Expert: Ali - 11/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: My cat uses her litterbox regularly. However she will pee in anything in the house that resembles a litterbox, boxes, containers, plastic bags, and now even just a piece of paper. She will do it when we are home or away. She`ll even do it in front of you. Then the next time she will use the litterbox. We clean her box everyday. We have taken her to a vet and there is no medical condition. How do we train her to only use the litterbox?

ANSWER: Loni,

Questions about inappropriate elimination come my way quite frequently, in an attempt to provide pet parents with complete information about litter box avoidance I’ve developed a somewhat standardized answer that addresses the most common causes of house soiling and simple, humane solutions that work quite well in most cases. Since you did mention that this kitty has been to the vet and been checked over, however you don't mention what tests have been performed. Later in this answer I do provide a basic overview of things that your vet may want to consider in terms of testing if s/he hasn't done so already.

In my experience there are a few major reasons why cats start urinating or defecating outside of their litter boxes which include medical issues (bladder infection, crystals in urinary tract or any other issue that causes pain or discomfort when the cat urinates/defecates), territorial marking, behavioral issues, negative emotional states (fear, anxiety, stress, etc) and in some cases cats will miss their litter box in an attempt to communicate with their human caregivers. Over the years I’ve discovered that house soiling usually stops once the specific reason for the behavior is addressed. If you are prepared to make a real commitment to this kitty then I’m willing to help you find out what’s going on that’s causing her to “think (and deposit) outside the box.“ I’m fully prepared to help you to understand the common reasons behind house soiling and I'll also try my best to provide you with humane and effective strategies to end house soiling as quickly as possible (for this kitty it may be as simple as not leaving anything that she might pee on lying around including papers storage bins, etc that she's already peed in). By providing you with honest information about common reasons for house soiling, your strong commitment to work with this kitty and my experience when it comes to sharing my practical knowledge I really do think that your kitty’s house soiling behaviors can be stopped fairly quickly.

I'd like to start off by saying that cats don't urinate or defecate outside of their litter box to upset human caregivers, exact revenge on their family members or make their human family members angry and they absolutely do NOT go to the toilet outside their litter box out of spite. It's important to understand that there’s always a reason why a cat starts relieving him/herself outside the litter box in the first place. I understand that you’re frustrated with this kitty’s litter box issues, but in order to get things back on track you will need to put those frustrations aside - you’ve done the right thing by asking for help and I’m going to do everything I can to help get this kitty back to using her litter box instead of leaving little wet deposits in different areas around your house for you to deal with on a fairly consistent basis. I suspect that this cat's persistance with urinating outside of the litter box in varying places each time may be a combination of habit and lingering odor that wouldn't be noticeable to us (regular household cleaners, air fresheners and other such products just aren't that effective when it comes to stopping house soiling behaviors as I'll explain in more detail later in this answer).

With all kitties who house soil I think it's crucial to have the cat evaluated by your veterinarian for a complete physical exam including a pre-anesthetic profile, a CBC, a urinalysis and a sample of urine may be sent off for cultures. I know that your vet has seen this kitty, but I don't know what tests have been performed, it may be worth looking into to see if there's anything that might have been missed somehow. The pre-anesthetic profile allows your veterinarian to get an overall view of how your kitty’s major organ systems are functioning. CBC stands for complete blood count, any abnormalities can be explained to you by your veterinarian. Many veterinary hospitals are able to run a urinalysis on site, if your kitty’s urine has anything that could be causing her to avoid her litter box then the vet may find it during the basic blood work and urinalysis. If the vet can’t find an obvious medical cause for the house soiling it’s not a bad idea to have some of the cat’s urine sent off to the lab for cultures, if bacteria are present in the cat’s urine then the lab will be able to pinpoint the type of bacteria and the antibiotic that works best for the bacteria found in your cat’s urine. It is very common to see house soiling in response to urinary tract infections and other painful conditions like having crystals in the urinary tract or bladder - the reason cats go outside of the litter box in these situations is because they have begun to associate their litter box with the pain and they are doing their best to find a place to relieve themselves that does not cause them pain.

Sometimes there may be a medical issue that has yet to be diagnosed other times the cat's issues turn out to be purely behavioral - either way there are humane, effective ways to handle this behavioral issue and if you're willing to be patient/consistent there's every hope that your cat will stop house soiling. If the test results all come back in the normal range then you can treat the inappropriate litter box issue as a purely behavioral problem and there are several effective ways to treat such behavioral problems including the use of homeopathic remedies, making changes to increase your cat's comfort levels in the litter box by doing some very basic, fairly inexpensive changes.

There are a variety of reasons why cats go outside the box including anxiety, territorial marking, frustration, improper litter box, kitty litter or litter box maintenance OR a sensitivity to air fresheners, scented kitty litter, perfumed litter box additives, etc - you will find information about these individual issues later in this answer. Ideally I've found that providing an extra large litter box that's easy for cats to get into and out of is an excellent choice whether the issue is medical or behavioral. You can make wonderful litter boxes for cats by using plastic storage bins - for more information on that as well as a step by step process to avoid litter box issues I'd strongly suggest checking out catinfo.org - this site was created by a veterinarian who is trying to provide humane education for pet parents when it comes to preventing certain behavioral issues and this vet has also got very thorough information on cat nutrition. Punishing or loudly scolding your cat when s/he urinates/defecates outside of the litter box WILL NOT help the situation, in fact responding to the situation with anger, frustration, yelling or physically striking the cat won't do anything productive, the cat will simply become more fearful and anxious which may very well make the problem worse, so I don't recommend this route when you have a kitty who is going outside of the box.

