Those Ole' Litter Box Blues!

First some "Cat Facts" that can contribute to some litter box blues:

1.  Cats have incredible hearing. They can hear sounds that even dogs fail to hear. With two satellite-dish shaped ears, cats' range of hearing extends up to the extremely high ultrasonic level. Sound is measured by vibrations. Ambient sound in an area of the home may not bother you but could be quite troublesome for your cat.

2.  A cat's nose houses approximately 200 million odor-sensitive cells in the nostrils making a cat extremely sensitive to all smells. Humans have only 5 million odor-sensitive cells in our nostrils. So, our ability to smell is pale in comparison to that of a cat's ability to smell. Consequently, those odours in a litter box that you find mildly offensive are likely to be burning your cat's airways.

3.  Cats have superior vision. They can see things in a panoramic view due to their ability to dilate their pupils. Their excellent peripheral vision helps them capture the movement of a mouse or a bird or an unwelcome neighbourhood cat in their own yard making a window perhaps not the best choice of location for your cat's litter box.

Urinating and defecating outside of the litter box is a common and widespread behavioural problem seen in cats - perhaps the most common. It is also one of the easiest problems to correct. Yet, it is the most common cause of straining the human-animal bond to the point of breaking the relationship entirely. Most of us humans lead very busy stress-filled lives and the last thing we want to be greeted by when we return home is one more mess that has to be cleaned up. But, before you contemplate surrending your cat to anyone else just remember that inappropriate elimination and/or spraying are among the easiest problems to correct. It will take some of your time but the rewards will be great in the continued love and admiration received from your pet.

First and foremost, in working toward a solution to any litter box blues, you must understand that cats do NOT spray out of spite and punishment does not work.

Secondly, there are very distinct differences between inappropriate elimination and urine marking and it will be your job to determine which behaviour your cat is exhibiting.

Elimination Issues

If your cat is displaying elimination issues you will very quickly see that he or she adopts the typical squatting posture for each routine, which is usually seen while your cat is in the litter box. Only horizontal surfaces such as the floor, a counter top, the bathtub and so on are soiled. Large large amounts of urine or fecal matter will be deposited. Lastly, your cat may eliminate both inside and outside of their litter box. Alternatively, your cat may use the litter box for urination or defecation only, while soiling outside the box for the other sequence.

Urine Marking

If your cat is displaying urine marking behaviour you will find that deposits are made against vertical surfaces while standing and that the amount deposited is small. If urine marking is the problem you will see your cat standing normally and behaving quite normally. Urine marking is one way in which cats communicate with others that may inhabit or invade their territory. They leave messages in their territory, which can be in the form of urine marking. The urine serves as an environmental tag, providing information not only about the presence of the individual cat, but also his or her reproductive status. Therefore, the incidence of urine spraying is higher in male and female cats that have not been neutered or spayed as a way of advertising their reproductive availability.

The Good News!

Inappropriate elimination and spraying can almost always be managed and resolved. This misbehaviour ranks as one of the easiest problems to correct given time and the application of the right solutions.

Getting to the Root of the Cause

Several factors may be involved and what is initiated by one factor, such as a medical condition, may be continued by another, such as behavioural issues arising out of any negative conditioning set up by the medical problem.

So, it is very important in solving the problem that you first must understand the problem beginning with a trip to your veterinarian to rule out the possibility of any physical problems being present. You need to discover if your cat has a urinary tract infection, kidney or bladder stones or even is suffering from stress-induced idiopathic cystitis.

Medical or Physiological Causes

It is essential that medical issues be ruled out as a cause of, or a contributing factor to, the inappropriate elimination prior to implementing any behavioral therapy. Inappropriate urination can be related to kidney disease, kidney stones, bladder stones or lower urinary tract disease, while inappropriate defecation can be associated with colitis, parasites, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, constipation and other intestinal diseases or disturbances.

