# Need Advice



## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Okay, so we have been using the same kind of cat litter for years. However, the last few months, Gracie has not been covering up her poop, and therefore the smell is overwhelming. She also is very quick to get out of the box. She's almost 11 years old, seems otherwise healthy, and isn't showing any signs of distress. But we just can't figure out why she's not covering it up. We thought maybe it was the litter, so we decided to try Arm & Hammer Heavy Duty cat litter, as I had heard it advertised a lot on TV. We thought it would be good because it's also a clumping litter, and it's suppose to eliminate smells. 

Well, the whole thing was a big mistake. None of the cats like this litter. It has a strong scent to it, and although I can't smell it, apparently the cats can. So we quickly changed back to what they've been used to.

My concern is, even with going back and using the old type of litter, Gracie will not use the litter box anymore, and I'm getting concerned.
Today, she peed on my table in the living room where I have a lot of my knickknacks and then she pooped on my blanket that I had covering me. I don't understand it. Do you think I should be taking her to the vet to have her checked out? Or do you think she is still associating the litter box with that awful smelling litter, and doesn't want anything to do with it? I'm worried because this is so unlike her. She's eating and drinking fine, and doesn't act sick.

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

The same thing happened to me. My cat has been using silicone litter all their lives. One time I tried to switch to clay and they got mad and pooped in the sink. Sorry TMI. They weren't just a little mad, they started knocking things off tables, and just not using the box at all. So I switched back and all problems went away. lol I would take the cat to the vet if you have a male cat because blockages in the urethra is deadly. However, this is usually indicated by yowling or hissing while they go to the bathroom rather than not covering their stink. I think it is more likely this is not health related so maybe I'd switch to old litter first.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Thanks snow. This is a female. We changed back to the old litter on Tuesday morning. I didn't see her going pee or poo at all yesterday. At least she did today, but I wonder if I should be taking her to the vet today, or just wait it out. I'm just not sure what to do. I've had cats for over 40 years, and this has never happened before.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

The one who had a problem with my change of litter is a female as well. I would wait until tomorrow to give her a chance and then take her to the vet.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

snow0160 said:


> The one who had a problem with my change of litter is a female as well. I would wait until tomorrow to give her a chance and then take her to the vet.



Thanks. My husband also says to wait.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Oh gee. That's a problem. I would double check with the vet to make sure there's nothing wrong. I wonder if she's getting that old age cognitive decline starting...Maybe a whole new litter box that has no trace of that smell from the other litter. And maybe some behavioral help after making sure there's nothing wrong physically. You may need more litter boxes so there's one in every area she hangs out in? Have you ever used multiple litter boxes? You may have to use more supervision and confinement when you can't watch. I just don't know. I hope you find an answer. This would be very disconcerting. I had cats years ago and they used a litter box well. But as I added new cats, they became extraordinarily territorial...much more so than dogs. And they started peeing in places like my entry way closet and other little out of the way corners. They then became barn cats which was terrible. But I couldn't see my house being destroyed. Gosh, I hope you find something out. Maybe consult a behaviorist who is really on top of cat behavior specifically. (?) Let us know how things go.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

You could try adding a little litter attractant to the box to see if that helps. Don't overdo it, as strange-smelling litter probably started your problem, but it's helped in the past when I've had cats avoiding the litter box.

That said, pottying outside the litter box is a very common sign of illness and discomfort in cats. If it continues for more than a day or two, I'd definitely check in with a vet. Taking a "wait and see" approach for much longer than that has always been a mistake, in my experience.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I have had tons of Cat experience Walter Grey my only kitty, is number 48 who has passed through my life, I foster tons of senior kitties. Any litter box change in a older cat is worthy a wellness check at the vet to eliminate issues. Doesn't matter if you changed litter litter or not, I would have her checked out to be on the safe side.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Oh gee. That's a problem. I would double check with the vet to make sure there's nothing wrong. I wonder if she's getting that old age cognitive decline starting...Maybe a whole new litter box that has no trace of that smell from the other litter. And maybe some behavioral help after making sure there's nothing wrong physically. You may need more litter boxes so there's one in every area she hangs out in? Have you ever used multiple litter boxes? You may have to use more supervision and confinement when you can't watch. I just don't know. I hope you find an answer. This would be very disconcerting. I had cats years ago and they used a litter box well. But as I added new cats, they became extraordinarily territorial...much more so than dogs. And they started peeing in places like my entry way closet and other little out of the way corners. They then became barn cats which was terrible. But I couldn't see my house being destroyed. Gosh, I hope you find something out. Maybe consult a behaviorist who is really on top of cat behavior specifically. (?) Let us know how things go.