It has been my experience that there are a few consistent reasons that explain why cats begin soiling. Cats have extraordinarily sensitive noses, they're also very clean animals by nature - some cats are so clean that once they have used a litter box they won't use the same one again until after their waste has been scooped out and disposed of. It's important to remember that cats are quite territorial by nature and the way cats communicate with each other is by marking their territory with their urine, feces and scent glands located in their paws and face. I've found that cats are less likely to house soil if cat guardians are willing to ensure that there are enough litter boxes throughout the house for the number of cats that live in your home. I often suggest that kitty caregivers have a minimum of one litter box per cat plus one (some folks say a minimum of 2 litter boxes per cat since many cats prefer to urinate in one litter pan while defecating in another) in your home to prevent issues related to the number litter boxes being the cause of inappropriate elimination.

Some cats prefer to use one litter box to urinate in and the other to defecate in, you may find that this kitty will use both litter pans if they are placed in the same room. Cats can be quite finicky about the litter that's used to fill their litter boxes. Some cats will begin soiling outside of the litter box if they don't like the texture/scent of the litter in the litter box. In nature cats would normally find an area with soft, finely textured dirt to use as a toilet which is why stray/feral cats often use sand boxes and flower beds as toilets. Today many kitty litters try to persuade pet parents to purchase products meant to remove litter box odor, the problem with that is the fact that litter boxes shouldn't have an offensive odor if they're properly maintained and appropriate kitty litter is used. Cats may be uncomfortable using many of the kitty litters available on the market today and inappropriate litter can sometimes create house soiling problems. Silica/crystal litters, pine/newspaper pellets or coarse non-clumping kitty litter just don't fit the bill for cats who are sensitive to smells or textures of their litter. Sometimes curing a house soiling problem is as simple as changing the type of kitty litter you use.

If you use scented litter, air fresheners in/around the litter pan, gadgets/gizmos intended to remove odor or the litter you use has any fragrance or dyes added to it your cat(s) may be trying to tell you that s/he is sensitive to the perfumes or dyes commonly found in certain brands of kitty litter. My oldest resident cat is very sensitive to kitty litters containing perfumes/dyes and although she's an extremely clean who doesn't generally go to the toilet outside of the litter box, she will urinate on the floor beside the litter box if we accidentally purchase scented litter. If the kitty litter that you use isn't an UNscented clumping clay kitty litter it might be worth seeing how your cat reacts to a more natural litter box filler. There is a possibility that this kitty may be sensitive to dust or chemicals commonly found in standard clumping kitty litters, however since they don't tend to exhibit similar allergy/sensitivity symptoms to humans this possibility is often overlooked.

Some cats prefer specific types/designs of litter boxes. There are many different designs and types of litter boxes available on the market. Sometimes the size of the litter box that you are using may play a significant role when it comes to a kitty soiling outside of their litter box. I don't recommend using tiny litter pans except in the case of young kittens. It's very important that your cat(s) can easily get into and out of the litter box comfortably. Cats should also be able to do their duty in a clean, private and comfortable environment free of unpleasant odors. If litter box hygiene is being left to children in the home it may not be getting done properly or often enough. I recommend thoroughly scooping all waste out of the litter pan and washing the box inside and out with mild dish soap, rinsed thoroughly and wiped down with a weak bleach solution (I use 5 parts water to 1 part bleach. After being washed completely, rinsed well and dried completely the litter pan should be refilled with fresh, clean kitty litter on an as needed basis - this depends on how often waste is removed from the box and the quality/type of your kitty litter. I usually scoop my litter boxes 1-2 times daily and discard all of the kitty litter once every couple of months.

It's not uncommon for cats to opt out of using a stinky or dirty litter box and go off in search of a cleaner place to relieve themselves - after all, nobody likes to use a smelly, dirty public toilet, it's kind of the same idea for cats except for the fact that a cat's sense of smell is substantially better than a person's. If a cat must go to the toilet in an area where there is no privacy they may try to hold it until they have some privacy and accidents around the house may happen just because a cat couldn't hold it any longer. In your cat's case if there isn't a medical explanation for the inappropriate elimination I wouldn't be surprised if the house soiling is about marking his/her territory, but it's best not to make any assumptions until s/he's been examined by your vet.

If the litter box area is colder, noisier or otherwise vastly different in comparison to the rest of the house it's possible that the cats just aren't comfortable with the area their litter boxes are being kept. If you use a self cleaning litter box your kitty may be frightened by the motion and noise commonly associated with these high tech kitty toilets. If you use open litter boxes you could try using a covered litter pan or increasing the size of the litter boxes available for your cats to see if these changes make any difference. Some cats need more room to dig, use the toilet and bury their waste than others. There should be plenty of room for your cat/kitten to stand up, turn around, dig and squat/prop themselves up in a vertical position to urinate or defecate without folding themselves into an uncomfortable position to relieve themselves or feeling squished or crowded. I have cared for a few cats that have been uncomfortable using their litter box if the area is dark. It may be worth installing a small battery operated light with a sensor or even a night light that automatically switches on once the room is dimly lit in the area where the litter pans are to see if having a light on helps with the house soiling issue.  

If family work/school/activity schedules aren't consistent, your cats may be feeling lonely or anxious when you're not home. Cats are creatures of habit and they like to be able to anticipate the comings and goings of their human guardians and they prefer to lead a somewhat consistent and routine life. It's possible that one or more of your cats has a case of separation anxiety, especially if they have recently been spending more time alone due to a change in work and recreational schedules. Cats aren't comfortable with sudden changes in their routine and that can contribute to the potty problems. You may want to consider leaving the radio or television on for the cats to help them feel less anxious in your absence, you could even set up timers for the radio and television so that these kitties don't feel as anxious when their favorite human isn't at home.

Another solution that's well worth trying out is to try and provide your cats with comforting scents while they're home alone. My youngest resident cat (Kizmit) was a rescued stray and she developed a serious case of separation anxiety once she became accustomed to gentle, consistent handling and loads of attention. I found that placing my dirty laundry in an open laundry basket helped to ease her anxiety levels. I often came home from work to see Kizmit sleeping peacefully buried in the dirty clothes. Prior to making the dirty laundry accessible Kizmit would urinate in the middle of my bed and/or cry all day until I came home from work. Coming home after a long shift to find urine in my bed was less than pleasant and when the neighbors started to complain about my vocal kitten I realized that Kiz was experiencing anxiety and communicating it in the only way that she knew how to.

