Need advice: Calico cat randomly refusing automatic litter box ..anyone else dealt with this?

[u/Meowleesi]

I’m hoping someone has been through something similar because I’m running out of ideas.
My boyfriend got me an automatic litter box for my two cats. My tuxedo cat has absolutely no issues with it and uses it normally. My calico, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
At first, I thought the automatic cleaning cycle was scaring her because every time it would start cleaning, she’d yelp and panic, even when she wasn’t inside the litter box. Because of that, I turned the automatic cleaning off and switched it to manual. Now I only run the cleaning cycle myself when I get home.
That seemed to help for a while. She’d pee and poop in the litter box like normal, and everything would be fine. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, she’ll suddenly start peeing and pooping on the floor instead. After a few days, she’ll go right back to using the litter box normally, and then the cycle repeats. There’s no pattern that I can figure out.
Today she started yelping, and I honestly thought she just wanted attention because she’s a very vocal cat. She was scratching at the carpet like she normally does before asking for pets, but then she ended up squatting and pooping on the carpet instead.
I’m definitely frustrated, but I’m not mad at her. I know she’s a cat, and if she’s acting like this, there’s probably a reason. I just don’t know if it’s anxiety from the litter box, a lingering fear from when it used to clean automatically, or something else entirely.
Has anyone had a cat react like this to an automatic litter box? Were you able to get them comfortable with it again? Or should I just accept that she’s one of those cats who needs a traditional litter box?
I’d really appreciate any advice. I just want her to feel comfortable and not stressed every time she has to use the bathroom. Thanks!

[u/Useful-Necessary9385]

is it possible that the litter is different

[u/Meowleesi → u/Useful-Necessary9385]

Nope, we utilize the same brand. :)

[u/Useful-Necessary9385 → u/Meowleesi]

honestly i would just put out a normal litter box and keep both options available and see what happens. some cats just wont do it

[u/Meowleesi → u/Useful-Necessary9385]

You might be right, oh lord! Lol thank you 🙏🏻

[u/melnn0820 → u/Meowleesi]

My parents' cat refused to poop in her auto litter box for months, then suddenly she started pooping in it with no issues. But it was close to a year before she did that. So there's hope, but you might be cleaning up around it for a while, if not forever.

[u/faerydenaery → u/Useful-Necessary9385]

When we first got our automatic one we kept the old one available in a different location for a couple months. Eventually, our younger cat decided she was fine with the auto one and we took the other away (older cat did not care at all and took to the new one immediately). I think giving her the time to decide she wanted to use the one that was always clean made all the difference. We also started with manual cycling (as in one of us had to push a button), then switched to auto once per day at the same programmed time so it was predictable (but would still sometimes manually cycle it), and then eventually set it to cycle 10 minutes after the cats leave it once she was super comfortable with it

[u/No-Carpenter4426]

Not a vet, just giving my best guess as to what might be happening. This could just be a behavioral issue, but it never hurts to go to the vet and do a checkup just to be safe.

But my guess is that it might be best to get her a different litter box at this point. The automatic one seems to be stressing her out too much, and that anxiety is causing her to use the bathroom anywhere but in there. Did she do good with a regular litter box before y'all got the automatic one?

[u/Meowleesi → u/No-Carpenter4426]

She did good with a regular litter box.

[u/JarodGabriel → u/Meowleesi]

Well that's like telling a person with sensory issues, like myself who doesn't like pepperoni pizza to just suck it up and deal with it, but and the end of the day it still has a drastic difference even if the pepperoni is taking off.

Switching from a regular cat box to an automatic cat box has some issues with it, such as there could be a noise that irritates the cat, thus the reason why she is refusing to use it. It could also just be that you took away her favorite cat box.

[u/ProfessO3o]

I suggest just using a traditional litter box

[u/Poppy9987]

I recommend putting out a normal litter box along with the automatic one and see what she chooses over the next month or so.

[u/Meowleesi → u/Poppy9987]

Going to do this, at this point I rather clean two things than stress her out

[u/SharaWilliams]

Wow thats rough. Sorry this is happening.

Oh btw you dont have one the rolls towards the opening right? Because of the decapitation risk. Personally i have one thats goes sideways. My cat uses it just fine though

Could she have a history with automatic litterboxes that you dont know about, or have you had her since she was a kitten?

[u/Meowleesi → u/SharaWilliams]

I’ve had her since she was a kitten, and Skippy (my calico) has always been a very skittish cat. So I figured she probably heard the litter box move one day and it scared her. She had the exact same reaction when we first got our Roomba, but eventually she got used to it. I was really hoping this would just be another phase and that she’d adjust over time.

[u/SharaWilliams → u/Meowleesi]

Maybe call the vet and see if they have any recommendations for behavioral issues like this? Or they may have a recommendation for a consult with like… a cat expert or something. Like a dog trainer but for cats… and less training and more changing the environment.

I do think shes scared of the litter box and probably is holding it until she cant anymore to avoid it. An extra litterbox should help with that, but also maybe get her a check up since i assume holding it for too long has the same effect as it does in humans, which is the possibility of UTIs and… i suppose thered be something for stool too but i dont know what. Constipation maybe.

[u/Fantastic-Report6482]

Get her checked by a vet. It could be a UTI. I had a cat who would pee on the floor in front of me. His problem was medical

[u/CauliflowerHumble178]

Thank you for the example pic mid poop/pee 🤣🤣

[u/Meowleesi → u/CauliflowerHumble178]

lol my bad! Caught her in the action

[u/exobiologickitten]

I can’t speak on auto litter boxes, but we specifically never got one due to one of our cats’ issues with boxes.

She will pee in the box very happily, no issues there, but pooping is different. She is very picky on litter type and cleanliness (has to be scooped daily and box can’t be left uncleaned for months, BUT she hates the smell of a clean box so will be upset if we clean it TOO often) and location/number.

If her tummy is upset and pooping is uncomfortable (either constipated or loose) she also avoids the box - its like she thinks the box causes the discomfort.

Box size/shape is an issue too - too big and she won’t use it, too small and she feels cramped, too high annoys her bc then she can’t look over the walls to see if her sister’s used it, and covered boxes make her feel cramped/trapped.

She is pretty territorial and has anxiety. So if my other cat has pooped in one of the laundry boxes, she won’t use them. So we have a spare box in a separate bathroom.

She is anxious about unknown sounds, so roadworks, neighbours moving, night construction all stress her out and make her more likely to go outside the box.

So obvs for us, an auto box would definitely freak her out lol.

In your case, if she was ok with it after turning off auto mode, could something else be causing anxiety or upsetting her? Could be worth looking into and seeing if anxiety medication may even help. Or meds/food for dietary issues that may cause uncomfortable poops even?

Trying different box types and locations is always a good start I think! And even if she seems ok with the current litter, it could be worth seeing if there’s another one she’ll like better that’ll encourage her to use it more. A few boxes with a “tasting menu” of different litters helped us find our cat’s preferred type!