Has this ever
happened to you? Your cat's peeing outside the litter box, and you're
desperately trying to clean up after your cat, wondering if you're
actually doing anything to stop it from happening in the first place!
Well,
if you're like me, you probably want some quick solutions to the
problem, or at least a list of checkpoints that you know you must, like a
detective on a trail, work through, to get the litter box behavior
problem under control.
By the time you finish this article, you
will have learnt the 7 most important steps you must know, when it comes
to this problem of the cat peeing outside the litter box.
Firstly, let's have a look at the reasons why this happens. The reasons for peeing outside the litter box are:
1. A medical problem.
2. The cat that has never been properly house trained to use the litter box in the first place.
3. Problems with the litter tray itself.
4. An unpleasant event that occurred while the cat was at the litter box.
5.
A temporary physical or emotional stress, or change in the household
causing the cat to urinate in an area outside the box, which is
perpetuated by the urine smell reminding the cat to return to the same
area over and over again.
6. Old age causing a cat to not be easily able to get to the litter box.
Now, keep these causes in mind, when checking out the 7 action steps:
1.
If there's a change in toilet behavior with no obvious cause, it may be
caused by illnesses such as urinary tract infections, blocked anal
glands, worms and parasites, diabetes and tumors. These illnesses may
have no other obvious signs, apart from this urination problem. So you
must consider a visit to the vet. In other cases you may see symptoms
such as lethargy, blood in the urine, diarrhea, or constant licking in
the anal area. If you see this, then your first stop is the vet!
2.
Look at the litter box itself. Ensure you're cleaning out the waste
once or twice a day, and changing the litter every 3-4 days for
non-clumping litter (2-3 weeks for clumping litter). Clean the tray with
hot water and mild detergent, without any strong odors such as citrus
or ammonia, which will repel the cat from the box. If you have multiple
cats, remember - the number of trays should equal number of cats, plus
one or two. If you've changed brands of litter, this may have caused the
problem as many cats dislike this change, especially to scented litter.
Return to the older litter. If you want to change, introduce unscented
litter gradually by mixing the old with the new over 2 weeks. And ensure
that the location of the box is acceptable: no loud noises, has some
privacy, and is not in view of other cats.
3. Consider adding in 1
more litter box to another suitable private location of the house. This
is because sometimes it's not the litter box that's the problem, but a
negative experience there. For example, if your kids played with the cat
while she was on the litter box, or if the cat had pain when urinating,
such as during a urine infection, after having kittens, or had a
procedure done on the bladder or urethra at the vet, then the cat would
associate pain with that litter box. Even if the pain is gone, the
association and is still there.
4. Thoroughly clean the area that
has been peed on. This is important because no matter what the cause,
the fact that the urine remains on the bed, carpet, or sofa is a
reminder for the cat to return to pee there. The cat's sense of smell is
more acute than ours, so ensure you clean with a solution such as
Brampton's Simple Solution. If you have remaining urine smell together
with a bad association at the box, then you have 2 forces causing the
problem to continue. So get rid of both!
5. Next, if possible,
deny the cat access to the area that is peed on, especially if it's an
area that is repeatedly used. Many people forget to do this, and their
problem is prolonged. By stopping access, the cycle of repeated
urination is stopped. Will the cat pee somewhere else? Possible, though
less likely if you provide a second litter box, show him where it is a
few times, and also do the step 7 below.
6. If you can't stop the
cat from accessing the area, make the area less attractive for peeing
instead. You can do this by either placing a scent, or, by placing a
bowl of dried cat food there. If using a scent, try citrus or
eucalyptus. If using dried food, which often works better, ensure that
you top up the food bowl during the day. Either way, once you have
success, continue for another 1-2 weeks to ensure it stays that way.
7.
If you're at home when the cat is, then you have this step up your
sleeve as well: the startle technique. Only do this method if you
actually catch the cat about to urinate because if you do it at any
other time, that cat will not be able to associate that urinating in the
area with the unpleasant startle. Startle the cat with a loud "No!" or
clap of the hands. Wait 5 minutes, then bring the cat to the litter
tray, and if she toilets at the tray, reward her with praise and a food
treat. As long as the length and enjoyment of the reward if far greater
than the startle, this will be unlikely to cause stress. Use this method
carefully as some cats may experience stress with it. Make sure that
the cat seems relaxed after the food treat, and that it's actually
improving the situation.
If you follow the above steps, most
problems of peeing outside the litter box will be solved within days or
gradually improve over 1-2 weeks.
Remember in all cases, you'll
be even more effective if you reduce stress at the same time. This means
more play time and attention.
In conclusion, it does take some
effort and detective work to see what has caused the litter box behavior
problem in the first place. And you now know how to apply 7 essential
steps to help you solve this issue, as quickly and effectively as
possible.
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This is so helpful. Thank you!
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