Cat not peeing in litter box after UTI, help!

sassyandboots

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Hello! I'm new here - but I have two kitties named Sassy and Boots and I desperately need help with this situation!

About a month ago, Boots started peeing in the tub, rather than in her litter box. She's done this before, but it was purely behavioural because we weren't giving her enough attention. So we waited 2 weeks but when she continued to pee in the tub we took her to the vet. It turns out poor Boots had a UTI and urine that contained quite a few crystals. Boots came home with 10 days worth of antibiotics and a new urinary diet.

Well, we're on day 9 of antibiotics, Boots is feeling better, but she is still peeing in the tub. When we try plugging the tub with water, she pees in the sink. When we plug the sink with water, she pees in her bed. I'm afraid to take away her bed, because I don't want her peeing in our bed or on the couch!

I think Boots has gotten used to peeing in the tub and even though she's finally feeling better she refuses to pee in her little box (she is fine using it to poop though). We live in a TINY apartment and have no space for a litter box anywhere else (we used to have 2 litter boxes, but the kitties hardly used the second one and it was too cramped so we got rid of it).

Any advice on how to get poor Boots to start using her box to pee? I'm so tired of coming home to a urine scented house after she goes in the tub :(

Thanks!
 

orientals

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Boots may be not using the litter box at this point because the last times she did it hurt form the infection. So now the two are associated.

Try pitting a small litter box where she pees in the tub and  leave it for a while. So she will get used to using a litter box and it not hurting to pee. 

If it's simpy become habit to use the tub, this will also stop her hopefully, but then you will have to start moving the litter box up and out of the bath bit by bit (don't ask me how :O)

Best of luck with her and keep us posted!
 
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fodder

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I would have thought peeing in the tub would actually be better cause you can just wash it away. With kitty litter you have to find a way to dispose of it.
What above poster said is great advice though. Your cat will most certainly be associating that litter box with pain at the moment so you will need to slowly re introduce the litter box again.
On a side note, i would stick to the urinary based diet to. This type of problem is reoccurring and can lead to some nasty expensive vet visits. The food should prevent it from ever happening again if you keep her on it.
 

stephanietx

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Try Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter.  It sometimes works to draw them back to the box. 
 
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sassyandboots

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Thank you for this advice! Sure enough, when the small litter box is placed in the tub she goes in it! Success! Now to figure out how to slowly move it out of the tub...that's going to be a tough one!
 

orientals

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Good to hear!! Just give it a bit of time before starting to move it. She'll be reluctant to leave this comfort zone. Keep us posted!
 
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