House Soiling Problems

Inappropriate elimination is usually a exhibited by one (or both) of the following behaviors:

1. Spraying (Urine spraying to claim territory or attract members of the opposite sex.)

2. Refusal to use the litter box.

If your cat has only recently begun to exhibit one or both of these behaviors, (the behavior is not normal for him or her) the first thing you should do is make an appointment with your vet.

Inappropriate soling could be a result of an underlying physical condition in the urinary tract, kidneys, bladder or colon. Some of these conditions are potentially fatal (Feline Urological Syndrome, for example) and must not be overlooked. If your pet is in good health, the problem is most likely psychological and can be treated via the following methods.

Spraying to attract members of the opposite sex will stop if you have your pet spayed or neutered. If the spraying is territorial, that’s a whole other story. If there is a particular area in the house, or a specific item (gym bags and backpacks are a popular target) deny him access to it (duh). If that is not feasible, try to catch him in the act. If you catch him in the act, punish him by spraying him with a water gun. Leave the water gun near the preferred area, and he should associate the behavior with the punishment and abandon his desire to spray there. Cleaning the spots with household cleaners, particularly those containing ammonia can actually draw the cat back to the spot to repeat the action. Avoid these. Most odor neutralizers specifically designed for pet stains are a better choice.

Have you changed your brand of litter? If so, go back. Some scented litters offend our feline friends. Is the box clean? Most cats will refuse to use a box that, to their standards, is not clean.

Use a scoopable litter and scoop every day or two depending on how many cats you have. Do you use bleach or other strong disinfectants when you clean the box? Sometimes these can leave lingering odors that we can not smell, that reek to them. Use an antibacterial dish liquid to wash boxes and rinse well. If all these conditions have been met, and your cat still refuses to use the box, it may be a result of some traumatic incident it associates with the box or the location the box is in. Maybe she was going in while another was coming out and a fight broke out. Who knows? But you can try to alleviate the trauma by moving the box to a new location, or buying a new box, or both. The only other reason I can think of, why your cat is refusing to use the box, is that she is punishing you for something. In that case, figure out what you did wrong and make it up to her. In the meantime, Cats won’t eliminate where they eat. If your cat has chosen two our three sites for soiling, divide her food rations into 2 or 3 plates and place then in these spots (after you have cleaned and neutralized the area, of course). After a few weeks or so she should be reformed. If the idea of placing cat food around all over the house bothers you, consider the alternative! Or else, you might try placing sheets of aluminum foil over the preferred areas. Some cats hate the sound it makes when they step on it. I learned that the hard way. I bought this mat that you place in front of the litter box, designed to catch the litter so it doesn’t get tracked all over the place. It made a crunchy noise; similar to the sound crumpling foil does, when the cat’s paws touched the surface. They didn’t like it. They stopped using the box.

If your cat is a senior, forget everything I said in the paragraph above. These old timers have special needs and there are probably several underlying causes behind the problem. It’s possible that the sweetie just can’t make it to the box in time. If incontinence is the cause, is probably already embarrassed by the situation. Don’t punish him. Try moving the box closer to his favorite lounging spot ( not too close – perhaps the same room) or adding a new box there. Many seniors have difficulty climbing in and out of the box, especially those deep pan enclosed boxes. Try using an open litter plan with lower sides. Finally, if you notice your senior’s elimination habits have changed (more or less frequent) take him to the vet as soon as possible.

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