Pet Care
Inappropriate Feline House soiling
The primary behavior problem reported by cat owners is house soiling. There are two types of house soiling. The first is when a cat is marking his territory by spraying urine on vertical objects like furniture, plants or walls. Rarely, some cats will mark with both urine and stool on horizontal surfaces. This may be caused by territorial behavior or even stress. The second type is “feline inappropriate elimination”. This describes a cat’s elimination in places other than his litter box. They do this either because they are avoiding the box or because they prefer other locations.
Medical problems should be ruled out first. Kidney disease, diabetes, and/or diseases that make urination painful such as bladder disease or arthritis can lead to house soiling problems. If your cat is house soiling, seek veterinary care first.
There are some common causes of marking including the introduction of a new cat or new odors in the home, people moving in and out of the home, or moving to a new home. Cat’s that spray near doors and windows may be marking in response to other cats coming onto the property. Changes in environment that lead to anxiety or conflict may cause spraying.
Avoidance of the litter box or preference for other areas may be due to certain medical problems, an unclean litter box, too few litter boxes, stressful situation occurred while in the litter box, the use of a non-preferred litter or litter box, poor location of the litter box, or he prefers the surface of location that he has chosen to use.
Litter boxes should be cooped every single day and the litter should be replaced every single week. There should be at least once box for each cat in the house plus one extra. Soiled areas should be cleaned with products formulated for feline urine odor. Use 2 – 3 types of litter to determine what time your cat prefers. Also try several different types of boxes to find out his preference.
Neutering or spaying is the first step in treatment for marking. About 90% of neutered males and 95% of spayed females stop spraying after the neuter or spay procedure.
The next step is to figure out the source of the anxiety. If your cat sprays when neighborhood cats come onto the property, use cat repellents. You may have to keep your cat away from windows and doors where he can hear or see other cats. If the problem in an unhealthy relationship with other cats or people in the home, seek the advice of a behavior specialist. A feline pheromone spray may be effective at reducing anxiety.
Reestablish regular litter use with no inappropriate soiling for a period of several weeks. When you are unable to watch him, keep him confined with his litter box in an area of the home where he does not soil. Placing the bed, food, or toys in the problem area may be enough to deter him from soiling there again. You may have to prevent access to locations by closing doors or using barricades. If it’s a particular area on the floor, perhaps moving furniture to cover the area will help. Never physically punish a cat for eliminating in an inappropriate place, even if done in front of you. Never yell at him or rub his nose in the mess. Instead, just deter him with a distraction like a loud noise.
Be sure you are using a litter box and a type of litter that he likes. An appropriate location for the litter box is just as important. If he seems to like to go in a certain area of the house, try moving the box to that location. If he prefers tile or carpeting, you may need to provide him with an empty litter box or perhaps laying a piece of carpet in the box. If you choose to go this route you will have to gradually add small amounts of litter to the box until he is comfortable using the cat litter.
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