Expert: Ali - 3/24/2010

Question
Hi Ali,
Our 7 month old kitten Dakota is a rescue kitten. She is very energetic and very loving. Since we got her we have overcome a lot of issues with her. Like most rescue kittens she had worms in her stomach, she was under fed and she had a skin fungus. We have gotten her past all of these things along with aggressive biting and kitty acne.
She was just taken in to get spayed. The surgery went well, she pulled out all of her stitches out but other than that it was very routine. While she was there they did a urine test on her and found that she had a high level of crystals for such a young cat. We deduced that it might be caused by the fact that she stopped eating kitten food and ate all of our other cats adult food. So we stopped her on kitten food all together, not seeing the harm in it.
Since being diagnosed we have transitioned her to a all natural holistic food (wysong) that also address her bladder issues and is still a kitten food. She loves it (thank goodness). Our vet is very much about the natural approach when treating which we appreciate.
Our big issue now is the fact that she NEVER uses the litter box to pee. She pee's EVERYWHERE. We are trying to breathe deep and not be upset because we realize that the litter box equals pain for her but we are at the end of our ropes. She has been doing this for about 3 months. She has been on the new food for about a month and I think her peeing outside of the box has gotten worse.
So my question is, how do we know if the crystal issue is resolved and how do we convince her to start using her box again. Our vet does not really see the issue in this constant urine everywhere issue, she is more concerned with Dakota being comfortable and happy and if that means peeing on our bed, so be it.
Any and all advice would be appreciated. We have a very small apartment so the smell of urine is very evident and I just don't know what to do anymore.
Thanks so much.
Ellie

Answer
Ellie,

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. This is a unique situation since this kitty has a history of crystals within her urinary tract and I am a bit concerned that your family vet doesn't realize the seriousness of the situation since she hasn't begun to look more closely at this kitty to determine whether the litter box issues are related to the house soiling. It isn't common for female cats to have serious issues with crystals creating pain or blockages within their urinary tract, but I suppose it's a possibility and getting this kitty diagnosed and appropriately treated may be a vital part of stopping the litter box issues.

In my experience there are a few major reasons why cats start urinating or defecating outside of their litter boxes which include:

1) Medical issues (bladder infection, crystals in urinary tract or any other issue that causes pain or discomfort when the cat urinates/defecates), which I'm not confident have been completely ruled out in this case according to the history you sent.

2) Territorial marking, neutering a cat doesn't necessarily mean that they won't mark their territory with urine/feces. It's possible that your kitty could be responding to stimuli from the outside world such as neighborhood indoor/outdoor cats marking their territory in your yard or against your home and if this is the case she may be responding to what she sees in the only way she can - by soiling outside of her litter box.

3) Behavioral issues can account for quite a number of house soiling kitties. There are a variety of reasons why cats can develop these issues including recent changes within the household (adding/subtracting a 2/4 legged family member, changes in household routines which can provoke anxiety/insecurity causing the cat to soil outside of his/her litter box, the use of scented kitty litter/air fresheners throughout the house and/or in the area where the litter box is kept, etc). I never recommend using scented kitty litter since most cats find the smell overpowering - it's important to remember that their noses are many times more sensitive than our own so products that have a fairly strong smell for us are downright offensive and overpowering for cats. If there aren't enough litter boxes for the number of cats you have (2 per cat plus one is a good place to start since you can never have too many litter boxes in a cat's opinion, after all they're pretty fastidious by nature and they do NOT like to use a dirty litter box any more than we want to use a filthy gas station toilet). If the litter boxes are located in an area of the house that's out of the way, near something noisy like a furnace or other large piece of machinery that makes fairly loud noises then cats are less likely to use them. Having litter boxes located somewhere on each floor of your house may be all that it takes to end the house soiling. Cats are very much like us in that they tend to get very frustrated when they try their best to communicate with us and we don't understand them which can lead to them choosing more direct routes to get our attention - cats view the beds that humans sleep in as their territory and urinating on the bed is a very personal message, if you think about it you may actually know what the cat's trying to tell you. 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 him/her to “think (and deposit) outside the box.“ I'll try try my best to provide you with humane and effective strategies to end house soiling as quickly as possible because I can certainly understand that you would prefer to have this issue on the way to being resolved at the very least prior to the new baby coming into your family. 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 even if it's necessary for your vet to place your kitty onto medications that will help stop the house soiling more quickly (I tend to recommend these as a last resort since they're usually psychotropic drugs, particulary anti-anxiety/depressant medications and their use isn't without side effects or risks).

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, there is always a reason for house soiling even if it seems trivial to us as humans. 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 - by asking for help you've taken an important step towards stopping the kitty's house soiling issues. I will do my best to help get this kitty back to using the litter box ASAP by making recommendations that may prove useful.

