A cat that stops using the tray is not being spiteful and is not punishing you. In most cases it is either a medical problem, or the tray itself is wrong in a way that is easy to fix and easy to miss.
Start with the vet, not the shop. Urinary problems, kidney disease, arthritis and cystitis all present as "stopped using the tray", and a blocked male cat is a life-threatening emergency within hours. Once that is ruled out, the fixes are unglamorous: more trays, bigger trays, different litter, better placement.
The rules most trays break
| How many | One per cat, plus one. Two cats means three trays |
|---|---|
| How big | 1.5× your cat's length, nose to tail base. Most trays sold are too small |
| Litter depth | About 3–5 cm |
| Litter type | Unscented, fine-grained clumping suits most cats |
| Where | Quiet, not beside food, not in a dead end |
| Cleaning | Scoop daily. Full change weekly |
The emergency, first
A male cat straining in the tray and producing nothing is an emergency. A blocked urethra can be fatal within a day or two, and it is often mistaken for constipation.
Call your vet immediately if you see: repeated trips with nothing produced, crying in the tray, licking at the genitals persistently, or a cat that has become suddenly quiet and hunched.
Blood in the urine, or urinating in odd places, is also a vet call rather than a cleaning problem. Cystitis in cats is often stress-linked, painful, and treatable, and cats with it frequently begin associating the tray itself with the pain.
Once medical causes are ruled out
You probably do not have enough trays
One per cat plus one. It sounds excessive and it is the fix that most often works, particularly in multi-cat homes where one cat can quietly block another's access to the only tray.
Two trays side by side count as one location. Spread them across the home.
The tray is almost certainly too small
The guideline is about one and a half times your cat's body length, nose to the base of the tail. Most trays on sale are smaller than that for an average adult cat.
A large storage box with one side cut down is cheaper than most purpose-made trays and usually a better size. This is an area where the obvious purchase is often the wrong one.
Hoods and liners are for you, not the cat
A covered tray traps odor inside, where your cat is. It also creates a single exit, which matters for a nervous cat or one sharing with a bully. Some cats accept a hood; a cat with a problem is not the cat to test it on.
Liners catch claws when a cat digs. If yours scratches at the tray edges rather than the litter, try without one.
Litter: unscented, fine, and not suddenly different
Given the choice, most cats prefer a fine-grained clumping litter, unscented. Scented litters are made for human noses, and a cat's is far more sensitive.
Change litter type gradually. A cat that liked its tray yesterday and refuses it today, immediately after you switched brands, has told you something specific.
Placement
- Not beside food or water. Cats do not eat where they toilet
- Not in a dead end. A tray in a cupboard or behind a door is a place a cat can be cornered
- Not next to a washing machine or anything that starts suddenly. One fright can end a tray's career
- On each floor of a multi-storey home, especially for an older cat
The older cat who suddenly can't
This one is missed constantly. Around 90% of cats over twelve have degenerative joint disease on X-ray, while arthritis appears in only a small fraction of their records.
A high-sided tray is a hurdle for an arthritic cat. They do not stop using it because they have decided to; they stop because getting in hurts. The fix is a tray with one low side, or a cut-down entrance, and a location that needs no stairs.
If your senior cat has recently started missing the tray, that is a reason to ask your vet about pain, not a reason to buy a different litter.
Cleaning what has already happened
Use an enzymatic cleaner, and never an ammonia-based one. Urine contains ammonia, so an ammonia cleaner leaves a scent that says "this is the toilet". Enzymatic cleaners break down the compounds rather than masking them.
We do not sell enzymatic cleaner; a supermarket or pet pharmacy will. This matters more than anything else you buy, because a spot that still smells right to your cat is a spot they will use again.
Common questions
Why has my cat stopped using the litter box?
Most often a medical problem or something about the tray itself. See your vet first, particularly for a male cat straining, then work through number of trays, size, litter type and placement.
How many litter boxes do I need?
One per cat plus one, spread across the home. Two trays side by side count as one location.
What size should a litter box be?
About one and a half times your cat's length from nose to the base of the tail. Most trays sold are too small, and a cut-down storage box is often a better and cheaper option.
Is my cat doing this out of spite?
No. Cats do not toilet outside the tray to make a point. It is pain, fear, or a tray that does not work for them.
What litter do cats prefer?
Most prefer fine-grained clumping litter, unscented, at about 3–5 cm depth. Change brands gradually rather than all at once.
My senior cat has started missing the tray. Why?
Often arthritis. High sides become hard to climb, and around 90% of cats over twelve have degenerative joint disease on X-ray. Try a low-entry tray and ask your vet about pain relief.
How do I clean up accidents?
An enzymatic cleaner, never ammonia-based — urine contains ammonia, so those cleaners signal that the spot is a toilet. We do not sell them; a supermarket will.
What helps, and what to skip
The two things that fix most tray problems are an extra tray and a vet visit. Neither is an upsell.
| The problem | What helps | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Straining, blood, sudden change | Your vet, today | Not a product. A blocked male cat is an emergency |
| Only one tray | Another tray | One per cat plus one. A cut-down storage box beats most trays on size |
| Litter tracked across the house | Litter filter mat and liner set | Catches granules at the exit. Skip the liner if your cat claws at it |
| Changing the tray is unpleasant | Drawstring liners, 7-pack | Some cats catch claws in liners — watch the first few uses |
| Nervous cat, no safe retreat | Enclosed hideaway | A cat with a hiding place is a calmer cat, and stress-linked cystitis is real |
| Existing accidents | Enzymatic cleaner — not from us | Never ammonia-based. Matters more than anything you buy here |
| Senior cat struggling to climb in | A low-entry tray | Ask your vet about arthritis at the same time |
A mat and a second tray solve different halves. The mat fixes your floor; the extra tray fixes your cat. Buying only the mat is treating the symptom you can see rather than the one your cat has.
Also worth reading: signs of arthritis in cats and setting up for an anxious cat.
Sources
- American Association of Feline Practitioners and International Society of Feline Medicine — Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines, including litter box number, size and placement
- Guy NC, Hopson M, Vanderstichel R — risk factors for house soiling in cats
- International Cat Care — litter box problems, litter preference and covered trays
- Hardie EM, Roe SC, Martin FR. Radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease in geriatric cats: 100 cases. JAVMA 2002;220(5):628–632. DOI: 10.2460/javma.2002.220.628
- Veterinary guidance on feline lower urinary tract disease, urethral obstruction and stress-associated cystitis
Written by Kindopet Guides. Reviewed 7 September 2026. General guidance, not veterinary advice. A cat straining to urinate needs a vet the same day.