When our youngest cat Kizmit came into our lives as an 8-9 week old emaciated, neglected stray kitten she was in rough shape. The night we rescued Kizzy I estimated her age to be roughly 5-6 weeks old just based on her size, and as soon as she ran into my arms I knew that she was pretty skinny - a vet later estimated our girl's age to be more like 8-9 weeks old and weighing in at less than half of what she should have for her age, particuarly since Kizmit was naturally meant to be a pretty big girl (she currently weighs nearly 14 lbs and she's not overweight). At home we had our first chance to get a good look at our little foundling, three things were immediately clear; her coat smelled and looked disgusting, she needed a good meal ASAP and she had been seriously neglected. When we offered Kizmit some of the food we fed our resident cats at that time she didn't seem to know what to do with kibble, we went to the nearest 24 hour grocery store to pick up some food that would be easier for this tiny kitten to eat. We were reluctant to offer low quality canned cat food, but that's what was available in the early morning hours. When we got home Kizmit ate an impressive amount of canned food, we gave her a hygienic groom, dried her off completely and then smelling nice and clean with a full tummy she settled between my partner and I for the night. The tiny stray had a sound sleep, the humans she cheerfully shared the bed with didn't - our night's rest consisted of several short, rather fitful naps since we were worried about rolling over on the little kitten.

Kizmit started to get comfortable in her new home and we'd made the decision by that point to foster her until she was strong and healthy enough to be adopted into a forever family. As Kizmit enjoyed her regular meals, she began to put on weight and grow at a normal rate for the first time in her life. As her physical health improved it became obvious that she'd endured profound neglect in her short life, in fact she wasn't quite sure how to use a litter box, we had to teach her that vital skill. Normally by the time a kitten reaches 4-5 weeks old they've mastered the litter box skills they need to live in an average home. Kizzy picked up "Litter Box 101" quite quickly and once she had that figured out we discovered another hurtle to climb - we had 4 litter boxes for 3 resident cats, they were routinely scooped every night after we came home from work. Kizmit began to urinate in the middle of our bed while we were at work, initially I simply washed the bedding and assumed that she'd made a mistake. The following night I came home from work, Kizmit greeted me at the door and followed me to our bedroom where I was headed to get changed into sweats. Kizmit climbed onto the bed, positioned herself in the middle and it looked like she was just sitting down. Boy was I wrong! After coming home from a 13 hour shift I'd just watched Kizmit urinate in the middle of my bed (thank goodness for mattress covers!). Now my evening was shot, taking urine soaked bedding off of our bed, putting clean bedding onto the bed and stuffing the wet bedding into a large garbage bag became pressing tasks. My partner and I guessed that Kizmit simply didn't feel that she had enough litter boxes to choose from so we immediately bought 3 more litter boxes, filled them with clean litter, distributed them generously throughout our tiny 1 bedroom apartment and held our breath. As soon as Kizmit had more litter boxes than she needed the house soiling stopped. When we moved into a larger apartment we decided we'd try to reduce the number of litter boxes in our household so that we could have fewer litter boxes and they'd take up less space, however she still needs a few more than most kitties do. Kizmit's okay with a bare minimum of 5 large litter boxes, if we reduce the numbers more than that she starts urinating outside of the litter box again. Kizmit turned 4 in May 2009 and the only time she's ever urinated in my bed since is when we tried to pare down litter box numbers by one - we have 5 litter boxes that get cleaned one to two times daily - any less frequently and we open ourselves up for accidents.

Although this list is not exhaustive or complete some common causes for house soiling include urinary tract infections, a blockage within the urinary tract, stones or crystals in the cat’s bladder or urinary tract and irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes a cat’s body condition, overall health and diet can play a key role when it comes to increasing a cat’s risk for specific health problems. Obese cats are more likely to develop blockages in their urinary tract. Cats fed a lower quality diet are more likely to develop stones/crystals in their bladder or urinary tract, based on the research I’ve done I suspect that the formation of these crystals is largely related to inappropriate nutrition and chronic dehydration, which means that these issues are preventable by providing your cat with the most nutritious diet possible. If you’d like some more information that will help give you basic information so that you have a basic understanding of your cat’s complex nutritional needs then I’d recommend checking out www.catinfo.org, www.catnutrition.org, http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/pet_food_what_you_need_to_kno and http://www.felinespride.com.

Based on the limited information you've provided I wonder if your kitten is urinating outside of the litter box because there are issues with the litter box itself, the kitty litter in it or the litter box maintenance. Even in a one cat household it's a good idea to have several litter boxes that are large enough to allow your cat to walk in, dig a hole, turn around, urinate or defecate, turn back around and bury their deposit without being crunched up. The vast majority of commercially available litter boxes just don't have that kind of design, you can however make extra large litter boxes at home fairly cheaply by modifying large plastic storage containers - check out catinfo.org, this vet shows how it's done properly on her site. I do think that it's worth increasing the number of litter boxes that you have to at least two litter boxes per cat, and providing different styles of litter boxes as well as a few different brands of UNscented clumping kitty litter just might provide you with some interesting information (be sure to label the litter boxes themselves somehow so you'll know if your little girl prefers a specific type of litter over other brands and types of kitty litter. Some cats are exceptionally sensitive to the point where they need more appropriate litter pans than others. Some veterinary behaviorists actually recommend two litter boxes per cat plus one per level of your home when you have a kitty that's started to house soil - ideally you can gradually reduce the number of litter boxes in your home over time based on your observations of which litter boxes the cat isn't using at all. If you aren't happy with the locations of some litter boxes the cat is favoring then you can gradually move them about 1-3 inches per day towards a location you're comfortable with based on what the cats in your household will tolerate. If you've only got one litter box for your kitty then it's quite possible that she's soiling outside of the litter box because she prefers to urinate in one litter box and defecate in the other which isn't uncommon for cats. If you have an elderly kitty she may have a more difficult time controlling her bladder than she did as a younger cat and as a result require more litter boxes.

