Litter Box Question

Question
We have a cat that we rescued from a shelter 3 years ago. She usually goes in her litter box but sometimes starts to go on the floor around the garage ( Where her box is) . We keep the box clean, and try to change it every week. ( New Litter) What can we do to stop her from going on the floor, ? She is very clean, and I have rubbed her nose in it to try and stop this activity. She still does it. We have tried different litter, put deodorizer in it etc. We have even sprayed the garage floor with keep away, etc. Do you have any suggestions. When we rescued her from the shelter, they had an open area and it was obvious that the cats went where they wanted to .  

Answer
I understand that this could be a throw back to the shelter behavior but if she is generally good in using her box and has been good, then I think there must be something else going on. First off, rubbing their nose in it does no good at all. To an animal urine is not a BAD thing. She has no idea what you are trying to say to her and may even react badly to that kind of response from you. All she sees her urine as is a good and natural thing, and as a way of marking her territory. You have tried using treatments you describe but these just cover the scent up for us; your cat can still smell where her urine was just fine even with these coverups. To really clean up you will have to by an enzyme based cleaner that is made for pet stains such as Nature's Miracle. Clean up well with this. DO NOT put any in her litter pan. Next, I would be concerned with one of two possible problems. First, you say she is in the garage. Does she ever see other cats, say outside cats that pass by the garage? Or does your cat go out at times? Or are their any neighbor cats that might juts pass your house even with the garage door closed but so that your catr would know they were there? If any of these kinds of things are possible, or even if their are neighbor dogs potentially, she may be marking her territory. Some cats do this. Has she been spayed? If not, getting her spayed may help with teritoriality. Its aso the healthy and responsible thing to do. If none of this applies, I would also be concerned that their may be a medical problem such as a urinary tract problem. So first, you must clean up really well with the right kinds of cleaners. Keep doing everything else as far as cleanliness goes. Don't rub her nose in it anymore. If she may be getting provoked by other animals try to prevent that, possibly by relocating her litter pan. Get her spayed if she isn't yet. See how things are after that. It should improve.If it doesn't you may ahve to consider a medical issue is possible and see your vet.