Arizona Chickens

I'll bet you a pile of poop I see your problem. The litterbox is very high sided, so there's only one way in and out. My litter boxes are 6" tall in front and about 8-9" in back, but my cats are young and can readily get out anyway they want. I'd bet your cat at 10 yrs (or older) is having a harder time mobility wise and feels threatened by only having that one narrow opening. The high sides on your box give her only that one way in and out, the tall sides seem to grow taller as she ages. Notice how I've laid my boxes out--the cats can't ambush each other because while there's privacy, there's a ready exit on at least two sides. If you took the high sides off yours, and put something in front of it you might still be able to provide the security while giving her the two exits she's likely looking for. You might need to move it though, because it's surrounded on 3 sides by walls and furniture. One time I had a box in a corner, surrounded on two sides, and no matter how I placed screening no one liked it. Again, this might be a case where "nothing has changed" except the cat feeling more threatened by her possibly-decreasing mobility was she ages.
Another interesting possibility. Thank you for your insight. We had to get the high-sides because she lifts her back end when she pees.

I wonder if the sides could be an issue. I should mention for context that this room is really hers alone. (We're empty nesters.) There's a pet gate at the doorway to keep the dog out (though he is so old he can barely walk now). We have no other cats. Just her.
She's also very agile and easily jumps in a single leap to the 2nd from the top tier on her cat tree.
Nevertheless, this is our first cat. Do you think, given the new info, that the sides could still be an issue?
 
Another interesting possibility. Thank you for your insight. We had to get the high-sides because she lifts her back end when she pees.

I wonder if the sides could be an issue. I should mention for context that this room is really hers alone. (We're empty nesters.) There's a pet gate at the doorway to keep the dog out (though he is so old he can barely walk now). We have no other cats. Just her.
She's also very agile and easily jumps in a single leap to the 2nd from the top tier on her cat tree.
Nevertheless, this is our first cat. Do you think, given the new info, that the sides could still be an issue?
Yes. Cats are funny too. They don't realize things like they're in a house with deadbolts and walls etc. But in case her stools are a bit looser (I think you said they were always loose though), I gave my older cat some clay (Pets RX, RX clay powder as it was the only thing that helped. My money is still on the tall sides on the litter box. My older cat is very tall too, and the 8-9" high sides virtually always caught any pee over the sides. Especially if you only use 2-3" of litter. The experts are now saying to only use that much so that the box feels stable to them, even though the litter companies say to use 4-5 inches or so.
 
Had to go into town last night, and my dh decided to eat out at Arrivas. I had the steak fajitas as usual from there. I saved one strip of the steak and wrapped it up in the flour tortillas to bring home. My dog got that piece of steak when I got home, and the chickens got broken up pieces of the tortillas this morning. I wouldn't spoil them all, now would I? :confused:
 
She's got it right. Can we say it's nap time? :celebrate

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