have plenty of time on your hands this method could be the answer to your cat peeing problems forever. The easiest way to train your cat to use a human toilet is to use 'incremental training'. This involves slowly changing your cats behaviour towards the actions you desire. This process can be done over a month or two. The most important thing to remember when doing this is to take the process very slowly and entirely at your cats pace. Firstly you need to start by slowly moving the litter box closer and closer to your toilet. You need to move it slowly over the course of a week or two to help your cat get used to using the litter box next to the toilet. This process is painfully slow, and may well take a lot longer than a few weeks, but it is well worth sticking to. Once your cat has been using the litter box next to the toilet for a couple of weeks, slowly start to raise the litter box up, a little each week until the height is the same as the toilet seat. This process is fraught with difficulties, not least how to convince your cat to climb ever higher for its litter box. My solution is to be creative. Try and carefully construct a ramp that you cat can climb up or some stacks of books. The last thing you want is for your cat to associate going to the loo with having to jump ever higher. This can exacerbate cat peeing problems! If all goes well you can move the litter box on top of the toilet and then insert a litter box that sits into the rim of the toilet. (this will put your toilet out of action for a few days so please only do this if you have more than one toilet!!). Once your cat gets used to this, carefully remove it and hopefully, if all has gone well, your cat will now be independent!
John Sanderson is a keen cat lover who has recently written a 5 day mini course on cat training. Did you know that there are 5 foods that you must not feed your cat? To find out what they are and more please go to Cat training Secrets
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