09/26/2026
⬇️⬇️⬇️ PSA
I had a heartbreaking conversation yesterday. A woman had just put her beloved 4-year-old cat to sleep because he was peeing outside the litter box.
She told me she’d done multiple urinalyses and they were all normal. “He just developed an incurable behavior problem,” she told me. She was heartbroken.
I asked her how often she was scooping the litter box, and there was a long pause.
“Maybe once a week.”
I asked how often she was completely emptying and cleaning her cat’s litter box and replacing the litter. She couldn’t remember, because she just added more litter when the box got low.
Imagine only flushing your toilet once a week—and never cleaning it. Eventually, even entering your bathroom would become almost unbearable.
Cats feel the same way.
They are incredibly clean animals, and if their toilet is disgusting, they may choose to stop using it and find a more acceptable place to go potty (for them, not for you).
😿 I’ve spent the last 24 hours thinking about this potentially unnecessary euthanasia, so I’ve decided to do a PSA about it 💔:
If your cat suddenly stops using the litter box, there could absolutely be a medical reason, so always rule that out first. But if your cat is healthy, take a hard look at your litter box hygiene.
Scoop every day. Disinfect it often. Replace the litter regularly. Cats deserve a clean potty, too.
It matters to your cat, and therefore it should matter to you. ❤️