A lot of good advice! Thanks PB! We actually went ahead and bought a new litter box today, and also put in fresh litter. So everything is new and clean. I have it in an area where it's secluded, so she'll have her privacy. My goodness, I sure hope this works. As long as she's acting normal otherwise, and eating and drinking, I'm going to wait on taking her to the vet. If she poops and pees out of the box again tomorrow, I'll call the vet to get her in. 

We actually have 3 litter boxes, one for each of the 3 cats, and we scoop 3 times a day, and change litter twice a week.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I do hope it works and that she's okay. Besides eating and drinking normally, does she act normal otherwise? Is her tummy okay, not distended or anything? I think your plan is good. I do hope nothing's wrong physically and that you can get this situation under control. Be sure to keep us posted.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lisasgirl said:


> You could try adding a little litter attractant to the box to see if that helps. Don't overdo it, as strange-smelling litter probably started your problem, but it's helped in the past when I've had cats avoiding the litter box.
> 
> That said, pottying outside the litter box is a very common sign of illness and discomfort in cats. If it continues for more than a day or two, I'd definitely check in with a vet. Taking a "wait and see" approach for much longer than that has always been a mistake, in my experience.


Thanks Lisa for your thoughts on this! We won't wait long, that's for sure. Tomorrow is Thursday, and we'll see how things go. If there's still a problem, I'll be able to get her in on Friday.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

twyla said:


> I have had tons of Cat experience Walter Grey my only kitty, is number 48 who has passed through my life, I foster tons of senior kitties. Any litter box change in a older cat is worthy a wellness check at the vet to eliminate issues. Doesn't matter if you changed litter litter or not, I would have her checked out to be on the safe side.



Wow, that is A LOT of experience!  Thanks Twyla. Yes, I agree with you! She's almost 11, and she always goes in every year in June for her annual checkup. But you're right, this does warrant a checkup.


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

I would just do the checkup also, especially given her age. Have you tried cat attract litter? I've had good success with it, along with keeping the cat confined to the room with the litter box for a short time.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

oshagcj914 said:


> I would just do the checkup also, especially given her age. Have you tried cat attract litter? I've had good success with it, along with keeping the cat confined to the room with the litter box for a short time.



So glad you responded! Thank you! I have never heard of cat attract litter. I just looked it up online. Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Attract Cat Litter. There are a lot of great reviews for it, and it sounds like something that would be good to try. I'll do some more research on it, but do you know if you can buy it locally, or is it just online?

Gracie did make me happy. She peed in the new litter box about 5 hours ago! No poop yet, but she is a cat that goes potty just once a day, so I'll keep watch.

Thanks !!!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> I do hope it works and that she's okay. Besides eating and drinking normally, does she act normal otherwise? Is her tummy okay, not distended or anything? I think your plan is good. I do hope nothing's wrong physically and that you can get this situation under control. Be sure to keep us posted.


Thanks PB! Appreciate your concern for Gracie! ❤ 
( she says meow...thank you)

Yes, she's acting very normal. She likes to cuddle with me, so I constantly stroke her and feel her belly. Nothing unusual as far as I can tell. Yes, I will definitely keep everyone posted!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Both Tilly and Pippin go out to toilet (usually, anyway!), but I have noticed that while Pip carefully covers everything he finds, including spots where the dogs have peed, Tilly will often leave a heap of poop on the highest, most open spot available, to waft her scent to all and sundry. I would definitely get a vet check if she continues to avoid waiting to cover her faeces, though - as you know, a change in toileting behaviour is usually a sign of physical or emotional distress in cats. Is there any chance that she was startled while using the tray, or bullied by one of the other cats? That's another thing that can lead to reluctance to hang around, in my experience.

If it continues, I don't know if you use a covered tray, but I once had one with a charcoal filter panel in the cover, which did help a bit with smells.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

fjm said:


> Both Tilly and Pippin go out to toilet (usually, anyway!), but I have noticed that while Pip carefully covers everything he finds, including spots where the dogs have peed, Tilly will often leave a heap of poop on the highest, most open spot available, to waft her scent to all and sundry. I would definitely get a vet check if she continues to avoid waiting to cover her faeces, though - as you know, a change in toileting behaviour is usually a sign of physical or emotional distress in cats. Is there any chance that she was startled while using the tray, or bullied by one of the other cats? That's another thing that can lead to reluctance to hang around, in my experience.
> 
> If it continues, I don't know if you use a covered tray, but I once had one with a charcoal filter panel in the cover, which did help a bit with smells.



