Feline Housesoiling Problems
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Medical Condition:
-One of the most common causes for cats urinating or
defecating outside the litter box is an underlying medical
condition. Have your cat examined by a veterinarian to rule
out conditions that can lead to housesoiling, such as urinary
tract infection, intestinal parasites, diabetes,
hyperthyroidism, incontinence, diarrhea or inflammatory
bowel disease.
Spraying or Marking:
-Spaying or neutering your cat when he/she is 6 months old
reduces the risk of your cat marking his/her territory by 90%.
Spay or neuter your cat!!
Litter box aversion caused by:
-Litter box not cleaned often enough
-Use of scented litter
-Not enough litter boxes (have at least one litter box for
each cat on each level of house, if the cat(s) spend time on
more than one level of you house. You may need several
litter boxes for only 1 or 2 cats)
-Litter box in inappropriate area (i.e.- loud, busy, hot or cold
place)
-Covered litter boxes- some cats do not like these
-Using wrong type of litter- most cats prefer sandy, clumping
litter
Other tips for litter boxes are:
-Never discipline or frighten a cat while it is in the litter box
-Do not use harsh chemicals or detergents to clean the litter
box
-Replace plastic litter boxes periodically, some absorb urine
smell over time
Discourage your cat from soiling the same areas over and
over:
-Remove access to soiled areas by closing doors to rooms or
moving furniture over the spot
-Use an odor-eliminating product on soiled areas, if the smell
remains, cats tend to return to the same places
-Put food dishes, toys, cat's bed, or scratching post over
soiled area (after area is cleaned)
It is sometimes beneficial to re-establish normal litter box
use by confining the cat to a small room or area with the
litter box until the cat is consistently using the litter box. This
period of confinement can take anywhere from 1-8 weeks to
be effective.
*This information addresses some of the most common
situations that lead to housesoiling, but it is not exhaustive.
In some cases there may be other, more difficult reasons
that cats don't use the litter box. If you have followed the
guidelines above and are still having problems with
housesoiling, you may need to consult a qualified
veterinarian or animal behaviorist to pinpoint your cat's
problem.
-One of the most common causes for cats urinating or
defecating outside the litter box is an underlying medical
condition. Have your cat examined by a veterinarian to rule
out conditions that can lead to housesoiling, such as urinary
tract infection, intestinal parasites, diabetes,
hyperthyroidism, incontinence, diarrhea or inflammatory
bowel disease.
Spraying or Marking:
-Spaying or neutering your cat when he/she is 6 months old
reduces the risk of your cat marking his/her territory by 90%.
Spay or neuter your cat!!
Litter box aversion caused by:
-Litter box not cleaned often enough
-Use of scented litter
-Not enough litter boxes (have at least one litter box for
each cat on each level of house, if the cat(s) spend time on
more than one level of you house. You may need several
litter boxes for only 1 or 2 cats)
-Litter box in inappropriate area (i.e.- loud, busy, hot or cold
place)
-Covered litter boxes- some cats do not like these
-Using wrong type of litter- most cats prefer sandy, clumping
litter
Other tips for litter boxes are:
-Never discipline or frighten a cat while it is in the litter box
-Do not use harsh chemicals or detergents to clean the litter
box
-Replace plastic litter boxes periodically, some absorb urine
smell over time
Discourage your cat from soiling the same areas over and
over:
-Remove access to soiled areas by closing doors to rooms or
moving furniture over the spot
-Use an odor-eliminating product on soiled areas, if the smell
remains, cats tend to return to the same places
-Put food dishes, toys, cat's bed, or scratching post over
soiled area (after area is cleaned)
It is sometimes beneficial to re-establish normal litter box
use by confining the cat to a small room or area with the
litter box until the cat is consistently using the litter box. This
period of confinement can take anywhere from 1-8 weeks to
be effective.
*This information addresses some of the most common
situations that lead to housesoiling, but it is not exhaustive.
In some cases there may be other, more difficult reasons
that cats don't use the litter box. If you have followed the
guidelines above and are still having problems with
housesoiling, you may need to consult a qualified
veterinarian or animal behaviorist to pinpoint your cat's
problem.