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.

If your litter boxes are too small or otherwise unsatisfactory to your kitty it's more likely that s/he will soil outside of the litter box. A litter box should absolutely be large enough for the cat to walk into comfortably, stand up normally, dig a hole, make their deposit without having to do so all scrunched up to avoid hitting his/her head on the top or sides of the litter, the cat must then be able to turn around comfortably, bury the deposit and leave the litter box comfortably. Most litter boxes on the market are actually poorly designed and as a result they can actually help to create house soiling issues, I can certainly understand why cats wouldn't want to fold themselves in half just to use the toilet comfortably. It's well worth paying slightly more and investing in a larger, deeper litter boxes for the cats to use - it beats replacing furniture. 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 provided very thorough, down to earth information on the nutritional needs of our feline companions that you may be interested in checking out.

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. Generally I recommend putting a fair bit of kitty litter into the litter boxes, cats prefer to bury their waste deeply enough that they feel it can't be sniffed out by a predator - I use a good 4 inches or so of litter in the bottom of each litter pan and I've found that works well. In my experience a regular UNscented clumping kitty litter is best - sometimes cats have their own ideas though so in the event that you're already using a clumping kitty litter that's fragrance free you may want to try other types of kitty litter on the market, there are even some that claim to help end house soiling by attracting cats to their litter box. If at all possible you may want to consider allowing the cats to have a vote for their favorite kitty litter by setting up a number of disposable litter boxes of some sort (large tin foil roasting pans work well and they're cheaper than the disposable litter boxes sold in most pet supply stores) and filling them with different type of litter into each litter pan (making sure to avoid scented litter at all costs regardless of the type). Within a fairly short period of time you should start noticing that different cats have different preferences when it comes to the litter they would like to use in their litter boxes so it's best to see which types of litter get the most use from all of the cats in your household. If you notice that the cats avoid certain types of litter you can actually get rid of them fairly quickly and allow the cats to pick their favorite type of litter, once that's done you will be able to use the new litter and hopefully say good-bye to potty problems with your kitties.

Litter box maintenance or lack thereof can create litter box avoidance. After all, nobody wants to be forced to step in their own waste in order to use the toilet. Solid waste should be scooped out of the litter boxes at least twice a day in order to ensure that you don't end up with litter box odor. If your litter boxes smell horrible to you they're incredibly offensive for your cats. With proper litter box maintenance you shouldn't be able to smell the litter boxes unless someone has just had a powerful smelling BM. Litter boxes should be emptied and washed thoroughly with dish soap at least once a week if you don't clean stool/urine that ends up on the inside sides of the litter box. I also suggest that pet parents use a weak bleach solution (5 parts tap water to 1 part non concentrated bleach) to spray the insides of the litter box and take care of any lingering bacteria that may cause the litter box to smell bad. Once you've sprayed the litter box with the bleach solution you can leave it for a few minutes, come back and wipe the boxes dry with paper towels or cloth towels that you use specifically for that purpose so that you can then fill the litter pans with kitty litter for the cats to use. Don't be surprised if they tend to rush into the box you've just cleaned to relieve themselves, it's a cat thing. If you do routinely clean the urine/feces that ends up on the sides then you may be able to go for as long as a month or two before dumping the litter box entirely and washing it well. Ideally you'd want to keep the spray bottle of weak bleach solution handy so that you could moisten a paper towel with it and gently wipe away any waste that ends up on the sides of the litter box at least twice daily to ensure that there isn't a whole lot of opportunity for the litter box itself to have bacteria grow on it because a foul odor emanating from the litter tray = a build up of bacteria. Many pet parents try to cover litter box odor by using air fresheners, scented litter box additives, scented kitty litter and a variety of other products. Most people would agree that these products tend to have a very strong smell to them, that being said, they must be absolutely overpowering for a cat since the feline sense of smell is incredibly sensitive. If your litter box smells bad then it's not being maintained properly, if the litter box is dirty your cats may opt to relieve themselves elsewhere.

