Ocicat won't use hooded litter box after fright

A flap door on a hooded box is one of the most common reasons cats suddenly refuse to toilet — the flap restricts their exit and triggers a genuine panic response, especially in alert, active breeds like Ocicats. Once that association is made, the whole box becomes the threat, not just the flap. Before I point you toward a solution, a couple of quick things: how big is your Ocicat — roughly how long from nose to base of tail — and is this currently your only litter box, or do you have others in the house?

Understood — floor toileting means he still wants to use a designated spot, which is actually a good sign. He hasn't rejected the concept, just that specific box. At 45cm body length you need something at least 67cm long internally, so most standard boxes are already too small for him regardless of the hood issue. What was it about the hooded box that appealed originally — was it mainly about containing scatter or smell?

That's very helpful. High-sided open trays solve both problems without trapping him — the walls contain scatter and reduce odour escape, but he can see out in every direction and exit freely, so there's no fear trigger. Given his size and his digging habit, I'd go straight to the Savic Senator Open Litter Tray, the XL size. It's around 56cm long with genuinely high sides, widely available on Amazon UK, and designed for larger cats. It won't feel like a box he's locked inside. One thing to make this work faster: place it in exactly the spot on the bathroom floor where he's been going — let him choose it rather than redirecting him to a new location.

Yes, almost certainly — but the introduction matters. Put the new tray out with fresh litter and leave him completely alone to investigate it at his own pace. Don't carry him to it or hover nearby. Ocicats are confident, curious cats and once he can see there's no flap, no hood, no threat, most cats like him will use it within a day or two. If he doesn't engage after 48 hours, sprinkle a tiny amount of the soiled litter from the bathroom floor into the new tray — the scent signal is very effective at completing the association.

Yes, remove it entirely. Keeping it around — even empty, even without the flap — prolongs the anxiety because the shape itself is now the trigger for him. Out of sight is the clean break he needs. If you ever want a second tray in the house in future (which is worth considering for a single-cat home), keep it open-topped as well. The Savic Senator in XL is the one to get — straightforward, robust, and the right size for a big active cat.