My cat will not use a litter box

[YingNeko]

Im at my wits end.

I have a senior cat that I've had for 18 years. In the past 4 years, he has refused to use a little box and pees in the same place for those 4 years. In the dining room.

I have tried everything. I have a litter box in every room, I clean them daily and I've tried over 10 different litters and types of boxes. We live with 3 other cats and 2 dogs but they don't bother him and he never bothers them. And we've had all the other animals longer than 4 years so i don't think that's connected. I've had him see a vet and there is nothing medically wrong with him and my vet even tell me that there is nothing that can be done, if he won't use a litter box he never will.

My mother is threatening me that she's is going to put him down if I don't figure out a way to stop this from happening. I don't want to use diapers, because I've tried that and he just tears them off and he has long fur which makes for horrible clean up. Is there anything I can do?

[Ruth B]

Welcome to the forum, hopefully someone will give you some ideas of what might be the cause and how to deal with it, but if it's been going on for 4 years it might not be a quick fix.

Did anything happen just before he started not to want to use the litter trays, that might have given him bad associations. While the other animals have been around longer than it has been going on for could one of them startled him when he was using a tray meaning he doesn't feel safe in them anymore.

You mention he always goes in the same spot in the dining room, have you tried putting a litter tray in that spot, or even puppy pads for him to go on. If that is where he wants to go then it might be the best place to start retraining him to a litter box. Is there anything about the area that makes him feel safe going there, quiet and sheltered or open with plenty of escape routes.

As you mention that you have tried different trays you have tried him with shallow ones that he can get into easily, at his age he could be having joint problems that don't bother him normally but mean that getting in and out of a high sided tray is difficult.

Do you have a room that you could confine him to, a spare bedroom or such. While it may seem harsh it isn't punishment, but giving him a place where he knows he is safe and won't be disturbed. Away from the other animals he might start to use the tray again, which might indicate that they are the problem even though they seem to get on, cat particularly can be very passive aggressive and there may be some underlying social issue you, being human, aren't aware of. It isn't a long term solution but it might give some indication of the problem and give you time to sort it out.

[Mollycat]

We had a cat who did something similar for the last 2-3 years of her life. At the time we just assumed she had gone a bit senile, but I'm not so sure now. She would go mainly in one spot in the hallway but if we put newspaper or the tray there she would go next to it. I've never managed to get any answer that feels right about it, she was old, thin, deaf and nearly blind, but the happiest little soul and she is the only cat I've had that simply passed in her sleep.

How long have the other cats and dogs been there with you as well? Did any of the other cats have any kind of urinary infection or other illness before this started? And what are you using to clean the area where he toilets?