Once a cat is trained, a change in habit to going outside the litter box may indicate a medical problem, so your first step is to take your cat to the vet. Assuming that everything checks out ok, then you need to do a little analysis. Is the litter box clean? Cats generally don’t like a dirty litter box. Is your cat going on a particular type of surface: hard wood, soft fabric, grass? If so, try to replicate that surface in the litter box. Although most cats prefer a sandy surface, which is why litter boxes work, things change, sometimes for mysterious reasons. After all, they’re cats!


As always in training, consistency helps. If you catch your cat doing business where he shouldn’t, a sharp sound will sometimes stop him. Then you can carry him to the litter box and praise him lavishly when the proper transaction is concluded.