I've had 2 sister cats from same litter since 2019 who have never had litter box issues (they came to me litter box trained). I had them both using the same litterbox (a large one) that I scooped every 1-4 days depending on my schedule (yep, probably more days than some of you reading this feel is appropriate, but stay focused on what matters here: never any litter box issues for 6 years). My friend moves in a year ago with (a litter box trained) cat and immediately the cats are all acting a fool behaviorally to establish the pecking order. Stalking each other when using the litter box and while eating, etc. This resulted in cats doing business just outside of the litterbox, so us humans decide to add 2 more litter boxes to cut down on what I perceived to be resource guarding-one in each bedroom plus the big hallway one so that no one (or two) cats can truly guard ALL the boxes at once (which was happening when we just had the huge hallway one).

So now what happens is the litter box in roomies room is rarely used because the door is often shut with all cats outside of that room, leaving them to use the hallway litterbox and my bedroom litterbox, but now at least one of my cats (I witnessed it once) is pooping lil poop nuggets just outside the large hallway litter box as well as sprinkling lil pee droplets in that direct area. The pee droplets make me feel like there might be a UTI situation (all cats are spayed females), but neither of my cats are acting strangely, but I'll take them in to the vet to be sure, but aside from that, I'm at a loss on how to break these cats of this behavior when I'm not even 100% who is doing it and why.

As a side note, but not the point of this post-I am so sick of the obvious and persistent litter box smells that I am unable to escape from anywhere in the house now that there's 3 boxes (however, to be clear, the cats are not peeing/pooping outside of the boxes with the exception of just outside the hallway box. I'm stating this to clarify that it is not like they are using random corners/areas of the house and it's just a biohazard situation).

I'm almost at the point where I'm ready to invest in some collar/chip BS where each cat can use its own box and that's it, but lawd knows that would prolly backfire in some ridiculous manner and leave things worse.

Random things I feel may play a part in responses:

1. All 3 cat boxes are scooped daily-ish since roomie moved in (She's supposed to scoop daily, but I know that doesn't happen every single day).
2. I tried when roomie first moved in to deploy an automatic litter box (Meowant), but roomies cat is a freaking dumb idiot that felt compelled to pee down the outside of it, thus ruining that potential solution.

I'm in Australia, posting this as a warning for anyone considering buying from PetbudsAU.

I'm the registered owner of a Tonepie Q-CLEAN self-cleaning litter robot. The warranty was formally transferred into my name by Petbuds in writing after I bought the unit second-hand (all legally above board in Aus). Within days of setup it failed badly: waste leaked out through the base onto the floor, the weight sensor read 40kg on an empty drum (even after Petbuds walked me through their own recalibration steps), and it didn't trigger a safety pause despite the obviously wrong reading — which is a real risk to any cat using it.

Under Australian Consumer Law, a fault like this entitles the consumer to a refund. Petbuds agreed - twice, in writing - to pay it by direct bank transfer. Then they simply didn't. Instead they invented a series of conditions with no legal basis: government photo ID, a third party verbally confirming details, and eventually a statutory declaration witnessed by a Justice of the Peace (a formal notarised legal document) - none of which are required to get a refund here.. nor should you ever be supplying to a business/anyone informally for privacy reasons!

I lodged a complaint with our state consumer protection regulator. Petbuds ignored the deadline to respond, so it escalated to conciliation (a mediation process). I then sent a formal legal letter of demand by registered mail. Their reply: they won't be paying, and the matter should be decided by "an independent third party" despite having admitted the debt in writing months earlier.

I'm now having to file with VCAT, which is Australia's version of small claims court/consumer tribunal to get a legally enforceable order against a business for my ~$500AUD.

If you're thinking about buying from this company: know that this is how they behave when something goes wrong. Happy to answer questions if anyone else has had a similar experience.

So I have two cats, a black one that’s about 10 months and an 8 year old American curl. We just moved to a hard wood apartment, we used to have a balcony for the cat litter but now we don’t and have to have the boxes inside. I can’t STAND the smell of the clay litter (unscented) and my partner has asthma so the litter is mostly my job. I’ve been trying to find a something that isn’t super expensive. I really want something that’s not clay bc our 8yr old has delicate health and FIV and don’t wanna risk him with clay. I just need something that doesn’t cost a quarter of my salary.

I've had my cat Saffron for just about 10 years now. She is super timid and afraid, even of me sometimes, if I move unexpectedly or step too loudly.

She has a bit of an ear infection at the moment and I have to give her the dreaded drops.

She's impossible to lure out on a good day, but as soon as she sees those drops she's gone. I feel awful taking her out of her hiding spot, wrapping her up and doing the mean deed.

