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She doesn't have any health problems, other than old age.
She just totally refuses to use the litter pan, even though I keep it very clean.
It's a dilemna...
Allow me to make a suggestion that has worked for others whose cat mainly used the outdoors as a toilet. GET RID OF THE LITTER, perfumed or not, and use soil from outside. Garden soil. In other words good old dirt! You can even encourage her by adding a small piece of her poop in one corner.
There is no way you can keep her out of the room she's using as a litter pan?
Can you put her litterbox in a room with a baby gate blocking the dogs off? You might still want to take the top off, even with the gate. I've never used a covered box, but I've heard some cats don't like it.
We got rid of the pretty covers on the litter pans. One of our cats will not go into a covered litter pan. I noticed her frantically looking into the pan and making distress noises. It didn't take a genius to see what was happening. I'm glad I was there to see it. I lifted the wicker cover off and she immediately went in and urinated. Poor little kitty. But we finally had to get rid of all the pans and use totes as she's the same one who almost stands to urinate and goes right over the side of regular litter pans.
Allow me to make a suggestion that has worked for others whose cat mainly used the outdoors as a toilet. GET RID OF THE LITTER, perfumed or not, and use soil from outside. Garden soil. In other words good old dirt! You can even encourage her by adding a small piece of her poop in one corner.
There is no way you can keep her out of the room she's using as a litter pan?
I don't think that's the problem (and I have another cat that uses the litter pan). She has used it in the past, mostly in the wintertime when snow is on the ground. I think (hope) she just objects to the cover. We shall see!
There is no door, and as we all know, that's about the only thing that will keep a cat out of a place she's determined to go into!
Some good suggestions so far looks like. I don't really have much else, except to suggest some patience and keep at it.
Although she is 19, from what you've written it sounds like she has a reasonable quality of life still. So please keep at it with some of the suggestions. If it's been a year since the last vet, that is a good place to start, really. At that age especially, quite a lot can change in a year, even in less time, so it's worth seeing if there's a medical reason for the behavior. There's a pretty good chance there is in fact something wrong. But if she gets a clean bill of health, you're left with the aversion to box issues which can go to type of box, type of litter, placement, etc, etc. Interesting idea above given her prior outside nature to use dirt from outside! I've never heard of that, but it sure makes sense if nothing else is working.
I encourage you to keep at it. While it's certainly possible she won't be with you for too many years, she does not appear to be at the point yet. I don't think it's reasonable to consider euthanasia solely because of this litter box issue. If she has kidney disease, hyperthyroid or something like that (common in old cats) then these can be treated to add (at least in some cases) years to her life.
I'm going to try to build something this weekend that will keep the dogs away from the box (once I take the cover off) but allow access for the cat, without her having to jump over anything.
I'll certainly let everyone know how this unfolds!
Perhaps she no longer likes the Brand cat litter, your using. My cats have all been indoor/outdoor cats. They haven't liked perfumed/smelly litter. They have always liked 'Special Kitty' or 'Jonny Cat' litter (Fragrance Free). imho.
I'm going to try to build something this weekend that will keep the dogs away from the box (once I take the cover off) but allow access for the cat, without her having to jump over anything.
I'll certainly let everyone know how this unfolds!
Please let us know how it goes! Yes, the cover on the litter box could be making her feel trapped and vulnerable. Is the litterbox high on the side where the entry is? She may be arthritic and need a lower box. A checkup at the vet is a good idea. I know some are very expensive but if you shop around you can find ones that are more reasonable. You can also use a baby gate to keep the dogs away, but describe what you've built. Also, I have found Simple Solution to be far superior to Nature's Miracle. If your local store doesn't have it, you can order it from Amazon. Best wishes to you and your senior kitty!
I'm sorry you're going through this!
It's always such a hard decision...we want to do what's best for them, but there's so much guilt about when they're ready to go, if we're doing it too soon, not soon enough, etc...
I agree, she should have a full work-up with blood and chemistry panels, and take it from there. Given her age, once you have a diagnosis, you may want to look into less invasive treatment methods...when my mom's cat started going downhill at age 17, we opted to take him to my holistic vet for massage, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, and natural supplements that boost immune function, and he did really well after his treatments. We could tell he was much more comfortable afterwards, and he would sleep deeply, which is so important.
I wish you both the best of luck in figuring all this out, and my heart goes out to both of you!
It could be she doesn't like the cover on the litter pan. Jackson Galaxy the cat expert does not like them because they hold in the odors and when a cat goes to use it the concentrated smell bothers them. In fact, I think on one of his shows he had a problem where the cat wouldn't use the covered pan but went back to it when the cover was removed. It's worth a try.
I also agree it would be a good idea to take her back to the vet and get a full blood workup and whatever else a senior cat should have. My vet does a "senior checkup" that is geared towards the possible problems of elderly kitties like thyroid problems, diabetes etc.
19 is a great age. My last two cats died within a year of each other at age 18. My present cat is 13 with a touch of spondlyosis in her back. Otherwise she passed her senior exam with flying colors. I hope your kitty will do the same.
Mine don't like the fully covered boxes either, so I got a few of these... http://www.amazon.com/Iris-CLH-12-Op...0672306&sr=8-1
The only drawbacks IMO are that the plastic is that shiny kind that's a bit harder to clean, and the inside isn't just flat, there are grooves, which also makes cleaning a bit harder...if you use a clumping litter it would be pretty easy to clean, but I use the pine stuff and it gets dusty & tedious, so I'm back on the "prowl" for a better box...again...sigh...LOL!
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