The Unabridged Guide to Litterbox Problems – Part Two: How to Solve Housesoiling Problems Cats urinating on beds, couches, carpeting, and even their owners--why do some cats enjoy scratching around in their litterboxes to the point of absurdity while others will use the litterbox only sporadically or will avoid it entirely as though it were a cat-eating monster? One desperate cat owner who called Cats Internationals Behavior Hotline recently confessed that her cat, Mitzi, had not defecated in the litterbox for 11 years! Another cat owner hadnt cleaned the litterbox for three months because her cat, Jed, wouldnt go near it. She did, however, have to clean her bed linens on a daily basis because Jed reliably chose the bed for his bathroom, even when she was in it. Not all cat owners are as long-suffering as these two, but all of them love their cats and want to see the end of a problem that is severely straining their relationship with their furry friend. Is it possible to correct housesoiling problems with any degree of certainty that they will not recur? The answer is yes, provided that the owner is willing to follow some important recommendations that will work with the cats basic nature and instincts to modify the behavior. Its not difficult or expensive to solve problems of inappropriate elimination, but it does require a willingness to see life from the cats point of view. Cats are pre-programmed to seek out an easily-raked substrate in which to eliminate. Thats why kittens need very little training. Just place them in a litterbox after a big meal and their instincts take over. If Kitty is not selecting the litterbox as her preferred area, then something is wrong. Perhaps she has a urinary or intestinal disorder that makes elimination uncontrollable or painful. She may be associating the litterbox with her discomfort and is therefore avoiding it. It is important to know that there may be no obvious symptoms of a health problem (cats are masters at hiding pain) other than the cats inconsistent use of the litterbox. It is always advisable to first rule out health considerations by taking Kitty to the veterinarian. In the case of inappropriate urination, a urinalysis is a good first procedure. If the problem is defecation, a fresh stool sample will be needed. Cats that are six months of age or older should be spayed or neutered to prevent urine marking. If the cat is already urine marking, sterilization at any age will eliminate the behavior in 90% of male cats and 95% of female cats. If the problem is not Kittys health or hormones, then perhaps the litterbox is the problem. Is she eliminating near the litterbox, but not in it? If so, this may indicate that her intent was to use the litterbox, but for some reason, she just couldnt bring herself to get into it. Usually this is because it is too dirty. Remember that cats are self-cleaning. They are not going to voluntarily step into moist or dirty litter that they will later have to clean off their paws or fur. (If they werent so fastidious, would we really want them to walk all over our homes and furnishings?) Since their senses are far more acute than ours, what is not offensive to us may be unbearable to them. Have you changed litters? Is the new litter a different texture or scent? Being creatures of habit cats dont appreciate sudden changes. Dont surprise Kitty with the new litter you bought on sale today or she may surprise you with a present of her own. The money you saved on litter can be easily negated by the cost of cleaning products necessary to neutralize Kittys objection. If you want to introduce a new litter to your cat, place a litterbox containing the new litter next to her old litterbox. Add a scent cue to the new litter letting her know that it is intended for her use by taking a small amount of urine or stool from the old box and placing it in the new litter. If after several weeks she is using the new litter enthusiastically, then you can dispense with the old litter. However, if she tries it only occasionally, dont risk offering the new litter exclusively. Remember that it is Kittys preferences, not yours, that count when it comes to the litterbox. If the litter you are using is scented or if you are adding a fragranced deodorizer to the litter, you can immediately eliminate this irritant from the equation and at the same time improve your cats quality of life. Perfume is a very effective cat repellent. The feel of the litter is also of great interest to the cat. An abrupt change from a sand-like litter to a pellet or crystal variety may shake her world (and soil yours!). Declawed cats tend to be especially sensitive to the litter texture. Most cats prefer the feel of the scoopable litters. Everclean ES (formerly known as Everclean HD) is a favorite with the cats and cat owners we have helped through our Behavior Hotlines. A good second choice is Scoop Away Fragrance Free. (We do not recommend clumping litters for kittens under the age of four months.) Sometimes the solution to a housesoiling problem is as simple as adding another litterbox, keeping the boxes cleaner, removing the hoods, eliminating the liners, or offering a more natural litter substrate. When the litterbox improvements do not effect a change for the better, and the cat has been given a clean bill of health by the veterinarian, then it is time to consider other possible stressors. Cats are very intelligent and sensitive little creatures that are highly reactive to their environment (some more so than others) and the stress target in cats is their bladders. Most people recognize the obvious stressors: a new baby, a new pet, remodeling or moving to a new home but the more subtle stressors may be overlooked: less attention from the cats favorite person