Contrary to popular belief cats do not respond well to punishments. Rubbing a cat's nose in his/her mistakes is an inhumane, disgusting and ineffective way to deal with litter box avoidance. Yelling at, swatting, slapping or spanking the cat will simply make him/her afraid of their human caregivers which can make the problem worse. Unless you actually see the cat urinating outside of the litter box no amount of disciplinary action or punishment will be helpful. If you see the cat urinating outside of the litter box then I'd suggest that you use a firm tone (yelling isn't necessary since kitty's ears are very sensitive) and telling the cat NO! along with the feline equivalent of a time out in a cat carrier or an easy to clean room such as a bathroom. You can simply leave the kitty in time out for the time that it takes you to properly clean up the mess that s/he made, it also gives pet parents an opportunity to calm down, because after all, seeing your cat relieve him/herself outside of the litter box isn't something that any pet parent really appreciates. It's perfectly reasonable to ignore kitty for a few hours after making a mistake, the reason this can work to your advantage is because most house cats really want attention from their human caregivers, by withdrawing that attention including eye contact, touch and talking to the cat they learn that they are scolded, isolated from the people they want to spend time with them and ignored for awhile after they make a litter box mistake - some cats will put 2 and 2 together and stop house soiling entirely after a few times since there are consistent consequences that are unpleasant for him/her. In the event that you come home to an accident my recommendation is fairly simple, without making direct eye contact, petting or speaking to the feline culprit you'll want to walk over to him/her with purpose, pick the cat up and remove him/her from the situation by placing him/her into the kennel or bathroom so that s/he doesn't see you clean the mess up (some cats seem to get a kick out of watching their human clean potty accidents so it can sometimes reinforce the behavior) then ignore the cat for awhile when you are ready to release him/her from time out.

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, other cats prefer to use one litter box to urinate in and another to defecate in - in a multiple cat household if a finicky kitty of this variety finds that his/her housemate has urinated/defecated in the wrong area of one of 'their' litter boxes this may be sufficient motivation for some cats to soil outside of the litter box as a means of communicating to their human caregiver that there is a problem that needs to be solved. It's important to remember that cats are quite territorial by nature and the way cats of all sizes (including "big" wild cats) communicate with each other is by marking their territory with their urine, feces and scent glands located in their anus, paws and face. In some cases multiple cat households have a boss cat and a subordinate cat, it's not uncommon for the more dominant cat to claim and defend food/water bowls, specific toys or even litter boxes. If the litter boxes in your household are all located in the same area then it's possible that one of your cats is soiling outside of the litter box because s/he's not being given the chance to use the litter pans you've provided which is why it's not a bad idea to spread litter boxes out a little, after all one cat can't possibly be in several places at once which allows the subordinate kitty to use the toilet without being harassed.

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. If you have older cats and your litter boxes have high sides or they're designed so that the cat has to jump on top of them and enter through a small hole in the top it's possible that they're uncomfortable - after all as cats age they're not that different from us, they tend to get aches and pains just like we do. Some cats aren't comfortable in a covered litter pan - in my opinion it's well worth trying different styles of litter boxes to see if the design of the litter pans you currently use is having some influence over the house soiling situation.

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 have changed recently or they're generally not very consistent, your cats may be stressed as a result of the changes and/or lack of routine. 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 instead of a closed hamper 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 and drive the neighbors bonkers 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 few days later the veterinarian estimated her age to be more like 8-9 weeks old and Kizmit weighed 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 softer food that would be easier for this tiny kitten to eat. 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 such a small 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, catch up on her growth and continue to grow at a normal rate for what was very likely the first time in her life. As her physical health improved it became obvious that she'd endured profound neglect in her short life, for example 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, stripping urine soaked bedding off of our bed, putting clean bedding onto the bed and stuffing the wet bedding into a large garbage bag to head over to the laundromat became pressing tasks. My partner and I figured 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.

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.

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 of routine spay/neuter surgery if you're interested in learning more about this issue. 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. I can provide you with some fairly basic, but detailed information about spay/neuter surgeries if you'd like, in the event that I don't know the answer to your questions or how to address your concerns I'd be happy to refer you to someone who is capable of getting you the information that you need. 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.

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 that generally happens to very spoiled, well loved pets.

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 soiling outside of the litter box and may be stressed or anxious I think it's well worth trying 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 could also gently massage the remedy drop by drop into each cat's ear flaps or the relatively fur free area in front of his/her ears provided that you are careful to avoid getting any of the remedy into your kitty's ears (the flower remedies are actually preserved in a grape alcohol solution so they can sting if they end up inside the ear or in an open wound). It's not uncommon for pet parents to 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 may be 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 seem substantially more likely to develop problems with house soiling (possibly related to paws that hurt even years after the fact in some cases). 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 are often forced 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 which could be 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 usually 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 because improper nutrition can mean that a cat is predisposed to certain health conditions that may cause him/her to soil outside of the litter box. 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.

Many vets recommend pet foods that are grain or soy based - the problem with that is that cats aren't able to digest diets that contain mostly plant based proteins which means that many pet foods (even those considered to be premium, holistic, prescription etc) just don't provide our feline companions with the nutrition that 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.

Unfortunately even though pet parents are becoming more savvy when it comes to finding better quality food for their cats the pet food industry uses a number of marketing tricks to create the impression that their 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 can sometimes happen 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.