In multiple cat households it's important to watch how the cats interact with each other. It’s not uncommon for cats within a household to be quite competitive which can lead to bullying. The way that cats communicate with each other is quite subtle, sometimes powerful messages are sent back and forth between feline members of a multiple cat household could be quite intense without being particularly noticeable to us. Sometimes in multiple cat households a dominant cat can bully more submissive cats and block more submissive, smaller or weaker cats’ access to the litter pan, I’ve also seen dominant cats trap submissive cats inside the litter box. If one or more cats within a multiple cat household push the cat on the bottom of the household hierarchy around it’s not uncommon for the cat to become quite anxious or fearful which may send them in search of a safer place to relieve themselves.

If your cat(s) isn't spayed/neutered that may be contributing to territorial marking, if s/he's not purebred and being used for breeding there are many good medical and behavioral reasons to spay/neuter him/her. I can certainly provide you with more information about the medical/behavioral benefits and why it's important to spay/neuter our cats if you'd like to know more. Many folks are uncomfortable with the idea of spaying/neutering their pets which may be a direct result of not knowing what to expect before, during and after these routine surgeries. If you'd like I can send you detailed information about spay/neuter surgeries and I'll answer any questions or concerns you might have about spaying/neutering your cats or direct you to someone that can answer these questions if I don't know the answer. Loving and caring for our cats and providing them with the incredible gifts that go along with spaying/neutering them at an early age is an important part of humane, ethical pet parenthood. There are many good behavioral and medical reasons to spay/neuter our cats. Cats that have been spayed/neutered are spared the pain and suffering that can happen as a result of developing uterine, ovarian or prostate cancers. The earlier in life that a cat is spayed/neutered the less likely s/he will be to develop prostate or breast cancers. Unspayed female cats are at risk of developing a potentially life threatening uterine infection called pyometra which causes the womb to fill with pus, if the uterus ruptures and spreads infection throughout the abdomen the cat's chances of survival are pretty low. The only treatment for pyometra is to perform an emergency spay, this procedure is much riskier than a routine spay because the cat is already quite sick which is associated with an increased risk of possible complications while the cat is under anesthesia as well as after she wakes up from her anesthesia. The emergency spay required to treat a cat with pyometra is more complicated and time consuming so it often quite a bit more expensive than a routine spay.

The leading cause of death in cats living in North America is euthanasia secondary to behavioral issues. This statistic is heart breaking because many behavioral issues can be prevented or minimized by spaying/neutering our cats. Common behavioral problems including inappropriate elimination (urinating or defecating outside of the litter box), fighting with other cats (the resulting injuries from cat fights often require medical care because bite wounds tend to get badly infected forming abscesses which must be drained under anesthetic, flushed with sterile saline and treated with antibiotics), queens howling to advertise their availability to mate, tom cats caterwauling and fighting to win the right to mate with receptive queens and wandering over a large area are all issues which can be prevented by having the cat spayed/neutered before they reach sexual maturity. Behaviors like house soiling or fighting can sometimes occur with cats that have been spayed/neutered however these behaviors are often related to things like improper introductions to new cats in the household, poor litter box hygiene, scented litter, and other issues which can be easily solved. Ultimately spaying and neutering our cats is a responsible and ethical choice which saves countless lives each year. For pet parents that are having difficulty getting the money together for routine vet care I may be able to help find a solution to those issues. I keep an ever growing list of resources that may be willing to cover part or all of the cost of routine care like kitten vaccines and spay/neuter procedures. The only information that I ask for in these cases is that the pet parent provide the general area they are writing from - in Canada or the US the province or state is fine. Spaying and neutering helps cats to live longer, healthier lives and as kitty caregivers that love our pets we all want to have as much quality time as possible with our furry friends.

From a cat's point of view one can never have too many litter boxes in their home, but it's certainly possible to have a kitty feel like there just aren't enough clean, private, climate controlled areas to relieve herself in different areas throughout your home. When there is a history of one or more cats within a household soiling outside of their litter pan and there's no medical explanation for the potty problems it's a good idea to try increasing the number of litter boxes available to your cats, this will help you to rule out possible reasons for house soiling such as anxiety, one cat bullying another in a multiple cat household or even difficult to diagnose causes like a cat who is distracted and doesn't make it to the litter pan or being unaware that they have to use the toilet until it's too late.

If the cause of your cat's inappropriate elimination is behavioral s/he's probably trying to tell you that s/he's not feeling well or that something else is bothering him/her. Unfortunately cats don't speak human so they aren't able to tell us directly what's happening, if they're sick, afraid, jealous or angry. Cats aren't able to write us notes to communicate what's going on either, this means that house soiling is their only means of getting a point across, it's kind of like the feline version of writing their human caregiver(s) a quick note to say that there's a medical, emotional or behavioral reason causing them to miss their litter box. Over the years I've cared for many cats who have started soiling outside of their litter box for no reason. If you're willing to take some time to look at your litter boxes from the cat's point of view and make improvements where they're needed there's a pretty good chance that your cats will stop urinating/defecating outside of their litter box. For most cats once the issue that has caused them to seek alternative places to use the toilet has been resolved the house soiling simply disappears.

