Litter box problems are among the most common welfare issues causing cat surrender. Systematic environmental assessment usually reveals soluble causes.
Litter box aversion is almost never the cat acting out - it is a cat communicating that something about the current litter system does not meet its needs. Whether the substrate is wrong, the location stressful, the box too small, or the cleaning frequency inadequate, the solution lies in the environment rather than the cat. A systematic approach - medical exclusion, litter type trialling, location assessment, and cleaning protocols - resolves the vast majority of cases. The welfare stakes are high: surrender and euthanasia are common outcomes for cats whose elimination problems are not addressed.