Why is my Sim's cat/racoon so dumb?

My Sim has a cat (well, racoon) and it frequently gets unhappy due to lack of food or lack of litterbox. This would make sense if it ever actually lacked either item. I've tried moving the items around, so it isn't as if I've accidently placed them somewhere the pet can't get to. Sometimes, the litterbox will be in the middle of the room right next to the racoon, but still be complaining about a lack of litterbox.

I've been cheating the need to keep the racoon from going red, but I was wondering if anyone else had this issue or had a fix for it. I know I've had it with other animals too, so I don't think it's some racoon specific trait.