Simba's deafness and litter habits

I have been struggling with Simba for the past week. He is an eighteen-year-old tabby who has been deaf since he was a young cat. Usually, he is impeccable, but lately he has started urinating on the rug right next to his food bowl. I moved his food to the far corner of the room to create distance, but he just followed the food and continued to soil the same spot. I am worried that his age and deafness are causing him to miss the box, or perhaps he is confused by the silence of the house.

I have checked his diet and water intake, and everything seems normal. Does anyone have experience with litter habits in deaf senior cats? I tried to look at litter box placement for sensory impaired cats but it mostly discussed cats with vision issues, not hearing.

Oh dear, I am so sorry you are dealing with this, Kim. It is really stressful when a cat you have had for so long suddenly changes their habits. Since Simba is deaf, he relies entirely on sight and touch to navigate his world. If the litter is making a lot of noise when he steps in, he might be startled by it because he cannot hear it coming. Or, if the box is in a quiet corner, he might not associate the area with the 'routine' of using the box.

I would suggest trying a very quiet, soft litter for a few days. You can check out soft litters for senior paws for some recommendations on textures that are gentle on old joints too. Sometimes, the act of digging is what tells a cat 'this is the place.' If he cannot hear the digging, he might not feel the cue.

Hi Kim, I am so sorry. I deal with a lot of quietness in my home because of my birds, and I know how disorienting it can be when you expect a sound and it is not there. My bird Inkwell is quite vocal, but my Snowball is very shy and gets spooked by sudden movements even when it is quiet. It is similar for cats; if the environment changes, even subtly, they can get confused.

Have you tried placing a small treat on the edge of the litter box to see if he will step onto it? If he avoids the box entirely, it might be that the entry is too high or the surface is too hard for his aging joints. I found that in noise sensitivity in mixed species households, the author talks about how animals with sensory gaps need more predictable routines. Maybe try keeping the box in the exact same spot but adding a visual marker, like a colored mat, so he can see the boundary clearly.

Thank you both for the thoughtful replies. Lauren, I will look into changing the litter texture. I have always used a clumping variety, but perhaps the sound is indeed startling him. Twotuxies, the idea of a visual marker is interesting. I did not think to use a mat. I will try that tonight.

To give you more context on Simba's condition, I keep a detailed log of his health changes. You can read about his specific history and how his deafness progressed in Simba's health log. It might help to see that his vision is still sharp, so he can likely see the box if he wants to, but he is just not going in. I am hoping one of these changes will reset his routine.