Thanks fjm! This is all very helpful! I do have 2 other cats, and everybody is indoor only, and all of the cats get along just fine. Gracie usually lays on the back of the recliner, or on her window perch. Many times she comes up on my lap. She's not hiding or anything, she is right here with everyone else. So I don't see any bullying, BUT everyone knows that Abby is top cat in the household. So there might be something going on there.

We don't have covered trays, so that's a good idea to try.

Thanks!!


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

TT, I do hope that you can get Gracie sorted out. Vet check first to eliminate GI and UTI issues, as well and joint issues and then if all is well the detective work can begin.

Cats are a creatures of habit and hate when you mess with the routine, without getting fancy go back to the old litter but fully wash out the litter boxes with dish detergent and rinse with hot water to get rid of any offending smells. You should have a litter box for every cat, there are folks that say you need more but if inappropriate elimination is happening because interactions at a single little box, and those interactions can be merely a stare down versus a beat down as it were. In this situation covered litter boxes make the situation worse.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

TrixieTreasure said:


> So glad you responded! Thank you! I have never heard of cat attract litter. I just looked it up online. Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Attract Cat Litter. There are a lot of great reviews for it, and it sounds like something that would be good to try. I'll do some more research on it, but do you know if you can buy it locally, or is it just online?


They had the Dr Elzey's Cat Attract at Petco last time I was there.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

twyla said:


> TT, I do hope that you can get Gracie sorted out. Vet check first to eliminate GI and UTI issues, as well and joint issues and then if all is well the detective work can begin.
> 
> Cats are a creatures of habit and hate when you mess with the routine, without getting fancy go back to the old litter but fully wash out the litter boxes with dish detergent and rinse with hot water to get rid of any offending smells. You should have a litter box for every cat, there are folks that say you need more but if inappropriate elimination is happening because interactions at a single little box, and those interactions can be merely a stare down versus a beat down as it were. In this situation covered litter boxes make the situation worse.


I've decided to take everyone's advice, so I've got an appointment with the vet today at 3:15. You're right, I need to have her checked out just in case. I would be taking her in for her annual check up anyway in June, so I might as well do that now. Thank you guys for caring about my Gracie, and helping me to get this figured out!

Twyla, we bought a brand new kitty litter box yesterday and put fresh kitty litter in it ( the kind we've always used). We have 3 litter boxes, one for each cat. Gracie has her own, so I can keep watch on what she's doing ( or not doing). And I agree about covered boxes. I just think it's best to have everything as normal as possible right now. Not mess around with new things. It could make it worse for her.

I'll let everyone know this evening what our vet said.
Thanks!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lisasgirl said:


> They had the Dr Elzey's Cat Attract at Petco last time I was there.


Thanks! I'll check on that tomorrow. We're going into town today to take Gracie to the vet, but I don't want to make her anymore upset than she already will be. I want to get her in and get her back home ASAP. So we'll check on the litter tomorrow. I may even call first to see if they do have it.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Good luck at the vet. Hopefully, you'll get this all sorted out soon. I think you're a very conscientious pet owner and you're doing the best things for her. I'll check in later on to see how the appointment went. Best wishes!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Only have one minute. Fixing dinner. Gracie is just fine. No problems. Will explain later. Thanks.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Well, the vet visit went great! First of all, Gracie pooped 20 minutes before we left, and I was so glad she did, because that way, I could see where she went. She made mama proud, lol! She pooped in her litter box! Yay! She didn't cover it up, but that's okay. Just as long as she did it in the litter box! I did feel sorry for her though because I know how much she hates going into the carrier and riding in the car. 

Dr Tim gave her a complete checkup, and he gave her a clean bill of health, except that she does have some tarter build up. He didn't seem concerned about it though as there is no sign of bad breath, and teeth are fine. Her eyes are somewhat cloudy but he said that's normal for an 11 year old cat. No abnormalities at all. He did do bloodwork, and we should hear back on that tomorrow. I asked about why she doesn't cover her poop, and he basically said that she probably doesn't feel the need to. She has her own litter box, and she probably doesn't care. He is VERY SURE that the problems we've had recently with pooping and peeing elsewhere is because she was very dissatisfied with the change of the kind of litter. Tim said that if we want to change to a different brand, we need to do it gradually. And he does not recommend anything that is strong scented. 

