If your cat stopped using the litter box after you added a liner, remove only the liner first. Keep the same box, the same familiar litter, and the same location so you can test one variable. Plastic that shifts, bunches, catches claws, or holds urine in a fold can make an otherwise familiar bathroom feel very different under a cat's paws.
Run a one-variable reset
Set up the box exactly as it worked before the liner
Empty the box, remove the liner, clean and dry the pan appropriately, then refill it with the litter your cat was already using successfully. Do not switch to a new scented litter, move the box, add a hood, and remove the liner on the same day. Too many changes make it impossible to tell which one mattered.
Watch what happens when your cat digs
The liner moves with the front paws or bunches toward the center. A cat that expects stable litter may stop digging or step out early.
The cat pauses, shakes a paw, pulls at the plastic, or avoids the same digging motion next time. Do not wait for a visible tear before considering the liner a problem.
Liquid collects in a fold or between the liner and pan. The box may smell dirty sooner and the wet plastic can change footing.
A liner is an owner convenience, not a cat requirement
If your cat uses the unlined box normally, you do not need to retrain the cat to accept plastic just to make full litter changes faster. Scoop regularly, use a pan material you can wash according to its care instructions, and replace a heavily scratched or damaged box when it becomes difficult to clean.
A sturdy scoop can make routine removal easier without adding another layer under the litter. If you change the box itself, keep the familiar litter and location stable during the comparison.
Do not solve a liner problem by making the litter box harder to enter
Some owners respond to torn liners by switching to a taller or covered box immediately. That may create a new access problem, especially for kittens, older cats, large cats, or cats with mobility limits. Choose box dimensions and entry height around the cat, not around the liner.
If the cat is eliminating beside the box, clean the accident appropriately and keep the bathroom route quiet and accessible. Punishment does not make an uncomfortable box more appealing.
Contact a veterinarian if your cat strains, makes frequent trips, cries during urination or defecation, passes blood, produces very little or no urine, vomits, stops eating, seems weak, or appears painful. Repeated attempts to urinate with little or no output can be an emergency and should not be treated as a liner-preference issue.
Product comparison note
What to compare if equipment may help
A roomy unlined box and familiar unscented litter are relevant when the liner itself is interfering with footing or digging. A sturdy scoop may make routine cleaning easier without adding plastic under the litter, but product changes should be introduced one at a time.
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