Your veterinarian must perform certain examinations and tests as a minimum when consulted for urination and/or marking misbehaviours. There will be a physical exam, learning whether your cat has been altered or not, and the drawing or collection of urine for an urinalysis and urine culture. The urine may be drawn by cystocentesis, a veterinary procedure where a needle is placed into the urinary bladder through the abdomen of an animal and a sample of urine is removed. Your veterinarian may also suggest performing abdominal xrays to rule out any obvious presence of crystals in the bladder or kidneys.

Similarly, your veterinarian must perform certain examinations and tests as a minimum when consulted for defecation misbehaviours. Again, this will include a physical exam including a rectal exam, learning whether your cat has been altered or not, and the collection of feces for a fecal exam. Your veterinarian may also expressing your cat's anal sacs and perform a cytological evaluation of those contents.

Others tests that your veterinarian may suggest and should be done are tests for blood glucose and fructosamine, BUN, creatinine, and to check your cat's thyroid level

If your cat has not been spayed or neutered these statistics will be important to you:

• 90% of male cats no longer mark after neutering at any age, and
  
  
• 95% of female cats no longer mark after spaying at any age.

Sadly, behavioural problems can arise as a result of negative conditioning by any pain, fear and discomfort that have resulted from medical problems. So, behavioural therapy may still be needed even after any medical issues have been resolved.

Behavioural Causes

There are two general behavioural categories:

1.  dislike of the litter box and its' environment,

2.  stress-related misbehaviour.

Because of these two very different causes of inappropriate elimination, you must take the time to assess your cat's behavioural history. It is essential to a successful diagnosis and therapy program once any medical or physiological issues have been ruled out as the cause of your litter box blues.

Dislike of the litter box can result from infrequent or improper cleaning of the litter box, your cat's dislike of the particular type of litter you are using as well as a general dislike of the location you have chosen to place the litter box.

Dislike of the litter box can also arise from the physiological condition of your cat if he or she is an older pet, suffers from old injuries to the spine or legs and/or spinal degeneration. These senior and injured cats are often unable to lift their legs high enough to step over the sides of even the shortest commercial litter box without causing themself undue pain or physical instability. Keep this mind, also, as your cat ages. Where your feline pal may have had no problems getting in and out of the litter box while still under the age of 10, he or she may suddenly stop using the box once the frailities of old age set in.

Stress related misbehaviour can occur as a result of residual odours left behind in inappropriate areas due to improper cleaning of the soiled area; negative associations with the litter box; change of residents in the house either of human or animal such as recent death of owner or other pet in the home or even a new addition to the family such as a child or elderly parent; a change in home or furnishings; a change in the cat's or household's daily routine and outdoor stressors such as dominant roaming cats frequenting your backyard.

To help you assess which of the two main causes of elimination misbehaviour may be at work ask yourself the following questions.

Questions helpful in determining Stress-related Causes

• When did you first notice your cat not using the litter box? Can you relate it directly to any change in your house or routine?
  
  
• Have you thoroughly cleaned any soiled areas in your home with a product that is designed to break down urine and/or feces?
  
  
• What product did you use to clean the areas and surfaces that are soiled?
  
  
• What other pets share the cats home?
  
  
• Was the cat allowed to go outdoors and if so, how often and the amount of time your cat spent outside?
  
  
• Was he or she supervised?
  
  
• How long was the cat typically left alone during the day?
  
  
• How often did episodes of urinating and defecating outside of the litter box happen?
  
  
• Were the episodes related to any particular event or stimulus, e.g. another pet in the household scaring your cat while in his or her litter box or chasing your cat to or from the litter box after use?
  
  
• Is the litter box placed at or near areas of your home where your cat could be startled, or, scared by the sound of machines running, e.g. furnace, washer, dryer, dishwasher?
  
  
• Is the litter box placed in a high-traffic area of your home? For instance, if you currently have your cat's litter box in your kitchen, get it out of there, pronto, and moved to a quiet area of your home.
  
  
• Has there been any change of residents in your home, either of human or animal such as recent death of owner or other pet in the home or even a new addition to the family such as a child or elderly parent?

Questions helpful in determining the likability of the litter box environment

• When did you first notice your cat not using the litter box? Can you relate it directly to any change in your house or routine?
  
