Does Kitty Not Like the Litter Box?
Feline Inappropriate Elimination
When a cat eliminates outside the litter box it is either a medical or behavioral issue. As a medical issue, cats urinating in an unusual place signify they are not feeling well and the cat is attempting to get the owners’ attention. As a behavioral issue the cat could be under psychological stress. For most households, inappropriate elimination is seen as something that cannot be cured and so cats are given away, but if the right methods and/or medications are used both owners and cats can live happily together.
Feline lower urinary tract disease (also known as Feline Idiopathic Cystitis or Feline Urologic Syndrome) is the main medical cause for outside elimination in cats. Symptoms of this syndrome can include: outside elimination, straining to urinate, genital licking, discomfort, and bloody urine. For treatment, veterinarians prescribe medication to help with the inflammation of the bladder. Generally, veterinarians rule out this diagnosis before deciding the problem is behavioral.
If feline lower urinary tract disease is ruled out, then the problem is behavioral. Behavioral inappropriate elimination is caused by some psychological stress on the cat. Sometimes it is to assert its territory to the other cats in the home or if an owner is absent for a long period the cat might eliminate as a way of expressing its stress and worry.
There are some signs when a cat might be eliminating as a behavioral issue. Some of the signs include: spraying an upright surface, using the litter box sometimes, defecating inside the litter box but urinating outside the box, urinating near a door or window, owner’s bed or laundry, and the urinated area is the same area each time. Some other causes for behavioral inappropriate elimination includes new furniture, adding another cat, dog, or child into the home, moving, or a sudden change to the cat’s routine or territory such as a change in kitty litter. When trying to break this behavioral issue, the owner must recognize the change in the cat and what change the owner may have made that could cause the cat’s behavior.
There are steps an owner can take in order to re-train the cat to its litter box. First is clean all areas the cat has urinated at with enzymatic cleaners. This insures the cat will not continue to smell his/her scent and continuing urinating. Another is supply more and bigger litter boxes and move the boxes to different locations. Cats like a lot of room and like to have more choices when it comes to where they use the bathroom. This is an especially important step in a multiple cat household. Also, switch to an unscented, clumping litter. Cats have a heightened sense of smell and usually scented litters are too strong for cats, so they will urinate outside the box to avoid the smell. If there are areas the owner does not want the cat to eliminate in, try using or spraying a citrus scent. Cats will avoid citrus smells because of their heightened sense of smell.
If these steps do not work, then anti-anxiety would be the next step. There are several anti-anxiety medications on the market for cats, but according to www.veterinarypartner.com, two are the most effective for litter aversion: Buspar and Clomipramine (Prozac®) note a 75 percent (Buspar) and 90 percent (Clomipramine) effective rate. Generally cats need to be on the medication for a few weeks and with the re-training methods should not inappropriately eliminate anymore. However, some did go back to eliminating outside the box, but after a second try with the medication and methods worked.
For more information:
Feline House Soiling www.veterinarypartner.com
Feline Urination Trouble www.sheltermedicine.com/portal/is_feline_urination_trouble.shtml
