Tiger is 6 and a bengal. He's destructive and food motivated. I moved the box next to the water bowl because I was short on space. Now he's peeing on the bathroom rug instead of the box.
The box is cleaned twice a week. We just switched to unscented clay. Is the distance the issue? I need a durable setup that doesn't cost much.
Hi @tigersdad. Consistency is everything with Dolly, my 9-year-old grey shorthair. She has diabetes and is very particular about her routine.
I keep her water bowl at least 6 feet away from the litter box. Cats generally dislike having their drinking water too close to their waste area for hygiene reasons. The bathroom rug you mentioned is likely where he is going because it feels soft, but it is also near the source of the smell he associates with the box. I would try moving the water source to a different room entirely.
Oh my gosh, I just want to share some happy news! Whiskers, my 12-year-old gray senior, finally started using his new spot again. Tux, my 6-year-old black cat, was a total pain about it at first.
I found that keeping the water bowl far away helped Whiskers. He is a very picky eater and drinker. I wrote up a whole thread about how I managed the transition for him since he had stopped using the box for a bit. It might help you with Tiger, even though he is young and destructive. Senior cat suddenly pooping outside the box
I am not sure if distance is the only thing. Mochi is a 2-year-old dsh who is teething and very fussy about food. I read that some cats avoid the box if the litter texture changes. You mentioned unscented clay. Did Tiger like the old litter? If he hates the new clay, he might be peeing on the rug because he prefers the texture of the rug over the new litter. I wrote about this with my other cat, Swee, who is a 3-year-old ragdoll with hairballs. Litter options for ragdolls with hairball issues
He liked the old litter. The switch to clay was because it is cheaper and holds up better to his scratching. I tried mixing them but he just dug it out.
I think the rug is the main issue now. I am going to move the water bowl to the kitchen, about 10 feet away. If that fails, I am looking at removing the rug. I saw a thread about the bathroom setup being tricky because of the humidity and the rug. Litter box in the bathroom: good idea?
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