Solving Litter Box Problems
If
you're having a hard time persuading your cat to use the litter box, it
just may be time to draw a line in the sand. Most cats prefer
eliminating on a loose, grainy substance, which is why they quickly
learn to use a litter box. But when their preferences include the
laundry basket, the bed, or the Persian rug, you may find yourself with
a difficult problem. By taking a closer look at your cat's environment,
you should be able to identify factors that have contributed to the
problem, and make changes that encourage your cat to head for the
litter box once again. The most common reasons why cats don't use the
litter box are an aversion to the box, such as dislike of a covered
box, or dissatisfaction with the depth of the litter. Two other common
reasons are a preference for a particular type of litter not provided
in the box, or a preference for a particular location where there is no
box.
Sometimes,
the problem is a combination of all these factors. To get to the
answer, you'll need to do a little detective work—and remember, the
original source of the problem may not be the reason it's continuing.
For example, your cat may have stopped using the litter box because of
a urinary tract infection, and then developed a surface preference for
carpet and a location preference for the bedroom closet. If that's the
case, you'll need to address all three of these factors to resolve the
problem.
Cats
don't stop using their litter boxes because they're upset at their
human caregivers and are determined to get revenge for something that
"offended" them. Because humans act for these reasons, it's easy for us
to assume that our pets do as well. But animals don't act out of spite
or revenge, so it won't help to punish your cat or give her special
privileges in the hope that she'll start using the litter box again.
Medical Problems
It's
common for cats with medical problems to begin eliminating outside of
their litter box. For example, a urinary tract infection or crystals in
the urine can make urination painful—and both are serious conditions
that require medical attention. Cats often associate this pain with the
litter box and begin to avoid it. So if your cat has a house-soiling
problem, check with your veterinarian first to rule out any medical
problems. Cats don't always act sick, even when they are, and only a
trip to the veterinarian for a thorough physical examination can rule
out a medical problem.
Cleaning Soiled Areas
Because
animals are highly motivated to continue soiling an area that smells
like urine or feces—and because cats' sense of smell is so much
stronger than humans'—it's important to thoroughly and properly clean
the soiled areas.
Urine
stains will glow in the dark under a fluorescent black light, which can
generally be purchased at hardware and pet supply stores. Once located,
the stains should be cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner, also available
at pet supply stores. Strong smelling household cleaners will do little
to eliminate the odor or deter your pet from re-marking the area. Be
sure to clean the area thoroughly before steam cleaning to avoid
"locking in" the odor.
Aversion to the Litter Box
Your cat may have decided the litter box is an unpleasant place to eliminate if:
- The box is not clean enough for her.
- She has experienced painful urination or defecation in the box due to a medical problem.
- She has been startled by a noise while using the box.
- She
has been "ambushed" while in the box by another cat, a child, a dog, or
by you, if you were attempting to catch her for some reason.
- She
associates the box with punishment. (For example, someone punished her
for eliminating outside the box, then placed her in the box.)
What You Can Do:
- Keep
the litter box extremely clean. Scoop at least once a day and change
the litter completely every four to five days. If you use scoopable
litter, you may not need to change the litter as frequently, depending
on the number of cats in the household, the size of the cats, and the
number of litter boxes. If you can smell the box, then you can be
pretty sure it's offensive to your cat as well.
- Add
a new box in a different location, and use a different type of litter
in the new box. Because your cat has decided that her old litter box is
unpleasant, you'll want to make the new one different enough that she
doesn't simply apply the old, negative associations to the new box.
- Make
sure that the litter box isn't near an appliance (such as a furnace)
that makes noise, or in an area of the home that your cat doesn't
frequent.
- If
ambushing is a problem, create more than one exit from the litter box,
so that if the "ambusher" is waiting by one area, your cat always has
an escape route.
- If you have multiple cats, provide one litter box for each cat, plus one extra box in a different location.
Surface Preferences
All
animals develop preferences for a particular surface on which they like
to eliminate. These preferences may be established early in life, but
they may also change overnight for reasons that we don't always
understand. Your cat may have a surface preference if:
- She
consistently eliminates on a particular texture—for example,
soft-textured surfaces such as carpeting, bedding, or clothing, or
slick-textured surfaces such as tile, cement, bathtubs, or sinks.
- She frequently scratches on this same texture after elimination, even if she eliminates in the litter box.
- She is or was previously an outdoor cat and prefers to eliminate on grass or soil.
What You Can Do:
- If you recently changed the type or brand of cat litter, go back to providing the litter that your cat had been using.
- If your cat is eliminating on soft surfaces, try using a high-quality, scoopable litter.
- If
your cat is eliminating on slick, smooth surfaces, try putting a very
thin layer of litter at one end of the box, leaving the other end bare,
and put the box on a hard floor.
- If your cat has a history of being outdoors, add some soil or sod to the litter box.
Location Preferences
Your cat may have a location preference if:
- She always eliminates in quiet, protected places, such as under a desk, beneath a staircase, or in a closet.
- She eliminates in an area where the litter box was previously kept or where there are urine odors.
- She eliminates on a different level of the home from where the litter box is located.
What You Can Do:
- Put at least one litter box on every level of your home. (Remember, a properly cleaned litter box does not smell.)
- To
make the area where she has been eliminating less appealing to your
cat, cover the area with upside-down carpet runner or aluminum foil,
place citrus-scented cotton balls over the area, or place water bowls
in the area (because cats often don't like to eliminate near where they
eat or drink).
OR
- Put
a litter box in the location where your cat has been eliminating. When
she has consistently used this box for at least one month, you may
gradually move it to a more convenient location at a rate of an
inch—seriously!—per day.
Everyone Makes Mistakes
If
you catch your cat in the act of eliminating outside the litter box, do
something to interrupt her like making a startling noise, but be
careful not to scare her. Immediately take her to the litter box and
set her on the floor nearby. If she wanders over to the litter box,
wait and praise her after she eliminates in the box. If she takes off
in another direction, she may want privacy, so watch from afar until
she goes back to the litter box and eliminates, then praise her when
she does.
Don't
ever punish your cat for eliminating outside of the litter box. By the
time you find the soiled area, it's too late to administer a
correction. Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your cat's nose in it,
taking her to the spot and scolding her, or inflicting any other type
of punishment will only make her afraid of you or afraid to eliminate
in your presence. Animals don't understand punishment after the fact,
even if it's only seconds later, and trying to punish them will often
make matters worse.
Other Types of House Soiling Problems
Marking/Spraying: To determine if your cat is marking or spraying, consult a veterinarian or animal behaviorist.
Fears or Phobias:
When animals become frightened, they may lose control of their bladder
and/or bowels. If your cat is afraid of loud noises, strangers, or
other animals, she may soil the home when she is exposed to these
stimuli.
© 2002. Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. All rights reserved.
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