So happy that she is okay, and I'm hoping she continues to do her business where she's suppose to do it, lol Thank you all for caring so much, and for helping me get this figured out!


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

I think it is nice to have a peace of mind but I thought it sounded the same like my cats. Cats can be very moody about small changes but they are great cuddle bugs. I love my cats dearly. I am really happy your cat is healthy. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Oh! That is indeed good news! I'm very happy and I know you're relieved. That was good to go to the vet, wasn't it, to give you peace of mind. That can be worth the bill in itself at times. The vet gave you good ideas too, about the litter. So, hopefully, she'll get back on track pretty soon. Glad everything turned out fine so far. Hopefully the blood work will be good too...probably is.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I'm kind of late to get on this thread, but am glad that Gracie has already been to the vet. The only thing I was going to suggest is that if you are ever forced to change kitty litter, to go on a site like Chewys that has lots of reviews of their products. Oftentimes owners will write about whether or not their finicky cat used a certain litter. Even if I don't purchase online, I find the reviews to be very helpful.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

snow0160 said:


> I think it is nice to have a peace of mind but I thought it sounded the same like my cats. Cats can be very moody about small changes but they are great cuddle bugs. I love my cats dearly. I am really happy your cat is healthy.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro



Thank you so much Snow! Yes, cats definitely are cuddle bugs - that is, when they want to be. Cats are different than dogs for the reason that they will come to you when they want to come to you. You can call a dog to come to you, and they'll be right there, but with cats, they take a message and get back to you, lol. 

Wait, I take that back... Gracie will come to me right when I call her! She's always done that, and I love it! But with Lacie and Abby, they will come when they feel like it, lol. Now, with Abby, I know what to do with her. I call for her 2 or 3 times, then I stop and act like I've completely given up. Not more than 2 minutes goes by, and then she jumps up into my lap! 

Oh, and I have to tell everyone this ... Abby has me trained soooo well, lol. I'll be sitting in my recliner all comfy, and then all of I sudden, I hear the bells ringing in the kitchen. When this little fart wants her treats, she jumps up onto the kitchen counter, goes over to where these small little bells are that I have hanging on the wall, and rings and rings them---- until I get up to give her what she wants! Man, she sure does have me wrapped around her little paws, lol. And I LOVE that so much!!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Oh! That is indeed good news! I'm very happy and I know you're relieved. That was good to go to the vet, wasn't it, to give you peace of mind. That can be worth the bill in itself at times. The vet gave you good ideas too, about the litter. So, hopefully, she'll get back on track pretty soon. Glad everything turned out fine so far. Hopefully the blood work will be good too...probably is.


Thank you so much PBG!! Yes, I'm glad too that we took her in. ALWAYS, better to be safe than sorry!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Charmed said:


> I'm kind of late to get on this thread, but am glad that Gracie has already been to the vet. The only thing I was going to suggest is that if you are ever forced to change kitty litter, to go on a site like Chewys that has lots of reviews of their products. Oftentimes owners will write about whether or not their finicky cat used a certain litter. Even if I don't purchase online, I find the reviews to be very helpful.



Thanks Charmed for chiming in to offer your thoughts and good wishes! YES, I agree! I rely on reviews with just about everything I purchase online. It's very helpful, especially with something that pertains to our pets.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I sometimes think my cats have a better recall than the dogs, probably because when I call them in it is usually for meals or treats! They also know the sound of my car, and will be trotting down the path to greet me as I park. I'm so glad Gracie is fine, and that you had such a reassuring visit to the vet!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

fjm said:


> I sometimes think my cats have a better recall than the dogs, probably because when I call them in it is usually for meals or treats! They also know the sound of my car, and will be trotting down the path to greet me as I park. I'm so glad Gracie is fine, and that you had such a reassuring visit to the vet!



Thank you.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I am glad Gracie is okay


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

You guys are making me want a cat again. Stop! :argh::act-up:


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

Glad to hear that all is well with Gracie!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Thanks everyone! ❤

And PB, you had better not ever sign up for FB then, BECAUSE, since you are my friend, you would be subjected to tons and tons of cat posts, cat shares, and cat PICTURES! Everything that will absolutely make you want another cat! I guarantee you, after seeing my FB page, you WILL get another cat! Hehehehe ..


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Gracie's blood work came back today, and everything is in normal range! Yayyyy!


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Yay for you and Gracie. I am so glad. Of course the first thing that also popped in my head is now you have base line blood work for down the road, I have cared for many many senior kitties so for me running bloods is important. 


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