# Getting Cat to Use Second Litter Box



## elber (Nov 6, 2015)

Back again, with another litter box issue/question...

I know I've told my story several times over, but I'll summarize again: we've been living in our new house for almost a year now, and when we moved in, we could not find a good place for the litter box for our (now 4yo) spayed female cat, Auglaize. We placed it in the living room, which she uses regularly (we've had some misses, but that's another story), but having a litter box in the middle of our house where my husband and I watch TV and have company is stressing ME out.

Last week I ordered a litter box that is the exact same shape, size, and brand as her current one, filled it with the same brand of litter, and placed it uncovered at the bottom level of our bathroom closet. The bottom level has about three feet of clearance, so it's taller than a litter box enclosure. I placed her old litter mat in front of it, which had been in front of her living room box up until two weeks ago. 

I chose the bathroom closet because Auglaize likes this place. She loves to sleep on an upper shelf of our bathroom closet (gotta love those soft towels!), and likes to drink water from the bathtub drain. We leave the bathroom and closet door wide open all day so she can jump in and take a nap/drink from the tub. I figured since she already associates the bathroom closet with comfort, having a litter box at the bottom would be a good location. Yesterday I plugged in a Feliway diffuser about four feet away, but at light switch level. (That's the only outlet we have in there.) 

So far, I've been petting Auglaize around the new litter box, and sometimes I set her down in front of it. The first two times she sniffed it curiously, then meowed and walked away. Now she just turns away if I place her there. It's been only a week, but Auggie doesn't show any signs of wanting to use it so far. My ultimate goal is to get Auggie to use the closet box and remove the living room box for good. (I will probably replace the closet door with a split curtain if she accepts the location.) Is there anything else I can/should do at this time? How long should I wait for her to adapt?


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## eldercat (Jul 3, 2015)

Did you sprinkle some of her used litter from Box 1 into Box 2? Sometimes that can help.


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## elber (Nov 6, 2015)

eldercat said:


> Did you sprinkle some of her used litter from Box 1 into Box 2? Sometimes that can help.


I did - I sprinkled about 4C worth when I first set it up.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

It might be the location. Maybe she doesn't want the litterbox that close to where she naps? Is there somewhere else in the bathroom where the litterbox will fit? 

I'd try putting an actual pee clump in the new box in addition to the old litter. 

You could also try Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract. They make an additive that you can sprinkle over your regular litter.

I hope you find something that works - and maybe will also work to prevent the misses. Litterbox woes are the worst!


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I agree, seed the litter box with a poop and a pee clump. As of now she doesn't know it's where she's supposed to go.


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## elber (Nov 6, 2015)

Thanks for the advice on "seeding," spirite and librarychick. I placed a pee clump from the old box into the new one last night (still waiting on a poop). This morning, I opened the closet door and Auggie went inside, placed her paws on the litter box edge, and sniffed curiously. She meowed and walked away like she did when I first put it there. Not perfect, buts sniffing it again it seems like a step in the right direction!

I do have some of those Cat Attract herbs, but I don't want to make too many additions at once. It seems like I've been changing something every day (adding another scoop of old litter, adding the diffuser, adding the pee clump). Would it make sense to wait a week before trying the herbs so I don't overwhelm her with changes? Or does it not matter since she's not using it?


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I definitely think just waiting a week is best - but don't hover either.

I definitely wouldn't want anyone carefully supervising my bathroom habits and some cats are the same way. My oldest, Jitzu, waits to use the box until my SO and I aren't home or have gone to bed. She's not worried about us, just prefers to be private. Your girl may feel that same.

I'd check the box once a day, and otherwise leave it be.


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## elber (Nov 6, 2015)

Sigh...I think Auglaize is smarter than me. A few days ago I started to switch up her morning routine to encourage her using the bathroom litter box. Usually, she will eat her breakfast, then round the corner into the living room to do her business. On Monday and Tuesday, I picked her up once she finished eating and carried her upstairs to the bathroom box, but she turned and walked away both times. This morning I started to pour my cereal and saw Auggie skitter away into the living room before I could catch her! Clearly she's on to me...
I'm gonna try the herbs as a last resort, but if she doesn't use the bathroom box after a week, I may have to try a new location. Three weeks is long enough for a cat to decide if she likes a box location, right? Or should I wait longer?


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

In your shoes, I'd take the box that's currently in the living room (complete with litter and anything else that's in there!) and put it in the bathroom. Then take the box from the bathroom and put it in the living room (i.e., switch boxes). See if she will then use her "familiar" box in the new spot. If she won't, I'd conclude she doesn't like the location.


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