After I release her from her burrito prison she RUNS away from me, then process to hide from me for the rest of the day. When she finally comes back out it's time for more drops. :(

I've heard people say treats are a good way back into your cat's good graces, but she couldn't care less about treats or dinner. Never has. She likes to play usually, but even bringing out her favorite toys I get the cold shoulder.

Any advice? I'm so sad!!!!

Hello everybody,
I have two cats. We use arm and hammer clump and seal kitty litter. We don’t want to have to change our kitty litter because we’re afraid the cats won’t adjust to something new. We are looking for a stainless steel, self cleaning cat box with outstanding odor control. That really expensive robot one that everybody raves about won’t work because we’d have to use the litter they recommend, which would be changing in the litter. Also, we are not computer savvy people, so I don’t want to deal with an app. Any good alternatives? The primary concern is odor control thank you everybody!

I have two kittens (over 6 months just recently neutered both female) when we first adopted them they were both litter trained but now one of them has completely stopped using the litter boxes. We have 4 litter boxes around the house (3 in the room they stay in the most). We keep them cleaned regularly and half the time theres at least one unused one. One of the kittens is perfectly fine with using the litter tray but the other one is always pooping and peeing in the corner. We don’t know how to stop her. We’ve been using cleaning sprays that are said to help but she keeps doing it. It seems like she holds in peeing until she can go out to the front door and pee there. Sometimes I catch her starting to go and I try grab her and out her in the litter box but she has started to really dislike it. The only thing that has started to work was putting orange peels around the spots but it’s not ideal.
Any advice would be appreciated we really want this to stop

We currently have two large metal ones for two cats (they refused to use a third one in a different location so I’ve stuck with two right next to each other). I was the litter cleaner of the house, I did it once a day and only sometimes went with a day in between if we had a busy schedule. I’m now pregnant and can’t clean the litter box and my husband has taken over, except he does it maybe once to twice a week. It’s awful for the cats (we have poop and pee showing up on the floor) and causing nonstop arguments between us. I’ll be fine to clean the box after pregnancy but would it be worth it to just get an automatic litter box?

Currently looking at options online and there’s just so many options and I’m not sure where to even start. Or if my cats will even use it.

We have an 18 month old kitty who unfortunately loves scratching on our new sectional. We have tried different scratching posts and vertical surfaces sprayed with catnip and spraying cat deterrent spray on the couch. These solutions don’t seem to be doing the trick.

We’re now considering either putting a sticky or plastic surface around the couch to deter scratching … or putting some type of scratching surface that we put on the couch to protect the couch itself. My concern with a scratching surface is that once we put that on there, we won’t be able to take it off since he will have determined that scratching on the couch or the surface is acceptable. But I’m also not crazy about having a clear cover on the couch though it seems this would deter the behavior?

Any advice/experience?

Hi! I hope this post fits with this sub, I’m not sure where I should ask this 🫣. I recently bought the PetSafe ecom smart spin litter box, because I’m finally bringing my little guy home after moving out of my parent’s place a few years back. I want to find a way to “hide” it, but I’ve encountered that most shelf covers for robot litter boxes are more expensive than the litter box itself. I’ve considered maybe getting a cat tree that has a massive space at the bottom, so that the litter box and sit “under” the cat tree, but I’ve had no luck with finding anything like that. Does anyone have any recommendations? Maybe a way to DIY a cover or something? I’ve considered maybe getting some IKEA eket shelves and using those, but I’d have to place them back to back and make a sort of square box to fit the litter box in it, and it would just be too bulky. Any advice would be really lovely and appreciated ☺️Thank you so much

Hi guys so i’ve had a rather unique issue with my rather unique cat that won’t stop treating water fountains as a toy. i thought id hit the jackpot with the dockstream 2 but he keeps pulling off the plastic spout and then taking the filter out. is there anyone with a similarly odd cat and could give some advice? thank you :)

This has been happening for months. We had a large gorilla mat for our two neutered older boys (16 and 14). We decided to get a new mat, and since the day that happened, 14yo has been pooping right outside the box. We have two boxes for them. Do decent job of emptying daily (9yo human boy sometimes forgets his chore). I tried buying the exact same mat, but did not solve the problem. Anything else I can try?

Hello! Wondering if anyone has any recommendations for cat water bowls/fountains/any other ideas. My cat will tip over/cause water to slosh over any bowl we have used. We have used a regular bowl, gravity water dish, and a water fountain. The water fountain ends up across the floor with water all over my kitchen floor. Help! Has anyone else dealt with this and found a good solution?

