[melissa5]

Tango and Cash are 6 months old. About 2 weeks ago Tango has decided to start using the bathtub as a litterbox. At 1st I tried cleaning the tub with vinegar, didn't work. Then I put the plug in and dumped a whole jug of vinegar in and let it sit for awhile but he still used it again after. The only way I can stop him from using it is keeping the tub full of water but I have 3 young kids so I really can't do that. I did keep it full this weekend for 2 days and Tango was using the litter box but my husband went for a shower last night and forgot to fill the tub back up so I woke up in the middle of the night to a gross surprise in the bathtub!

Of the 2 cats, Tango is definitely the more dominant of them so I don't think Cash is keeping him from the litterbox. Tango also eats half of his meals in the bathtub so I thought it was odd that he would go to the bathroom there.

I think I know what started this but I'm not sure how to stop it. I have a litterbox in the bathroom and one in the basement. They've always been there and both used with no problems. One day I completely emptied the basement litterbox and then washed it clean in the bathroom. I left it on the bathroom floor to dry and one of the cats (now I'm assuming it was Tango) used the empty litterbox so I washed it out again but this time left it in the bathtub to dry. A cat decided to use it again. I towel dried the next time but the litterbox ended up being out of the basement for the whole day. Since I've refilled it and put it back in the basement, neither cat is hardly using it. I might scoop something out of it every other day so I thought that the bathroom litterbox was just getting to full for Tango to use but I've checked after every bathtub accident and its is pretty much clean still because I've been scooping extra just incase.

Any suggestions on what I can try to stop this?

 

[goombella]

I had the same problem with my male cat. What I did is clean the bathtub with nature's miracle and keep the door closed at all times. He was allowed in when someone was in the bathroom with him. When he would jump into the bathtub, I would turn on the tap. I would try to do it without him seeing me, so he wouldn't associate it with me. Luckily for me he is the one that is scared of water. If it was my female, she would probably like it as she tries to jump in the tub when someone someone is having a bath. I felt mean because he is such a sweet cat and I don't ever use a water spraybottle on him. But I couldn't have him peeing in the tub. Maybe if I had an extra tub, I would give it to him. :heart So far it has worked and he hasn't gone in the bathtub for some time. Good luck. Hopefully, you have another area you could use for your litter box.

 

[Cat'sHouse]

Wow....good luck with this one.....but:
please explain...'half his meals in the bathtub'...I can't quite get that one.

For awhile, one of my four was using the bathtub too...don't know how it started nor how it stopped...tried the things you mentioned.....then I thought it might have something to do with bringing in Marble, a young female stray into the house to live with us....Older female, Liza, 16, didn't approve but too bad...she was queen long enough. I figured it might be her and watched and it was. Never done this in 16 yrs but just like that she started using the tub when no one was looking.

So, I got smart...we had a liter maid and one extra liter box in the bathroom...I got another one and put it in the room she likes best...and kept the one in the bathroom real clean like you are doing....they must have worked it out as the problem stopped. I want to get another liter maid cat box soon but scooping clumping litter isn't that bad.

I think I got lucky. And, with small children, you are right, can't keep water in the tub.

 

[melissa5]

Wow....good luck with this one.....but:
please explain...'half his meals in the bathtub'...I can't quite get that one.

For awhile, one of my four was using the bathtub too...don't know how it started nor how it stopped...tried the things you mentioned.....then I thought it might have something to do with bringing in Marble, a young female stray into the house to live with us....Older female, Liza, 16, didn't approve but too bad...she was queen long enough. I figured it might be her and watched and it was. Never done this in 16 yrs but just like that she started using the tub when no one was looking.

So, I got smart...we had a liter maid and one extra liter box in the bathroom...I got another one and put it in the room she likes best...and kept the one in the bathroom real clean like you are doing....they must have worked it out as the problem stopped. I want to get another liter maid cat box soon but scooping clumping litter isn't that bad.

I think I got lucky. And, with small children, you are right, can't keep water in the tub.

I feed him in the bathtub when I am feeding him raw food.
Tango and Cash are littermates that have been with us since they were 8 weeks old and so far this is the only litterbox problems we've had so I really don't think it has to do with the other cat.

I've been keeping the bathtub full of water so he can't use it but instead I picked up 2 towels he pee'd on. I locked him in the bathroom this morning while I went to work and expected to come home to a big mess but he actually used the litterbox while I was gone. 2 minutes after I emptied the tub he poo'd in it though.

This really needs to stop but I have no idea what to do!

 

[MowMow]

Has he been to a vet to rule out anything medical? (sorry if this was answered previously).

 

[melissa5]

Has he been to a vet to rule out anything medical? (sorry if this was answered previously).

He hasn't been recently and actually something being wrong medically was one of my 1st thoughts but I've been watching him closely. So far everything seems to be the right size and color and he's not straining or looking like he's in pain at all when he goes and the frequency has not increased at all. He's also eating and playing like normal.

I bought a new type of litter to try. Hopefully it works!

 

[Sinatra-Butters]

I would take him to the vet right away. I wouldn't wait for the litter. If there is something wrong with him he is in pain and he wouldn't want you to wait.

If there is nothing wrong medically I would close the bathroom door. Sinatra tears up the toilet paper and Nutmeg tears up the shower curtain so we keep the door closed at all times.

 

[dweamgoil]

Sasha had a stint of bathtub peeing for a couple of months. After spending a good amount of cash on a urinalysis and a vet visit, the vet told us it was a litterbox management problem. At the time, my cats were fed exclusively raw and canned so I had a pretty good idea that he did not have a UTI, but better safe than sorry. His bathtub peeing days ended when we added a fourth litterbox.

 

[melissa5]

Sasha had a stint of bathtub peeing for a couple of months. After spending a good amount of cash on a urinalysis and a vet visit, the vet told us it was a litterbox management problem. At the time, my cats were fed exclusively raw and canned so I had a pretty good idea that he did not have a UTI, but better safe than sorry. His bathtub peeing days ended when we added a fourth litterbox.

I ended up adding a new litterbox with a different type of litter two nights ago and so far there has been "accidents"!

 

[dweamgoil]

I ended up adding a new litterbox with a different type of litter two nights ago and so far there has been "accidents"!

Still in the bathtub or elsewhere around the house? I know my vet spoke about acting on it quickly (nipping it in the bud) before it became an ingrained habit. How long has this been going on?

 

[melissa5]

Still in the bathtub or elsewhere around the house? I know my vet spoke about acting on it quickly (nipping it in the bud) before it became an ingrained habit. How long has this been going on?

Hahaha! That was supposed to say NO accidents! As soon as I put the new litter down he started using it. I guess he was just being picky.

 

[dweamgoil]

Hahaha! That was supposed to say NO accidents! As soon as I put the new litter down he started using it. I guess he was just being picky.

Wonderful! :thumb