Litter box problems are common, exasperating and very stressful. There are lots of reasons why your kitty may suddenly decide to adopt your carpet, furniture, bath or clean laundry pile as his new latrine. This article goes through 10 of the most common causes of litter box problems, and suggests practical ways to solve them.

1. Urinary tract infection. If your kitty suddenly and inexplicably starts peeing away from his litter box (often in the bath or sink), he may have a urinary tract infection. Take him to the vet to either rule this out or get treatment for him.

2. Territory marking. Your cat may be spraying because another cat is peeing near your home. To stop this War of the Pees, you need to remove the cat urine smell from your garden and humanely discourage the other cat from peeing there again. Getting cats neutered / spayed will also help to reduce their urge to spray.

3. Kitty doesn't like his cat litter. Cats don't like litter that sticks in their paws. If the litter you've bought has rough, jagged lumps in it, change to a different one that's softer.

4. The litter box is too dirty. Cats don't like dirty bathrooms. Kitty's litter box should be scooped several times a day and completely cleaned out a couple of times a week.

5. The litter box is too smelly. Smells that we think are clean and hygienic are often totally revolting as far as Kitty is concerned. Make sure his litter box doesn't smell of bleach, pine or any other disinfectant.

6. The litter itself is too smelly. If you're using a perfumed cat litter, switch to an un-perfumed brand. Also, stop using any litter deodorizing products. You'll need to completely remove any residual smell of perfume or deodorizer from the litter box.

7. Kitty doesn't like the design of his box. Different cats prefer different litter boxes. Some prefer open boxes, others prefer the hooded variety. It's worth trying both types of box to discover Kitty's preferences.

8. The location of the box isn't right. Kitty won't be keen on doing his business in areas that are too close to his food, noisy, busy, inaccessible, hot or cold. His box should be in a quiet location where he can powder his nose in peace.

9. There aren't enough litter boxes in the house. In a multi-cat household, the usual rule is one more litter box than the number of cats. So a home with 4 cats will need 5 litter boxes. Also, if your house is big, make sure there's a litter box on every floor, even if you only have one cat. If Kitty has to go on a trekking expedition to get to his box, he may decide it's not worth the effort.

10. He's being disturbed. If another cat, or a dog, or kids are annoying Kitty when he's trying to use his litter box, he may re-locate somewhere quieter. If necessary, move his box to an area where he won't be disturbed.