Due to the fact that this behavioral change seems to be a fairly new issue with this kitty it's worth thinking back to when this issue started and looking at changes that happened around that time frame in terms of household routines, work schedules or daily activities. Some cats will develop high levels of anxiety when their humans are away from home. If your cats are used to being cuddled and pampered while you are at home it's possible that they become anxious when you leave home because they don't understand why they're being left alone. Depending on where your cats came from before they came to live with you they may have reason to be fearful that you aren't coming back or some kitties could just be worried about how long you'll be gone, especially in the case of rescued kitties who came from abusive, neglectful backgrounds or were abandoned by a previous person because when you rescue a pet from a shelter quite often you just don't have much information about their history. Separation anxiety doesn't usually happen in cats whose caretakers pay little attention to them - it's a disorder typical of well loved pets.  

I know that it can be very frustrating to have one or more cats urinating outside of the litter box, but I think that it's worth mentioning that cats don't eliminate outside of the litter pan to upset their human caregivers, there's always a reason and once the reason is addressed the problem tends to disappear. Cats try their best to communicate with their human guardians, unfortunately human beings don't usually recognize inappropriate elimination as a means of communication because we no longer consciously communicate by scent marking and territorial displays. It's important to remember that cats haven't become accustomed to communicating quite the way we have. Cats tend to be geared towards communicating with those around them by leaving and smelling scents left behind in their territory - body language is also high up on the list of a cat's communication skills. In the interests of science it's worth noting that some scientists still believe that human beings are susceptible to pheromones and although we can't smell these chemicals they may play more of a role than we realize in terms of things like the way we socialize and even who we socialize with.

Some cats will house soil in response to the noise, activity, change in status/attention that major life changes like adding a dog or other new pets, a death in the family, loss of another pet or person in the household, marriage, divorce, having a baby or any number of other common occurrences can cause. The changes I've mentioned are some of the more common triggers that could cause sensitive cats to begin house soiling. If you live in a busy household your cats may be experiencing difficulty with all of the activity going on around them on a daily basis. Basic changes within a household like having less time off than usual, changes in a work or school schedule or different days off than you or another family member did previously can also affect cats. It's very important to think back to when this behavior started and what was happening at that point in time in your life.

Sometimes a lack of stimulation can result in destructive behaviors like house soiling. I have found providing different forms of stimulation helps to ease boredom. Cats and young kittens are quite intelligent. Contrary to popular belief cats just aren't designed to sleep all day and night. Cats are predators by nature, providing several different outlets to help house or apartment dwelling cats and kittens fulfill their natural instincts. The majority of cats enjoy having a range of toys designed for independent or interactive play. I generally suggest that people consider picking up interactive toys like a few kitty teases, a kitten mitten and other toys that encourage appropriate play with their human family members. It's also important for cats to have a variety of toys that they can bat around and play with on their own. I usually recommend that you consider what a toy will sound like at 3 am before giving it to your cat. Toys that make noises on their own, have bells inside of them or are made of hard plastic are usually best to avoid. I can tell you from personal experience that cats can be incredibly good at hiding toys that are making noises during the wee hours of the morning and after having a night of sleep interrupted you won't be overly impressed with your kitty's hunting prowess. In our household the cats have several large grocery bags worth of toys which we buy on sale and we simply rotate the toys so that our cats don't become bored with having the same toys for extended periods of time. I recommend small mice that can be held in their mouths, if they are made of softer materials that's usually best. I have also found that small ping pong ball shaped, soft foam balls are a hit both with cats that I have fostered and those which I have cared for on a permanent basis. There certainly isn't any shortage of cat toys out there and manufacturers are becoming more inventive every year. In my opinion a good quality, sturdy floor to ceiling cat tree with platforms and cubbies your cats can climb up to and hang out on to watch the world go by or sleep is a good investment. A decent floor to ceiling post with perches and cubbies can run $300+ CAN.

You could also try looking into the Cat Sitter DVD series. These dvds are movies geared towards cats. As far as I'm aware there are three videos in this series. The Cat Sitter DVDs all feature great video footage of small prey animals and different wildlife. In my experience these videos can occupy cats for quite awhile, they are designed to entertain cats when their human caregiver is away from home. The footage in these videos can be played on a loop so that once the entire movie has been viewed it will automatically restart. The first two volumes feature some great footage of birds, mice and other small animals. The second and third volumes of the series include scenes that the production company refers to as "digital catnip" which is essentially a computer generated bug that flits back and forth across the screen in an unpredictable fashion that appeals to most cats. The third DVD in the series focuses on aquariums and there are some phenomenal shots of fresh and saltwater fish. You can often find these videos in pet supply stores for around $14-25 CAN (depending on where you shop). If you are able to set your home entertainment center to play the videos at set intervals throughout the work/work day your cats may be less anxious. With the Cat Sitter DVDs she will have plenty of visual stimulation to occupy their time. If you do opt to purchase these videos I would strongly suggest that you make sure that the top of the television is kept clear and a chair or small sturdy scratch post with a platform is parked in front of it because most cats like to bat at the prey animals and fish and in some cases these animals disappear from the screen in one direction or another most cats will try to find out where the animal or computer generated bug has disappeared to.

If you own your own home or apartment it's possible that your cats spend a fair amount of time looking out the window and watching the world go by. If this is the case your cats may be responding to neighborhood cats using your property as a litter box, it's also possible that your cats might have heard or seen something outside that made them angry, frightened or frustrated them. Since cats have sensitive hearing and they are territorial animals by nature there are a number of possible situations that may cause inappropriate behavior such as house soiling or aggression. If neighborhood cats spend a significant amount of time walking through your yard and marking their territory with urine or feces your cats may be responding to perceived threats in their territory in the only way that they can - by marking their territory indoors. Just because you only see one cat urinating/defecating outside of the litter box doesn't mean that s/he is the only one responsible for the accidents outside of the litter box. The only way to be certain that only one cat is responsible for house soiling in a multiple cat household is to have the veterinarian provide you with a special dye that changes the color of a cat's urine, essentially you give them the dye one at a time and that should tell you who is peeing outside of the box.