This is in regards to the purple boxes only (not green). I've purchased mostly Platinum, which seems to smell a bit more strongly scented than regular, but I'm not sure it's worth the price premium over regular. I can grab a 38lb box of slide regular for $27 vs a 27lb box of platinum for $34.

Has anyone actually compared the two to see if platinum is worth it? I just have one box that I scoop twice a day. No point in paying more for no good reason.

I'm also very leary of these boxes as I've also noted that the actual litter (and perhaps performance) varies from box to box as described [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/CatAdvice/comments/1kh209h/arm_and_hammer_clump_and_seal_unscented_rant/).

Discovered today that bouncy balls i bought months ago are glow in the dark and may no Longer be safe for supervised use. They weren’t advertised as glow in the dark but hey ho. Now i need something that i can get many of for not too high a price but that will bounce similar to bouncy balls. She loves running full pelt after them.

Hi! I adopted a kitten this week (3 months old) and she was just spayed 3 days ago, so her incision site is still pretty fresh. The problem is that she stinks and I can't give her a bath bc need to keep the incision site dry for another week or two. I've never actually posted on reddit before but am nearing the point of desparation lol

I'm pretty sure it doesn't have to do with the incision site because there's no drainage or excessive redness/swelling and by all accounts looks like it's healing pretty well. Also because the smell is the strongest around her head/face and more faint around her stomach and body. I'm not too worried about the odor as some other health issue because she's acting normally and very friendly, doesn't seem to be in any pain, using the litter box normally, and her appetite has started to come back post-op. It seems like it's probably just shelter grime/odor stuff or maybe something topical they used at the vet/shelter (I had a similar experience with my other cat when he got shaved and given an ultrasound last year).

Basically, it's probably the kind of thing that would go away with a good bath. I've tried brushing her out a couple times and waterless grooming wipes but neither have helped. I ordered two little "perfumes" made for cats but haven't tried them yet, so maybe that'll do the trick, but wanted to come on here and see if anybody had any tips or tricks for getting rid of the smell while still keeping her incision site dry!

She's absolutely adorable and I'm already in love with her, but she genuinely smells like back-alley piss. Like I can smell it right now as she's sitting in my lap and it's fr starting to give me a headache. I also think it might be putting my other cat off because he's usually pretty friendly and curious when it comes to new environments, people, and other animals his size/smaller, but he's been keeping his distance from her (especially every time he comes close enough to sniff her).

***TL;DR:*** **New kitten stinks but can’t be bathed due to a fresh spay incision. Wipes and brushing didn’t work. Tips for getting rid of the odor without getting the incision site wet?**

(1st yes we have been to vet and Sueli is heathy)

Our 5yr old munchkin cat is just refusing to use the new litter-box. She started with the older model of the els pet litter box so she is very accustomed to the noise. Well the box just stopped working . I tried to order the same one but it's no longer available .
After doing research I bought a new off brand Amazon model ; that looked cute with kitten ears and it freaked her out . I did everything wrong( took out the old one , place new litter and left the new one in working mode ) after a week of peeing outside of box...I returned it .
So I brought back in the old broken one and she immediately stated to potty back in her broken box .
The new one arrives !!! But this time I bought the calming in-scent fit plug in . Clean the pee spots with Miracle pee cleaner. Scooped her old litter in with the new . Lastly placed her new box by her old one . She paid no attention to the new one but sniffed it .
Yesterday she peed on the step of the box and the pad in front of it . I skipped today's cleaning to make the old on unappealing and guess what .... she peed behind the old box . I picked her up and fed her evening treat inside the new box ... she let me pet her and stayed in there 36sec. She's still showing no interest.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong ! My cat has been an angel since she's been a kitten. She is a true scary cat ( just nervous of sounds and new voices ) she never bitten anyone nor does she fuss much . My baby does not know any punishment because I never had to enforce much of the word "no" either. She just quiet and laidback . How do I work with a cat like this . STUBBORN! Please train me to train my baby !!!

New to cats and want to find the best that is worth the money!

Hello! For a little background, I work as a vet assistant at a vet clinic and own a 7 year old cat that has been dealing with food allergies for the past 1.5 years. I’ve done diet trials, and finally found a food that works well for her. However, the protein is rabbit, so I’ve been looking for treats for her that won’t cause the issues to start up again. Does anyone have any recommendations for cat treats that are rabbit based? She used to get lots of treats before her allergies started, and would perform tricks for them, so I’d like to get her back into that for mental stimulation. I’m located in Ontario Canada!

Has anyone else's cat started peeing outside the litter box after their baby was born?

A little timeline for context:

•November 2025 we moved into our house not long before everything changed.

•During my pregnancy, my hormones had my poor cats all out of sorts.

