If you’re frustrated with how your cat uses its litter box, you’re not alone. Most cat owners admit that their furry friends develop issues with their litter boxes, which can be anything from not using the box altogether to defecating or urinating inside and outside the box. Health and behavioral issues could be attributed to this. Thankfully, there are a few tried and tested methods that can help solve your furry companion’s litter box problems.

Consult the vet
Before you try anything else, it’s best to take your cat to the vet. Sometimes, health issues can prevent your cat from using the litter box properly. These issues may include painful urination, constipation, diarrhea, injured paws, arthritis, dementia, diabetes, or kidney problems. The vet may inquire about your cat’s litter box problem in detail and recommend a urinalysis, stool check, or a blood test.

Place the box in an appropriate location
Like humans, cats need privacy when they do their business. If the litter box is currently located in a high-traffic area, move it to a quiet place where there’s the least disturbance. However, make sure that the new place isn’t too far or isolated, like in the basement. Also, avoid keeping the box close to their bed or food bowl.

Have enough litter boxes
If you own more than one cat but only one litter box, you may need to buy one for each cat. This may be especially necessary if you have an adult cat at home because they don’t like to share their private space with anyone else. Also, place a box for each cat in separate rooms.

Clean the box frequently
Just because they’re animals doesn’t mean they don’t need a clean place to relieve themselves. In fact, their sense of smell is much stronger than humans, so smelly litter boxes can be off-putting to them. Make sure to scoop the box every time your cat has used it, and wash them with unscented soap and warm water once a week.

Experiment with different litter
Cats develop a preference for a surface on which they like to eliminate waste. Interestingly, their choice may abruptly change for no particular reason. So, if your cat never uses a litter box or no longer uses the same box, bring multiple boxes with different surfaces, such as clumping litter, non-clumping litter, newspaper, sand, sawdust, and carpet remnants, and let them choose.