Litter Box Blues

"My cat has been urinating outside of the litter box": A common complaint for some cat owners, a variety of medical and behavioral issues may be at the root of why your beloved feline has stopped using the litterbox.

I'm Sick
In addition to urinating inappropriately, you may notice other changes with your cat. These include increases or decreases in appetite, increased frequency to drink, changes in behavior, discolored urination, and straining, among others. A good history in combination with a urinalysis and blood testing form a good baseline by which your veterinarian can diagnose your cat's illness, especially when a variety of medical conditions can mimic each other. Sometimes, more advanced testing, such as x-ray, ultrasound, and urine culture are necessary. Your veterinarian will help you choose which tests are right for your pet.

I'm Stressed
After medical reasons are ruled out to why your cat has been urinating inappropriately, behavior counseling may be necessary to help you and your furry friend. Questions to consider:

  • How many litter boxes do you have? Is there a litterbox on every floor?
  • Any new pets/new people/other changes in the household? Have you recently moved into a new house/apartment?
  • Any stray cats in your backyard?
  • Any changes to the litterbox: changes to type of litter, litter liner, type or size of litterbox, number of litter boxes, covered on the litterbox?
  • How often do you scoop the litter and change it out?
  • Does your cat have access to each litterbox at all times of the day?
  • Does your cat have a "surface preference" to where he/she will urinate? Such as a rug, hardwood floor, tile floor.
  • Is your cat also defecating outside the litterbox?
  • How do you clean those areas?
After answering these questions, here are some basic tips for at-home litter box management:
  • The "1 Plus" Rule: Have atleast one litterbox for each cat PLUS ONE additional litterbox. Having a litterbox on each level of your house can help, especially for those older cats with sore legs.
  • Make sure your litterbox is big enough! Your cat should be able to turn around in it!
  • Is your litterbox in a safe and quiet area? Cats do not like to be disturbed (attacked by other cats) when they are using the litter box. Make sure that litterboxes are not being guarded by other cats!
  • Try a litterbox that is closer to the ground - your older cat may be sore and can't jump into the box anymore!
  • Be consistent with your litter choices! Some cats prefer particular types of litter. If things are working, do not change it! Choices include scented vs. unscented, clumping vs. non-clumping, pine, recycled newspaper, and even playsand.
  • If your cat has chosen to urinate in one particular spot, block access to it! You can either block access to the entire room, remove that particular rug that your cat is urinating on, or place tinfoil, a large object, or even a food or water dish over the area.
  • As your cat may be stimulated by a stray cat in your backyard, do not encourage stray cats to come near your house!
  • You can try a product called Feliway, a natural pheromone which can decrease stress levels in cat. Feliway is available as a room diffuser or as a spray.
  • Using an appropriate enzymatic cleaner (such as O.U.T., Nature's Miracle, Simple Solution) when cleaning your cat�s urine. If your cat has urinated on carpeted areas, steam cleaning is necessary!
  • It continues with you! Scoop your litter box daily, and change the entire litter once a week!

Many behavioral disorders can be treated using a combination of at-home management, and following your veterinarian's recommendations. In some cases, medicines are available to decrease your animals stress.

If you have any questions, please contact us at the Wheatland Animal Hospital. For additional informational on environmental enrichment, visit the Indoor Cat Initiative at http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/indoorcat.