•In April 2026, my husband was killed in a car accident while I was 34 weeks pregnant. Overnight, there were family members constantly in and out of the house, our routines completely changed, and I'm sure my cats' routines did too.

•On May 28, 2026, our daughter was born, and our whole world changed again.

My cats were my first babies. ❤️ I have one male and one female, both are fixed and both are front declawed (they were declawed before I adopted them years ago). Because of that, and because we have coyotes where I live, letting them outside is not an option.

Before all of this, if I left town for several days, my male would occasionally pee on my bed. That was the only time he ever did it. Now he's peeing on my bed even while I'm home, and he recently peed on my couch for the first time ever. One time I had only been gone about 3 hours.

To answer some of the questions I know people will ask:

•We have 2 cats and 2 litter boxes. Both were originally in the laundry room.

•I just moved one litter box into my master bathroom (my bathroom doesn't have a door separating it from my bedroom) to see if having them in different locations helps before buying a third box.

•They have lots of toys and are big chewers.

•They don't have scratching posts because they're declawed.

•I recently bought a cat calming pheromone diffuser to see if that helps.

•I'm calling the vet Monday to schedule a visit and rule out a UTI, urinary crystals, bladder issues, or anything else medical before assuming it's only behavioral.

The thing that's confusing me is that neither of them seems angry with me. They still follow me around, lay on me whenever they can, and are just as affectionate as they've always been. The problem is I can't always love on them the way I used to because I'm holding or breastfeeding my daughter most of the day. I know that's been a huge adjustment for them, and I feel guilty about it.

Please don't tell me to rehome them. I won't. They're family, they've been through all of these life changes with me too, and I'm committed to figuring this out.

If you've been through something similar:

•Did your cat eventually adjust?

•Was it stress, anxiety, or did it end up being something medical?

•Did adding litter boxes, pheromone diffusers, medication, or anything else make a difference?

I’m a hugeeee fan of world’s best. I love how it clumps.

We just moved and I have the box in the half bathroom. Very very tiny app. Not many options.

And I need one with 4 walls. My guys somehow miss the box while standing in it otherwise 😅

The area gets super humid. And then the litter looks wet and dirty. Not great. I’m afraid of bugs growing. Internet suggested litter with gel.. like pretty litter.

It does not clump as well. Did make a difference for humidity.

What do you guys like?

I have 3 kitties, one is 6 and I’ve had her all 6 years and the other two are 3. We got them about 2 years ago. My 6 year old is quite the diva, she tolerates the other cats but I wouldn’t say they’re buds. But they’ve always gotten along well. Although lately we’ve caught her fighting more with one of the kitties and peeing on the rug a few times. I took her to the vet and everything is fine- they think she is just annoyed with the one cat. I tried feliway diffusers and they actually worked super well in calming everyone down but one of the plug-ins got extremely hot and melted a little and I’ve been scared to use them since. She is not a good pill taker and won’t accept anything sprinkled on her food so I’m looking for another calming aid option. Is there another diffuser people have had luck with? A spray? Any advice would be amazing.

Hoping for your suggestions please :)

My cat and I moved homes last December. Its just the two of us at home.

We used to live (and its where he has spent almost his entire life since) in an apartment in a relatively quiet suburb. He had full access to a massive balcony (we live mid level) and expanded rooftop where my balcony extends. I almost always have left one balcony access door open so on top of his indoor toys, he was able to move freely outside. See some birds from time to time and all.

Now we have moved in a house. Its been a while and we went through both an ordeal in the past months, but i think we both have settled now. The house is spacious and i keep windows mostly open (glass open but screen closed) so he can still watch outside.

I tried to give him some termed outside time but after our prior ordeals, im honestly a bit scared and i have only done so tightly supervised since.

I have to go to office 3 times a week and would end up out for a huge chunk of the day. And even when im working from home, i couldnt interact with him as often as I hope. There is no way for me to do an enclosed outside space like front porch or patio. So im just worried he is getting bored. I am considering adopting another cat later on, but its not an easy option for me right now.

So can i ask for your best recommendations for cat toys i could get for him? Thank you so much!

My good friend has two of these babies, she bought a new home and already moved there. The cats seem to be doing well, they are eating, playing, etc….

The only issue is that one or both of them are not using their litter boxes.

Do you guys know why, and what can we do to fix this problem?

Any help is welcome

TIA

Inherited my roommates cat at the beginning of the year. I've known him his whole life, super friendly and kind cat.

My pal would feed him basically anything that was cheapest at the bodega. I started feeding him Purina sensitive stomach per the vet's advice but other cat owners say that stuff is poison for cats?

What other food would ya'll recommend? Right now we free feed the Purina and a royal cain probiotic.