  
• How old is your cat?
  
  
• Does your cat have any arthritis, leg injuries and/or back injuries?
  
  
• Is your litter box long enough for your cat? It is surprising how many people buy a regular-sized box for a large-breed cat like a Rag Doll, Maine Coon, Persian, Norwegian Forest Cat and so on. Your cat should fit comfortably lengthwise in the box with 4 or more inches surrounding him or her at the front and at the back. If you don't have this kind of clearance in the litter box, you need to buy a longer box and may have to consider alternatives to a conventional litter box, such as an under-the-bed storage box.
  
  
• What type and brand of litter was used?
  
  
• How long was it used?
  
  
• Was it scented?
  
  
• Where there any types of additives used, such as baking soda?
  
  
• How many litter boxes were in the house?
  
  
• Where were they located?
  
  
• What was the style of the litter boxes?
  
  
• Were any of the boxes covered?
  
  
• Were liners used?
  
  
• How often were the litter boxes scooped out?
  
  
• How often were they changed completely and cleaned?
  
  
• What was used to clean the litter boxes?
  
  
• What areas of the house did the cat soil?
  
  
• Were the sites vertical or horizontal?
  
  
• What type of surfaces did the inappropriate elimination occur on (carpet, wood, tile, etc.)?
  
  
• Were particular objects sought out such as dirty laundry lying on a floor, or a bathtub?
  
  
• What was used to clean the soiled areas?

Implementing Environmental Changes

You will need to thoroughly clean soiled areas with a cleaner that is specifically formulated to break down urine and/or stool e.g. Bissell pet odour rug cleaner, Nature's Miracle, Cat Odor-Off, to name a few readily available products. You will also need to make the area being soiled inaccessible to your cat. If this is difficult or impossible to do then you will have to really work on attraction therapies to bring your cat back to his or her litter box while simultaneously employing aversion therapies to deter your cat from returning to the site of his or her 'crime'.

Attraction Therapy

Attraction therapy is the process of making your cat's litter box and the area in which it is placed desirable and will encourage your cat to use only that site for the elimination of urine or feces.

Attraction therapy tactics include:

• First, move food and water bowls away from litter box sites. After all, would you want to use your bathroom while eating your dinner?
  
  
• Scoop out litter boxes daily. This is one of the most important steps in making your cat's litter box a desirable place to be.
  
  
• In addition to the daily scooping, do a complete dump and clean of litter boxes on a regular schedule. Depending on the number of cats, the size of the litter box and the type of litter used you may have to do this once per week or you may be able to do it only once per month. Use a mild cleaner eg antibacterial dish soap or a diluted solution of Lysol and water. Rinse the box thoroughly with hot running water to wash out any residue of soap or cleanser.
  
  
• Try different sizes of litter boxes, the larger the better. In my household I have two over-sized litter boxes commandeered out of non-litter box items. One is a child's square swimming pool, about 3-1/2 feet square, that has seats on the corners and is large enough to accommodate 4 cats. One is an under-the-bed storage box about 4 feet long by 2 feet wide. This box is about the same depth as a normal litter box and can accommodate 3 cats. Additionally, I have 4 other large litter boxes in different locations around the house.
  
  
• Be sure to have at least 1 box per cat.
  
  
• Be sure to have at least one box for every level of the house.
  
  
• Be sure to place the litter boxes in private but easily accessible locations.
  
  
• Remove covers and liners - covers contain the smell of urine and feces and as such concentrate the smells to an unpleasant level quickly. Additionally, covered boxes only allow the cat one way in and one way out, which can be off-putting if there are other cats waiting outside the box for their turn.
  
  
• Get rid of litter box liners. They rip, tear and harbour odours of past actions making them generally unpleasant for any cat.
  
  
• Use unscented, clumping clay litter.
  
  
• If necessary, buy a new litter box and throw the old one away.
  
  
• Offer a variety of litter depths in different boxes.
  
