OT - cat with litter box problems

I am hoping someone here has some ideas for me.  I have a 12 year old cat with litter box issues.  For the first four years of her life, she always used the box.  Then I got sick and was in the hospital for almost three weeks and my two cats were left home alone.  A friend went to feed them and clean their litter box three times a week but other than that they were completely alone.  Both seemed kind of traumatized by it when I first got home, but one recovered quickly.  This one, though, took longer to get back to normal and she never did get completely back to normal because she started peeing outside the litter box sometimes.

Eight years later, she still does not use the litter box consistently.  She will use it sometimes.  I can't figure out what's different about the times she does it so I can do whatever it is to make her use it more often.  Doesn't seem to matter how clean it is ****ep it reasonably clean but it doesn't have to be completelly clean in order for her to use it sometimes).  For several years she just peed outside the box a lot (not always) and pooped in the box.  Now she has started pooping outside the box too.  Not always, but more often than in the box.

As you might imagine, I am very tired of scrubbing pee out of my carpet and picking up poop.  This summer she has been spending a lot of time outside, which seems to mean she is going to the bathroom outside too so I have not had to deal with as much mess in the house.  But this evening she came in, ate, pooped on my couch (right beside my partner, he was not happy) and then wanted to go back out.

So my partner and I decided that until the weather turns cold, she is going to mostly be an outside cat.  But that's onlly a temporary solution because I can't leave her out all winter, it gets too cold here.  I need ideas of what to do to make her use the box.  The problem is, I have already tried a million things without success.  So far we have tried: keeping the litter box super clean, buying an extra box and putting it in an area where she liked to pee, pulling up the carpet in our spare bedroom and putting linoleum down (she just quit peeing in that room and started peeing in the living room instead), giving her treats when she used the box, praising her every time she uses the box, putting her in the box periodically in case she has to go, a prescription medication for anxiety (the vet thinks she has an anxiety disorder; I forget now what med it was but it did not help at all), that Feliway pheremone stuff that is supposed to work miracles, Bach flower remedies, giving her lots of extra attention... umm, that's all that's coming to mind right now.

Please, somebody have another idea for me!

Two questions come to mind.   Has the vet checked for a bladder infection, and how are her anal glands?

Bonnie

She's been checked for bladder infections/stones multiple times.  Never has any.

She was diagnosed with diabetes about a year ago and gets a very small amount of insulin daily.  Last time she had blood work done, the diabetes seemed well under control.

I don't know about the anal glands.  How would I know if there was a problem there?  I assume that is something the vet would look at when she's gone in?

I hope he did, but sometimes they don't.   Like you've heard, diabetes make us pee more, cats too.  The only other think I could think of is dementia.  She's young, but you never know.   Try the covered boxes, either she'll go in, or not.  But maybe she needs some privacy.

Bonnie

Are the anal glands something I can check myself?  If not I'll ask the vet.  I am thinking of going back to the vet and asking to try another medication for her.

I don't think it would be dementia because she was only four years old when it started.  And she doesn't show any other signs of dementia.  She knows and responds to certain words - like if I ask her if she wants a treat she runs into the kitchen and sits by the cabinet where the treats are.

I am gonna try covered boxes, though.

I second Bonnie but would also add--is it a covered box?  SOME kitties LIKE covered boxes for the privacy, others (like my Ziggy) have sensitive noses and DISLIKE them because, as the vet told me, they become gas chambers of sorts.  So depending on which yours is you may want to try changing the box (or removing the lid).

Currently both boxes are uncovered.  We did have one covered and one uncovered in the past.  Um, I can't even remember why we changed to both uncovered.  But when we had one of each, she did not seem to have a preference for one over the other, but I would actually be happy to put a cover on one of these and that is an easy thing to try.  Thanks.

The cats were using the box which probably (guessing) weren't cleaned normally while you were out. You need another litterbox. Most cats experts recommend 1.5 boxes for each cat. Ex: #cats +1 2+1=3 Cats are very sensitive to their surroundings and will not go in a box they feel is dirty and they're routine changes. Especially older cats. The extra box gives each cat basically they're own private potty.

Right now we've got three cats and only two boxes, but one of the cats doesn't ever use the boxes, she goes outside.  And one of the cats uses the box once in a while but mostly goes outside.  The friend that was supposed to be cleaning the box for me when I was gone may not have done a very good job, I don't know.  But that was eight years ago.  The boxes have been clean since then.  Sometimes she goes in the box now even when it looks like it needs clean and sometimes she goes on the floor right after I clean the boxes.  It doesn't seem like that has anything to do with it.

Firstly, diabetic cats urinate a LOT more than normal.  Cats that have experienced trauma may have a lifelong issue of "repaying for the trauma" to the owner by these type of habits.  I've heard pros and cons about Feliway, and don't think it works well.  If she continues to urinate or deficate in one specific area, you can try something that we used a long time ago. We had kittens that would urinate on carpet behind a couch or easy chair.  I cut a triangular piece of plastic, raising the corner up the wall a few inches, so it was at an angle. Cats would slide down the plastic before they could get comfortable. Behind the couch, I bought a piece of "rug runner", commonly sold at Home Depot, etc. Its designed to placed in high traffic areas on carpet to prevent premature wear on the carpet. There are plastic blunted spikes on the bottom that settle into the carpet to keep it from sliding around. Measure the area you want to protect. Cut rug runner, and place UPSIDE DOWN in that area. The spikes don't allow the cat's feet to get settled on the surface to go to the bathroom.  If the cat uses random spots all the time, then I don't think there is anything you can do to settle the problem.  You might also ask your vet if there is any other medication that may work for anxiety too. DAVE