Sometimes cats can become upset if household renovations are happening or there are repair or tradespeople in your home or outside of it making noise and disrupting their regular routine. Some cats become anxious or fearful when loud sounds like a car backfiring or road crews using a jackhammer nearby. The bottom line is that cats are territorial animals and they really aren't fond of change so making necessary household renovations and repairs as easy as possible for your cats is important. You can do this by confining them to an easy to clean room in the home such as the bathroom with food, water, toys, litter, a comfy place to sleep and possibly even a small radio left on at a low volume.

In some cats loud noises provoke extreme reactions related to fear or anxiety, in cases like this it's well worth considering consulting a holistic veterinarian for help. Holistic vets are trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies which may include acupuncture, Reiki, homeopathy or massage to name a few. It has been my experience that cats respond very well to the holistic approach, my family vet is a holistic practitioner and she uses homeopathy in her practice. I've seen some pretty amazing results in my own cats when homeopathic remedies have been prescribed, so it's certainly worth a try. Cats can also benefit from acupuncture, massage and other alternative therapies if these tools are properly used by a knowledgeable and experienced holistic vet.

Your family vet could prescribe an anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drug that would reduce any anxiety that your cat may be experiencing which could potentially stop the accidents that s/he is having around the house and these drugs can be quite effective in stopping house soiling. The reason that I typically recommend that a pharmaceutical approach be used as a last resort is because many of the drugs commonly prescribed by vets to control anxiety, inappropriate elimination and depression are small doses of human anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drugs. The use of powerful psychotropic drugs isn't without risk or side effects in cats, so it is extremely important to do your research and make an informed decision prior to agreeing to administer powerful mood altering drugs to your cat. Cats are very sensitive to these drugs so I highly suggest that you exercise caution if you opt to treat your cat with these medicines. Any drug that alters a cat's brain chemistry isn't something to be used lightly - some cats can have serious reactions to these and other medicines so I do believe that it's to your cat's benefit if you try exhaust all of the less invasive and risky options first.

In situations where a cat is very anxious I sometimes recommend that their caregivers try out a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which contains a blend of flower essences that help to calm and reassure. I would suggest that you try out the Rescue Remedy by adding 4-5 drops to each bowl of fresh water each morning. You may notice a difference in the cats' behavior and demeanor quite quickly. Rescue Remedy can usually be found in health food/natural health stores and naturopathic pharmacies, you can also purchase this remedy online. Some mainstream pharmacies have begun to carry Rescue Remedy, if your pharmacy has it you'll most likely find the remedy in the section where vitamins and other nutritional supplements are sold. Bach flower remedies are very safe and they are used by many people seeking a drug free approach to deal with issues like anxiety or fear, in fact these remedies are just as effective on human beings as they are on pets when they are used appropriately and the right remedy is being used to treat the condition. Many pet parents and veterinarians around the world use Bach remedies to treat different causes of anxiety or fear in pets. Rescue Remedy is particularly well known and in my experience it's well worth trying in a case where a cat is timid or anxious.

Sometimes repeated urination and defecation in the same place may mean that a cat is repeating the mistake based on scent alone. Most household cleaners and detergents appear to remove the scent and stain permanently, sometimes cats will still be able to smell urine or feces because their sense of smell is significantly more sensitive than a person's. Products like Febreze simply add perfume to the scent of urine/feces in areas where cats have soiled outside of the litter box and they can actually make the problem worse so I recommend against using them to mask odors from house soiling accidents or in areas near food/water bowls and litter boxes. The best way to deal with removing the odor of urine (or other organic substances like feces, blood, vomit) permanently from your furniture, carpeting, sheets, bedding, etc is to use an enzymatic cleaner. Cleaners like Petzyme use beneficial bacteria (enzymes) to permanently break down and remove the organic components of substances such as urine, feces, blood and vomit that cause odor and stains. I've found that Petzyme works well to remove stains and odors and this product has so far proven to be safe on upholstery, and carpeting throughout my home. The manufacturer even provides instructions on the label that will allow you to use Petzyme in the washing machine along with regular laundry detergent. Petzyme is available at Petsmart - I recommend that you purchase it from the dog section because you can purchase a gallon for roughly $20 CAN (the spray bottle costs about $15 and only contains 750 ml). A good sized jug of enzymatic cleaner is a smart thing to have on hand if you have a resident pet, the gallon jug will last awhile and allow you to see whether the cat is simply having accidents throughout your house because s/he can smell previous mistakes. I simply fill a spray bottle (the type used for misting plants, from the dollar store) using the gallon sized jug of Petzyme so that it's ready to use when I need it. If your local pet supply store doesn't carry a good selection of enzymatic cleaners in the cat section it's worth checking out the dog section as these cleaners are often marketed for use during puppy potty training. In the event that you aren't able to find Petzyme in your area you can try checking with your local janitorial supply store because enzymatic cleaners are often used in institutions where body fluids must be cleaned. It's important to know that dried urine can leave an invisible stain so the use of a black light after you've cleaned up the usual spots that your cat urinates in you can check throughout the house to make sure that no urine stains remain. Urine will fluoresce under black light.

Cats are very clean animals and they don't usually eliminate where they eat. You could try placing a dish of regular cat food on the bed and/or on the rugs where the cat usually urinates. I have had people tell me that their cats have simply opted out of eating or urinated on the same surface at the furthest point from the food. If this happens with your cat you may find that using partially crumpled aluminum foil will work well. Most cats don't like the sharp feeling of partially crumpled tin foil on their sensitive pads. The trick is to loosely crumple the foil and then gently uncrumple it slightly so that it's about half of the size of the original piece of foil. The more sharp edges the better, if you simply place tin foil that hasn't been crumpled around your home there's always a chance that the cat will simply urinate on the flat foil. If your cat decides to remove the foil from the bed so that s/he can urinate below it you can try a couple of different things.

