At the end of my tether - help please!

[Deleted]

I have 4 cats.  They're all 10+ years old.  The only male (desexed) has taken to toileting on my wooden floor.  The only good thing is that it's not on carpet.

When he was little he used to use the litter box there, then he started going outside.  The others all go outside during the day.

I've put out 4 different trays at the one time, used all different kinds of litter, haven't in all these years changed the cleaning method I use for the trays.  He prefers to be free and easy and use the floor beside the tray.  He actually comes inside from outside to go, then goes back outdoors.

He's been doing this for about a year now and I've tried everything I can think of.  He's a good cat in all other respects.

Oh, and he doesn't seem to be in any pain or discomfort when he goes. 

All thoughts welcome!

[Deleted]

Have you had him to the vet for a check up? If all checks out OK, maybe try putting the litter boxes in a bathtub or shower? Less room next to it, and if he does miss, it is easier to rinse away. Are all the boxes in the same area? Maybe spread them around so he doesn't have to mark the entire litter box area as "his"?

[jellybeanscloset412]

Try laying paper down all around the litter box. He will either go on the paper or hate it so much and go somewhere else like hopefully the litter box. At least he is going in the same spot. Its when they pee all over the house that it's a problem.

[val2525]

If it's a covered box, try removing the cover. My guy was peeing high in the box so it would hit the seam, and leak out. Noticed him one day dashing into the box and dashing right out. Nothing changed on my end, but he'd had major dental surgery a few months prior to him starting this new pattern, so I wondered if the cover was bothering him and felt like the box was a kennel/cage (which he'd been in for a few hours during anesthesia recovery). Took the lid off, no more problems.

You could also get the puppy pee pads or adult bed liners and put one next to his box.

[Deleted]

I'd take him in for a vet check.

Could he be arthritic? Possibly lower trays or finer litter?

[blissfullymiserable]

Maybe he doesn't like the cat litter? Oops, never mind. I see you've tried different litters.

[Deleted]

He could be getting arthritic, I suppose, although the way I see him scramble up the fence every morning I doubt it. Anyway, I bought a litter tray with a U shape for access to see if that was the problem...apparently not.

Val, I took the lids off the trays years ago, because NONE of them liked them.

I might try putting paper around, or puppy pee pads. And a trip to the vet.

Sigh. It's so dumb. In the torrential storms we had a couple of weeks ago the roof started leaking like a sieve and he STILL used that room, although water was pouring down on him. He's not the brightest cat in the world.

[Deleted]

I don't think it would be arthritis or he'd just go outside. Seems to be more of a ingrained habit, that is his potty spot and he's going to go there. If he even comes in from outside to go that's the only thing I could think of. Doesn't seem medical either since he's coming in from other places to specifically go in that one spot. What happens if he can't get to that spot? If it's blocked off or something, where does he go then? That would be the first step I took. To keep him blocked from that area and see if he'll use the box or outside then. If you can't block it off because it's an open area, maybe try tinfoil or something he won't like to step on to go around it to keep him out.