Cat with Dog like Tendencies

I have a male cat and 3 female cats. All have been fixed. My problem is the Male cat finds it necessary to use the outside as the litter box. If he doesn't get taken outside he then proceeds to use the rugs. He very rarely will even smell the litter box. I need to figure out a way to stop both so that he just uses the litter box. Does anybody know of any suggestions that may stop this behavior.
As a background the male and one female were both raised in multi-animal environment. The current owner has changed litter type numerous times. My 2 cats (2 females) where recently introduced. But he always peed outside. Is there anyway to change the behavior so that he would pee in the box and to clean the few carpet spots that he has already marked. Thanks

Welcome to the forum and thanks for asking your question. How many litter boxes do you currently own?? The recommendation is to have at least 1 litter box per cat + 1. I have 2 cats and 3 litter boxes so that my cats have "variety" to where they go to the bathroom. Additionally, has this cat been checked by a vet because you need to rule out any possible ailments that could cause this behavior. I know other people will post helpful suggestions...good luck.

Katie

Try using dirt or whatever it is he soils on outside in one of your litter boxes. There is a litter called Cat Attrack that has a strong earthy smell to it (like wet soil). Agree with Katie that you need one box per cat, and perhaps this boy's box just needs something special in it!

Good luck!

Do know of any retail stores or locations that might sell this Cat Attrack Litter.

I found it at Petsmart once. You can probably find dealers in your area by contacting the Cat Attract web site:

http://www.preciouscat.com/

As Katie suggested, make sure you rule out health problems first - they can often cause litterbox problems. After you've done that, try these:

The cat attract litter that MomofMany suggested is great stuff. You might also want to try adding a "touch of nature" to it at first - if you notice where he goes when he goes outside, pay attention to what he buries his leavings in - if it's leaves, grass, or dirt, try sprinkling some of whatever he seems to prefer over his litter.

Feliway (a pheromone for cats) can sometimes help with inappropriate litterbox behavior, too - you can find it in the pet store in a spray or diffuser, and it comes with complete instructions. I probably sound like I have a stake in the company, but honestly, it saved my relationship with one of my cats who developed a habit of peeing on my bed - Feliway helped stop the behavior.

Also, make sure to use a good enzyme odor remover (again, find it at the pet store) to make sure you've gotten rid of all the smell, so he won't be attracted back to the spots he's been using. You can use a black light bulb to find hidden urine spots - they sell them at the pet store too, but I think any old black light will do. Another thing to try is placing aluminum foil over the spots he's been using - most cats don't like the texture & will stay away from it. Place his litterbox close by, so when he heads for the inappropriate spot & finds the aluminum foil, his litterbox is right there.

Also, different cats have different preferences for litterbox type - if he's used to going outdoors, he'll probably prefer a large, open-sided pan without a cover on it. And of course make sure to scoop the box regularly - many cats won't use a dirty box.

Hope this helps.