There is a great product called Sticky Paws available in most pet supply stores. This is a medical grade double sided tape that is safe for most fabrics and surfaces. Cats don't like to have anything stick to their paws so applying a layer of double sided tape will certainly mean that this kitty will most likely avoid urinating on in specific areas outside of the litter pan while the tape is there. If you want to deter your feline friend from going to specific areas to relieve him/herself you can use motion activated tools to get the message across. There are products such as Ssscat which is a motion activated behavioral modification tool which sends off a burst of compressed air from a can when the motion sensor is tripped. The majority of cats will find the hissing sound very offensive and you may only need to use these types of products for a short period of time to correct the issue. You can also try a product called Scat Mat which is a pressure sensitive mat that administers a mild static electric shock when stepped on - this will certainly convince your kitty that s/he doesn't want to urinate in a specific area outside of the litter box.

If your kitty has been declawed its possible that has some bearing on whats happening so I've taken the liberty of providing information about this cosmetic surgery that (in my opinion) is performed on cats way too often. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends that veterinarians declawing cats administer a long acting narcotic pain reliever once the cat's been sedated for surgery. Before performing the actual procedure the AVMA recommends that the vet administer a four point nerve block on each of the cat's paws to reduce the significant pain caused by this procedure in the immediate post operative period. Veterinarians wanting to ensure that their feline patients don't suffer unbearable pain after they've been taken home to recover send along powerful long acting narcotics such as Fentanyl in the form of a patch to be replaced at specific times recommended by the vet. If your kitty was recently declawed and the vet didn't send home pain medication to administer by mouth or patch I'd suggest considering the possibility that the potty problems are related to sore paws, my theory is that cats often suffer something similar to phantom limb pain in people after being declawed.

To declaw a cat isn't a simple task and there are serious risks associated with this surgery. People often compare declawing a cat to amputating our fingers at the first joint, but it's just not that simple. Human beings don't use their fingers in the same way that cats do and we don't retract our fingertips. Declaw surgery is extremely painful for the cat and it can have lasting psychological, physical and behavioral problems associated with it. The actual surgery involves amputating the cat's digits, tendons, ligaments and soft tissues at the first joint. If any tissue or bone beyond the first joint is still present it can cause a painful abscess and require the veterinarian to anesthetize the cat again and perform a second surgery in an attempt to correct the first improperly performed operation.

It's important to remember that cats instinctively dig a hole to urinate or defecate in and most cover their urine or feces afterwards. As a result of the way cats use the toilet there's a substantial risk of infection when they're declawed. Cats who undergo surgery to remove their claws can also lose a substantial amount of blood, it's important to recognize that cats are quite a bit smaller than people and what may look like minor blood loss can be fatal. Cats that have been declawed are more likely to develop problems with house soiling, my theory is that they develop a similar condition to people that have had a limb amputated - phantom limb pain. Some cats also develop severe arthritis in their paws after being declawed - this may be as a result of the trauma of the surgery, it might be because declawed cats often change the way that they walk, normal, healthy cats walk on their toes, declawed cats try to reduce their pain by walking on the backs of their feet which means that in addition to the physical risks and problems associated with the surgery declawed cats also lose a substantial amount of the beauty and grace we admire so much.

Some cats undergo drastic personality changes after being declawed as a direct result of the pain caused by the surgery. It's well known that declawed cats are more likely to bite than cats that have their claws and that's dangerous in a household with elderly family members or small children. Cats are normally quite polite when they express their displeasure at being handled improperly or bothered. The signs that a cat's annoyed are progressive, there's often a change in body posture and they may flick their tail about - if the subtle messages aren't understood a cat will increase the intensity of the warning by swatting at the person or pet that's disturbing them with sheathed claws. If the cat's wish to be left alone still isn't clear s/he will progress to lightly scratching the person or pet that's upsetting him/her. Cats don't usually bite as a means of defending themselves but if they've been declawed it seems to leave them feeling more insecure and vulnerable which often means that they are more likely to bite someone. Sadly declawed cats are often abused, abandoned, admitted to animal shelters or euthanized because they've developed inappropriate behaviors and human family members are concerned that their cat is going to hurt someone.

Cats use their claws for a variety of purposes. Many people believe that cats sharpen their claws, this is actually a myth - when they claw a scratch post or piece of furniture they're exercising their shoulder and back muscles, stretching their body out and marking the area with their unique scent because cats have scent glands located in their paws, and head. Scent glands are also present on either side of a cat's rectum, that allows other cats who find the droppings to learn about the cat that left them, their age, reproductive status, gender, diet and health problems. Most cats will play with toys using their front paws to bat the toy around so that they can chase it. I've had some amazing experiences with cats who haven't been declawed - there's nothing quite as powerful as a cat using a paw with carefully sheathed claws to gently touch your hand or face as a gesture of love. I'm more than willing to answer any questions or address any concerns that you may have, so please don't be afraid to contact me again, I'll do my best to help you solve the issues that you're having with your kitten.

In some cases nutrition can cause serious health problems that ultimately end up playing a large role in house soiling. In today's world the convenience of commercial pet foods leads many pet parents to feed their pets canned/dry foods. Pet parents have been told for years that commercially produced pet foods are the only good option for our pets and these products provide the safest, most balanced option in terms of giving our much loved furry family members the best nutrition possible to maintain their overall health throughout their pet's lifetime. The pet food industry is a multi-million (or more) dollar a year industry in North America and a profit driven company isn't going to necessarily keep a close eye on the quality of their product. The 2007 Menu Foods recall illustrated a serious flaw in the system; companies that manufacture pet food have few standards or guidelines to follow in terms of what is and isn't acceptable to put in pet food - this means that companies have been and for the most part still are responsible for the quality of ingredients they choose to include in the finished products. In my opinion allowing pet food manufacturers to decide what's acceptable without stringent standards dictating the type and quality of ingredients end up in pet food which is somewhat like a cat guarding a bird's nest - bad things can happen quickly.

