Inappropriate elimination generally refers to a cat urinating and/or defecating in the house in places other than its litter box. 1 in every 10 cats will experience inappropriate elimination in his or her lifetime, and it is the most common behavioral problem seen in cats. Early treatment and prevention is key to keeping your cat “Thinking Inside the Box”.
Inappropriate elimination can be caused by either medical problems or a behavioural disorder.
Behavioural causes of inappropriate elimination fall into two common categories:
1) A dislike of the litter box or litter box adversion
2) A stress-related misbehavior
Why would a cat not like its litter box?
One of the main reasons for this is because the litter box has become objectable to the cat. This usually occurs because it is not cleaned frequently enough or because the cat does not like the type of litter in the box. The latter is called substrate adversion. It can occur because the litter was changed to a new, objectable type or because the cat has associated a stressful event (such as a sudden fright) with the type of litter.
What stresses can cause inappropriate elimination?
There are probably hundreds of these, but the more common once are as follows:
- A new person (especially a baby or spouse) in the house
- A person that has recently left the house (permanently or temporarily)
- New furniture, drapes, or carpets
- Rearrangement of furniture
- Moving to a new house
- A new pet in the house
- A pet that has recently left the house
- A new cat in the neighbourhood that can be seen by the indoor cat
- A cat in “heat” in the neighbourhood
- A new dog in the neighborhood that can be heard by the indoor cat
What is involved with treatment?
Most successful treatments rely on a combination of behavior modification techniques. In general, behavior modification techniques are either Adversion Therapy or Attraction Therapy. The former repels the cat from the inappropriate location, while the latter encourages the cat to choose an appropriate location.
Adversion Therapy
The purpose of Adversion Therapy is to make the area of inappropriate urination or defecation undesirable for the cat. There are many ways to do this, but the following steps have proven successful in a high percentage of cases:
- A product to neutralize the odor of urine or stool should be used in places where inappropriate urination or defecation has occurred. If the objectionable location is on a carpet, it is necessary to treat the carpet and the pad below because most of the odor will be in the pad. This usually means soaking the carpet with the neutralizing product so it penetrates into the pad. Test an inconspicuous area of the carpet to ensure that it won’t be damaged before using any odor-neutralizing product.
- Cover the area(s) with double-sided tape or aluminum foil taped down to the carpet or furniture. Aluminum foil or sticky surfaces are textures on which most cats do not like to walk. You can also purchase a pressure-sensitive mat that emits a loud noise or a very mild static electricity shock when the cat walks on it.
- If the soil in potted plants is being used, place a lemon-scented air freshener at the base of the plant. This will usually repel the cat.
Attraction Therapy
The purpose of Attraction Therapy is to make the litter box more desirable than the inappropriate site. The following are usually successful:
- Purchase a new litter box; even well cleaned litter boxes have odor deep in the plastic. It is important not to use a litter box with a hood in cases of inappropriate elimination. Many cats find a hooded litter box undesirable.
- To increase the chances of your cat using the new litter box, purchase unscented clumping litter. Many cats prefer clumping litter to regular clay litter and although you might prefer a scented product, most cats do not.
- Place the new litter box near the area of inappropriate urination until it is used for several days. Then move it 2-3 feet (0.7-1 m) per day until it is back in the desired location. In some cases, the litter box may need to be moved shorter distances each time; in others, it may not be possible to relocate the litter box.
- Keep the existing litter box in the normal location in case the aversion therapy causes your cat to return to it.
Tips to Prevent Inappropriate Elimination
Prevention is key to keeping your cat “Thinking Inside the Box”
- Keep in Clean! Cats are very particular about smells. Scoop solids at least once a day and do a complete change of my clumping cat litter once a week (every other day for non-clumping). Avoid using bleach or vinegar to clean the litter box, dish soap is a great alternative. Avoid perfume scented litters as the smell can be overwhelming to your cat.
- Location, location, location. Litter boxes should be located in quiet, easily accessible, low traffic areas in your house. When a cat has become use to where a box is located, avoid moving it as much as possible. If a box must be moved we recommend doing it slowly (only 1 – 2 inches per day).
- Boxes. Litter boxes come in many types, shapes and sizes. Some cats dislike covered litter boxes as they may feel trapped with no escape route. Some older cats may have mild signs of arthritis that make getting into a taller box difficult. Some cats dislike the sounds from automatic cleaning systems. Boxes need to be big enough to dig and bury appropriately. A good way to judge if your cat likes the current box is to see how long they spend in it. Do they dig and play or just get in and out?
- Number of Boxes. Ideally there should be one litter box per level of the house, with an extra box for every cat. For example a two cat household with two floors should have 3 boxes. Some cats do not like to share their box with other cats in the house. Younger cats may be unable to hold their bladder to make it to a different floor to get to the litter box. Older cats who have mild signs of arthritis may also find it to hard to get to a box on a different floor.
- Prevent Stressors. Avoid your cat from having any negative experiences in the litter box. A washing machine starting up, a puppy rushing in, doors opening can startle a cat making them associate that stressor with the litter box.
- Nutrition. Nutrition affects every aspect of your cat’s life. Feeding a high quality veterinary recommended diet can help keep your cats urine pH at appropriate levels to prevent bladder stone formation. We recommend that all cats receive canned food (some or all of the diet) to increase water intake and improve urinary health.
- Cats are smart! Cats suffering from a bladder infection or diarrhea may seek your attention by eliminating inappropriately. It is a signal of pain or discomfort associated with the litter box. It is always recommended that you seek veterinary attention to rule out a medical condition causing this behavior.
Amber RVT