due to a revised work schedule, infrequent or inadequate feedings, the scent of another cat on a visitors clothing, the sight of a stray cat from the window. We may not be aware of Kittys anxiety until we actually step in it. (This is a good time to remember that punishment never corrects inappropriate elimination problems, but it can make them worse by increasing the cats stress.) Sometimes it takes the skill of a detective to determine what is upsetting the cat. The location of the urine or fecal marking may suggest a cause. For example, the cat who urinates on beds, clothes, or even directly in front of the owner, is often trying to communicate: 1) a painful health problem, 2) severe discomfort over an environmental stressor, or 3) distress relating to the individual whose belongings are being soiled. Ironically, cats often seek out the comforting scent of their favorite person when they are in pain or are stressed, but occasionally, a cat will selectively urinate on items belonging the individual who annoys or frightens the cat. If the urine or fecal marking is located near a window or patio door, the culprit could be an stray cat. The sight of another animal so close to Kittys home base often triggers territorial marking, especially spraying. These problems are most common in spring when free-roaming cats are more likely to frequent yards and porches. When the windows are opened and the soft spring breeze wafts into the home, so does the urine scent of the local tom cat who left his wet calling card on the front door the night before. There are a few creative products on the market designed to keep animal trespassers out of your yard. One of the newest ones is the Scarecrow--a clever devise that hooks up to your hose and works with a motion detector. As the animal approaches the forbidden area, the Scarecrow turns toward the offender and squirts him. (For more information check out scatmat.) A simpler solution is to keep the drapes or blinds shut at times outside animals are most likely to approach the house. If this happens only at night, then Kitty can be made comfortable in another area of the house away from the room with the view. It may be the cats inside the home that are stressing the problem cat. There is a strong correlation between the number of cats in the household and spraying behavior. If there is competition for food, litterboxes, favorite resting areas, or attention from the owner, then there is likely to be some jockeying for dominance which often involves urine marking. In multi-cat families it is advisable to break up the areas of biological significance to the cats by having several feeding stations, by placing litterboxes in different parts of the house and by having lots of cozy hide-outs and resting areas, preferably in high places. Since the most important resource in the cats territory is the owner, the food provider, tensions can be greatly eased if each cat is given some individual attention during the day. If these measures are not sufficient to harmonize the relationships in the cat family, then it may be necessary to separate certain cats in different parts of the house or it may be in the cats best interests to re-home one or more of them. One product that is effective in reducing or eliminating the incidence of territorial spraying is Feliway (Abbot Laboratories, Chicago, IL). This analogue of facial pheromones can be sprayed on prominent objects in the cats environment. When the cat sniffs the pheromone, the chemical message reads something like this, All is well. This spot has been marked facially--no need for urine marking. Feliway and directions for its use can be obtained through your veterinarian or from the Revival Animal Health Catalog (800-786-4751). Another approach to reducing the anxiety of cats that are urine marking is drug therapy. It is most effective when used along with environmental modifications. The antianxiety drug, buspirone, has proven to be effective in cats from multi-cat households. No housesoiling problem can be completely cured without addressing the need to clean and neutralize the soiled areas. If the scent lingers, it will be a constant reminder to the cat that this area was once used as a litterbox alternative and that it can be used again. In the case of a vertical urine mark (from spraying) the slowly fading scent will remind Kitty that his chemical message needs to be freshened. While many products promise to eliminate the odor of cat urine, few actually do. The Equalizer, a strong enzymatic product, is effective. If it sufficiently soaks into the carpeting or upholstery and reaches the urine, it will break it down and the smell will be gone. The Equalizer is sometimes sold in veterinary clinics, but it can also be purchased from the Revival Animal Health Catalog (800-786-4751). To accurately identify the areas that need cleaning rent or purchase an ultra-violet light. The urine should fluoresce under the light, saving your nose from having to sniff out the problem spots. If you live with a group of cats and are unsure as to who is the culprit, you can give one of the suspects a small amount of fluorescein (obtainable from your veterinarian). This can be given orally to the cat each day. Under the ultraviolet light this cats urine will show up as a glowing green spot--with no harm to the cat (other than the stigma of having been identified as the perpetrator). After the soiled areas have been thoroughly cleaned, place solid air fresheners in these locations to break Kittys habit of revisiting the scene of the crime. Experiment with different fragrances to discover which is most repelling to your cat. Keep in mind that many cats dislike a citrus smell. Spray repellents and plug-in air fresheners are not a good