What do you do when a cat urinates outside the litter box?

The most frustrating thing for a cat owner to deal with is a cat that stops using its litter box.

Experts tell us -

Urinating and/or spraying is the most common behavior problem of older cats. We get more calls from frustrated owners wanting to surrender their cats because they cannot stand the smell and disruption of a cat peeing outside the box or spraying on the walls. There are many reasons for this behavior, many of them medical and some behavioral. If your cat is urinating everywhere but where he should, the first course of action should be: Take them to the veterinarian. General rule: If your cat's behavior changes, most likely it is medical! Medical conditions include: colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease, and feline lower urinary tract disease. . Other things  that can contribute to the problem are: arthritis, anal sac disease, loss of vision, and just plain old age. Your vet can suggest the appropriate lab tests and create a treatment plan for you. In addition, you can try several options including using litter boxes with lower sides, placing the litter box in the area in which the cat spends the most time, and increasing the number of litter boxes may be helpful especially if you have more than one cat. Stress can be a major cause of urinating and spraying. Look at your lifestyle. Have you had  changes in routine? Divorce, death in the family, a child going off to college? Loss of an animal or the addition of a pet? All life changes increase your stress and the stress of your cat! For instance, when introducing a new pet into your home, create a quiet space for your cat away from the new pet. Set up the space with litter box, food dish, bed and other comfort items. Spend time with your cat and make sure it is quality time. First and foremost - Have your cat checked by your veterinarian for a possible medical condition. If it not physical, talk to your vet about stress and behavior. Here are some other suggestions: Try a larger litter box, a covered box and multiple boxes Use different types of litter including newspaper, clumpable and nonclumpable litter. There are a lot of new types of litter on the market, try them out. Try different depths of litter. Some cats like only a small amount and some like to dig and fling. I tried a covered box and some of my cats love it others hate it. Make sure you thoroughly clean any cat urine. I found that Nature's Miracle works wonders. Pour it on full strength and freely and allow it to air dry. The enzymes completely remove the urine smell. Clean (scoop) the litter boxes at least once daily. Wash the litter box weekly. Do not clean the box with a strong smelling disinfectant, and make sure to rinse the box well with plain water after washing it. Praise her, or even give her a treat when he uses the box. Punishing the cat does not help, and will increase the stress on the cat. If you catch your cat in the act, use the "startle method." Anything that makes a loud noise and seems to come out of nowhere and squirt bottles with water are pretty effective. Call Last-Hope and talk to a volunteer for information and support. We are happy to work with you to keep your animal in your home.   Last Hope, Inc. PO Box 114, Farmington, MN 55024  651-463-8747  All rights reserved Copyright 2006

Last Hope, Inc. PO Box 114, Farmington, MN 55024    

651-463-8747