Is it behavioral or medical?
Is the cat urinating frequently? ……………………………………………………………………… could be medical
Have you seen blood in the urine? ………………………………………………………………….. could be medical
Is the cat vocalizing while urinating?……………………………………………………………….. could be medical
Is the cat straining to urinate? ………………………………………………………………………. could be medical
Is the cat urinating on flat surfaces (i.e. the floor) ………………………………………………. could be medical or behavioral
Is the cat urinating on vertical surfaces (e.g. walls) …………………………………………….. probably behavioral
Is the cat defecating outside the box?………………………………………………………………. probably behavioral
Possible Causes:
1. Cat is unneutered or unspayed
2. Stress
New baby/people in the house
New animal in the house
Animal(s) outside the house
Move to new house/apartment
Separation anxiety
Change in schedules of people in house
3. Litter box issues (see below)
4. Illness
Many medical conditions including, urinary tract infection, cystitis, kidney disease, bladder stones, diabetes, etc.
Cleaning up:
It is very important that you thoroughly clean the areas where the cat has urinated, or you increase the likelihood that the cat will want to return to that spot. Clean the area with a cleaning product that does not contain ammonia. The smell of ammonia is reminiscent of urine and may encourage the cat to return to that area.
To further discourage the cat from returning to the spot, try one of the following:
Place aluminum foil or heavy gauge plastic over the area (cats don’t like the feel)
Put a piece of furniture over the area
Put the cat’s food bowl in the area (cats don’t like to eat where they eliminate)
Put deodorant soap or other strong scent in the area; try a sock filled with moth balls
Litter box management:
Cleaning the litter box:
Cats are fastidious creatures and the litter box must be kept scrupulously clean. Review these guidelines.
Scoopable (clumping) litter should be scooped daily and completely changed weekly.
Non-scoopable litter needs to be changed every other day.
If using non-scoopable litter, the box should be washed out once a week with warm
soap and water only.
If using clumping (scoopable) litter, the box should be washed out at least once a
month with warm soap and water only.
Litter should be unscented. Do not use deodorizers.
Number of litter boxes:
Use this equation to calculate the number of litter boxes you need in your home: one litter box per cat, plus one. So, if you have 2 cats, you probably should have 3 litter boxes. If your home has multiple floors, you should try to have at least 1 litter box on each floor. Bear in mind that some cats like to urinate in one box and defacate in another.
Other litter box issues:
Is the box large enough for the cat? If the cat is going near the box, but missing, it
may be the box is not adequate in size for the cat.
Cats can be very finicky about litter, so if you have changed the brand of litter you use, you may run into trouble. Most cats prefer unscented, sand-type litter.
Is your litter box hooded? Some cats like hoods, others do not.
Where is the litter box located? The box should be in a quiet, accessible area. Laundry rooms are often a bad choice. Also, keep the litter box well away from the cat’s eating area.
Are you using a liner in the box? Some cats do not like liners.
Other actions to try:
Put the litter box in the area where cat has been going and gradually move it (maybe a foot
every day) back to where you want it
Try different depths of litter (i.e. more shallow or more deep)
Take the cat to the box often and praise it for scratching and/or using box
Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract Litter is infused with herbs that many cats find very appealing and has
helped to lure some cats get back into the box. There is a money back guarantee on the litter,
so this is a no risk option. Cat Attract litter is often used sucessfully in conjunction with
another product:
Feliway is a synthetic feline pheromone that is designed to help alleviate stress and anxiety in
cats. Feliway is available in an electric diffuser that covers about 650 square feet
Medications:
There are anti-anxiety drugs and other medications available, but they are not without side effects and should be used only as a last resort.
Behavior modification techniques:
In some instances (e.g. separation anxiety), it may be best to consult an experienced animal behaviorist. Please ask your veterinarian for a referral.
What doesn’t work:
Cats do not engage in this behavior out of spite and therefore anger and punishment are not constructive and will often exacerbate the problem.
Action checklist:
Rule out medical problems
If possible, identify cause of problem
Make sure litter box is clean
Make sure soiled areas are thoroughly cleaned up and scent is no longer detectable to cat
Experiment with types of litters
Experiment with types of litter boxes
Experiment with location of litter box