choice because it is difficult to determine at what point have lost their effectiveness and should be renewed. Deterrents should remain in place for at least a month after Kitty has been using the litterbox regularly. When the treated areas are dry, a vinyl carpet runner can be placed (spike side up!) in the problem area. Small motion detectors are also very effective at keeping cats out of selected locations. Radio Shack sells a mini-motion detector for about $25 that works well with cats (Cat. No. 49-425). Dont be tempted to protect the area by covering it with plastic as many cats particularly enjoy urinating on plastic. This aversion conditioning along with the attraction strategy of providing a highly appealing litterbox near the previously soiled area solves a majority of inappropriate elimination problems. Some cats, however, require a short re-training or re-conditioning period. This is accomplished by restricting the cat to a comfortable room with its litterboxes, food and water (never near the litterboxes), bed and toys. Confinement should not be considered punishment and the cat should be regularly visited and played with during this re-training period. Any excursions outside the room should be carefully monitored and gradually lengthened until the cat can be left out with confidence. By affording no opportunity for deviant behavior, the proper behavior becomes routine. Re-conditioning the cat to eliminate exclusively in designated areas is particularly useful in cases where the reason for the inconsistent litterbox use is not well understood. Kirsten Kranz, Cats Internationals coordinator for the Racine/Kenosha Behavior Hotline frequently handles challenging housesoiling cases. Recently she received a cat from another state that had come to the attention of a caring individual who wished to save this friendly and unusual feline. Matt (Kirstens name for him) was born with a severe deformity. He has no lower legs or paws. He is amazingly proficient at moving himself around by utilizing the upper portion of his legs. Other than his locomotion problem, he is in all other respects a normal, healthy, happy, affectionate cat. He actually lived outside until he was discovered by a woman who kept him in a cage for several months where he virtually lived in his litterbox. When Matt arrived at Kirstens home, he had no idea that the litterbox was the only designated spot for elimination. By understanding his history and carefully observing his substrate preferences Kirsten has within a week managed to train him to use the litterbox exclusively. She discovered that he did not like to eliminate on the bare linoleum floor however he would occasionally use the sandy substrate in the easy-access litterbox she provided for him. He would also eliminate on anything else that was left on the floor. By temporarily confining him to an area with only the bare floor, his litterbox, bed, food and water, she has successfully conditioned him to use his litterbox reliably. Matt is well on his was toward becoming an adoptable pet. It is through careful observation that the clues are discovered that reveal the solutions to litterbox avoidance. No one is in a better position to make these discoveries than you, the pet owner. You know your cats unique personality and behavior patterns better than anyone else because you live with him. Take the time to notice his behavior in and around the litterbox. It will give you an idea of how he feels about his toilet. If he spends as little time as possible in the box--with hardly any digging or scratching in the litter--it could be that the substrate is offensive to him. If he uses the litter, but proceeds to scratch on the floor outside of the box, he may be finding the litterbox too small to accommodate this natural behavior. Some cats have special needs and deserve extra consideration. For example, particular attention should be given to the unique problems of long-haired cats who may periodically find bits of stool sticking to their fur and may avoid the litterbox for that reason. They may also be disturbed by the fine-grained litter clinging to the tufts of fur on their paws--in which case they might be happier with a different textured substrate. (Trimming the fur in the problem areas may be all that is needed.) Declawed cats may also require special considerations as lingering paw sensitivity may force them to seek out smooth or soft surfaces for elimination purposes. Whatever the reason for the inconsistent use of the litterbox, with a little work and a little patience, it can be solved! Summary Ten Steps to Solving Housesoiling Problems: Have the cat checked by a veterinarian to rule out the possibility that health problems are causing the litterbox avoidance. Make sure that the litterbox situation is ideal--clean, natural, and convenient. Identify possible stressors for the cat. Eliminate the stressor, if possible. Otherwise, systematically desensitize the cat to the anxiety-producing stimulus. Drug therapy may be considered. Thoroughly clean soiled areas with a strong enzymatic cleaner to remove any lingering odor. Place deterrents in the problem areas for at least a month to break the cats habit of revisiting these spots. If possible place a new litterbox in a location that is near the target area and where it can remain indefinitely. Give the problem cat extra attention on a regular basis by practicing play therapy (interactive play with a fishing pole-type toy). Dont give up! There is always a humane solution for every behavior problem. Call Cats Internationals Behavior Hotline for help if necessary (262-375-8852). catsinternational.org/articles/housesoiling/unabridged_litterbox_2.html
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 15:42:31 +0000