My eldest resident cat almost lost her life as a result of eating tainted food during the Menu Foods pet food recall, I was feeding high quality food that was supposedly vet recommended and I learned a heartbreaking lesson the day that my baby girl almost died - just because the label says the food is high quality, premium or vet recommended doesn't mean it's species appropriate or even safe. Over the last couple of years my kitty has required ongoing medical care in order to maintain kidney function and I've lived with tremendous guilt caused by the fact that my baby girl has suffered through hospitalization, frequent blood work, and routine injections of fluids under her skin because I fed her food that was poisoned. I've been left with a healthy distrust for the safety of foods manufactured by a poorly regulated pet food industry or anyone else who stands to profit from my fur kids get sick.

Many vets recommend pet foods that are grain or soy based - the problem with that is that cats aren't able to digest their plant based diets so these foods just don't provide our feline companions with what they need in order to live longer, healthier lives. All cats, regardless of size, species or breed are obligate or true carnivores, this means that all cats must eat a high quality meat based diet. Long before we domesticated cats they had successfully evolved over thousands of years by hunting, killing and eating prey animals. Cats do get small amounts of grains, nuts, vegetable matter and seeds by eating the partially digested stomach contents of their prey, that provides them with vitamins, minerals and fiber to help them stay healthy.

If you'd like more information I'd be happy to send you more information about the unique nutritional needs of cats which will help you to make informed decisions about the pet food industry, the marketing tricks they use to create the impression that foods are made with higher quality ingredients than they actually are. Lower quality foods sold in pet supply stores, discount outlets and in some cases even vet clinics can cause stones/crystals to form in a cat's urinary tract, this issue is more common in male cats, but it sometimes happens to female cats from time to time as well. If your female cat has crystals present in her urinary tract it's not likely that she'll experience a blockage, however the crystals could be scraping against the surface of her urinary tract causing irritation that leads to an unpleasant burning sensation when she urinates.

Although some behaviorists and veterinarians recommend the use of synthetic pheromone products like Feliway it's been my experience that these products are expensive and there's no guarantee that they'll work at all, in fact many pet parents have written to me on this site after trying these products expressing disappointment that these products didn't magically solve the elimination problems they were having with their cat. I've also heard mixed comments about using an indoor cat repellant, the general consensus is that the cat repellents typically repel more people than they do cats. You can however place dishes of dried hot peppers or citrus peels in areas where your cat has urinated - for many cats these natural substances will be offensive enough to keep them away from places that you don't want them to be. Hopefully this answer has given you an idea just how complex a medical or behavioral issue like inappropriate urination is and provides you with the basics so that you can ask your vet detailed questions that you've thought out before going to have your cat assessed since vet appointments are often time limited. If you have any further questions, concerns or you'd like me to clarify anything in this answer please feel free to contact me again and I'll do my best to help you get this figured out.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I would like to thank you for the very thorough answer.  However it is nothing I have not already read somewhere else.  I guess I was just wondering more why she uses both and what I can do about it.  She still uses the litterbox daily and pees outside the litterbox on occasion.  Therefore, many of the solutions you provide (changing litter, moving litter box, etc.) don't really seem to be the main problem.  She also never goes in the same place twice so deterrents would be difficult.  Perhaps I will just have to not leave anything on the floor.  (Just yesterday she went in a plastic shopping bag I set down in the hallway with stuff still in it).  I would like to solve this problem as we are starting a family and do not want to get rid of our cat if possible, however it would be impossible to remove all items from the floor once there is a baby crawling around (toys).  Thank you.

Answer
Loni,

I would guess that there's something upsetting this kitty or she might be a very territorial girl who feels the need to mark anything in her environment. I have a few questions for you that might be able to give me a clearer picture of what's going on here:

- Has this girl been spayed?

Territorial marking tends to be worse when a cat hasn't been spayed/neutered. Having kitty immediately spayed may stop the behavior over time as her hormone levels drop.

- Does she have access to windows where she's likely to see neighborhood cats?

There is a relatively inexpensive (when you consider replacement costs of flooring, furniture and other posessions) option for this - temporary or permanent privacy window films to block her view.

- Have there been any recent changes in your household?

- Is this kitty declawed?

If so, she just might respond well to pain medication - I've always had a theory that cats aren't so different from people and that since declawing involves 10 (or more if kitty is polydactyl) amputations they might endure phantom limb pain that like people is of a transient nature. Treating the pain might stop the house soiling.

- Would you be willing to consider homeopathic treatments administered by a holistic vet, a veterinary homeopath or a homeopath that's willing to treat pets?

You might be pleasantly surprised at how effective the right remedy might be - it may in fact end the house soiling altogether. If you aren't sure you'll be able to find a holistic vet who is trained in the use of homeopathy I might be able to help you out - there is a great holistic vet on the Ask A Vet portion of this site by the name of Dr. Christine Chambreau, she does phone and email consults for a fee within the US - be prepared though, finding the right homeopathic remedy will take close observations of everything from the temperature within a room kitty house soils in, what times of day she soils outside of the litter box, what she's like in terms of personality traits/quirks and other points that might not necessarily be considered relevent in traditional veterinary medicine.

- Do you use a lot of scented cleaning products, air fresheners, perfumes, etc?

Cats can respond poorly to these types of products as they are overwhelming from a cat's perspective since their sense of smell is so much more sensitive than our own. Choosing UNscented products to clean and freshen your home, your possessions, your body, etc might stop the behavior.

- What's kitty's nutrition like?

From a holistic standpoint everything might be important, including nutrition. If kitty is eating a food that's lower quality her system might not be functioning well which could be causing her to behave poorly. I can provide information about providing optimal nutrition for your kitty that might be helpful.

I'm willing to do whatever I can to help you find out why your kitty is soiling outside of the litter box and maybe the questions I've asked will help me to gain further insight into what's causing her to do this and how you can stop her from doing it in future.