  
• If your pet is a senior or suffers from old injuries to his or her legs or back, the best solution is often to buy a large-size litter box and cut down two of the sides to allow your pet to walk in, use the box, and walk out in an almost straight line. You may find that cutting a generous portion of the end side and the middle portion of one of the long sides down to a height of about 3-1/2 inches will work very well for your senior pal. Sand the cut edges or cover them with duct tape so your feline pal doesn't injure himself on the jagged cut edges. Also a more shallow depth of litter may work better for your senior or injured cat.

Aversion Therapy

Aversion therapy is the process of making unsuitable sites undesirable and will discourage your cat from going back to that site or using that site, again, for inappropriate elimination of urine or feces.

Aversion tactics include placing deterrents at the soiled area site - a plastic covering on the floor, such as an upside-down anti-static mat; covering the area with tinfoil or double-sided tape; placing orange or lemon peels at the base of any potted plants that your cat uses as a bathroom or a bowl of peels on the floor in the area that has been soiled.

You can also try startling your cat as soon as he or she goes to that same area by setting up a movement-sensor spray or by you using a simple squirt bottle with plain room-temperature water to squirt your cat while in the 'act'.

Shaping Your Cat's Behaviour through Behaviour Modifications

Start by taking recording your cat's behaviour in a diary. Take your cat to the litter box frequently and praise his or her use of the box. Temporarily place your cat's litter box directly on top of the soiled area, if possible.

Avoid, eliminate or reduce awareness of outdoor stressors which may mean that you will have to move the litter box away from any windows where the outside world can be observed or believed to be intruding on your cat's privacy. If you have a multi-cat household you will have to create an atmosphere of plenty by ensuring that there are a sufficient number of litter boxes placed appropriately around your home. The rule of thumb is one litter box per cat plus one extra as well as at least one box on each level of your home. So, if you live in a two-storey house with 7 cats you will need 8 litter boxes spread out between the two floors of the house.

If you catch your cat in the act of inappropriate elimination, interrupt and redirect your cat's behaviour. Never use physical or verbal punishment on your cat for any misbehaviour as you will only be adding to any already existing negative conditioning.

If you have tried all of the above suggestions for attraction therapy as well as aversion therapy and your cat still has episodes of misbehaviour you will need to confine him or her to small area of your home for about two weeks. Monitor and record your cat's behaviour in and out of box. Once your cat is appropriately and continually using the litter box gradually allow him or her access to the rest of your home. Continue to monitor your cat's litter box behaviour daily. If no problems have returned after another two weeks have passed the misbehaviour has likely been resolved.

If your cat is displaying inappropriate defecation, feed your cat twice a day rather than once daily or free-feeding.

Behavioural products

Feliway^(R) spray and diffuser; Cat Attract^TM Litter or Cat Attract^TM Litter Additive

Medications

There are no drugs approved for treatment of inappropriate elimination!

But, there are drugs that can help over-stressed animals. Those drugs, as they are in the nature of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, are only somewhat successful in treating litter box blues that are due to stress-motivated bad behaviour.

A perfect example of this is a cat who is overly stressed by another animal either in or outside of the home. That cat may develop idiopathic cystitis whereby very quickly over a few days the animal can go from urinating normally inside the litter box to urinating on any surface while presenting with visible blood in the urine. Cystitis is a very painful condition and the cat's need to eliminate urine is urgent. In such a case, a few day's treatment with amitriptyline (the drug used to treat my own cat for this cause) along with concurrent use of anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory drugs will help to reduce the spasms and inflammation in the bladder and urethra while reducing the associated pain of the condition. The cat will then relax sufficiently to return him or her to a normal urge to eliminate and a normal flow of urine and normal trips back into the litter box.

While these drugs do help they are medications that are used to treat humans and as such can produce some very serious side effects. There can be increased irritability, aggression, alteration of social behaviour, damage to the liver leading to liver failure, anorexia, sleep disturbances, and cardiac problems.Yes, these are all also side effects that can be suffered by the human population as well, but in cats the effects can be magnified and their onset quite sudden.

Your veterinarian will be the expert who is qualified to decide whether or not your cat needs medication and for how long to reduce your cat's stress or anxiety.