Missing the cat box kills!
Cancer is deadly and so is feline leukemia, cars are a threat but the worst accident a
cat can have is urinating outside the box - called housesoiling. Cat urine's acrid aroma
and the odor's persistence makes it repulsive to owners and difficult to clean up.
The most common reason cats lose their homes is housesoiling, and the owner's
frustration with attempts to solve the problem. Studies show that barely one third of U.S.
cats spend their entire adult life in one house, and each year 25% of cats leave their
household.
The cat's voiding behavior is deeply rooted in territoriality retained after
domestication. The reasons a cat does not use the litter box are varied and often very
complex to diagnose and change. Cat owners can prevent potentially serious housesoiling
problems by understanding and avoiding the causes:
Action
|
Rationale
|
| Avoid guest cats |
Your cat's territory is being invaded; this initially causes stress and
anxiousness in your cat. |
| If a guest cat comes |
Have the owner bring a guest cat box and place it away from your cat's
box. Confine the guest to a small space with their box until acclimated. |
| If a new cat is introduced |
Add a new cat box or bring the previous box. Confine the new cat to a
small area with its box and allow it to establish some territoriality. Pay extra attention
to your current cat. |
| You are absent for a period |
Try to have a friend visit and give your cat attention. Restrict access to
areas where your scent is strong, favorite chair or bed; distressed cats choose to urinate
at these sites. |
| Don't move the cat box |
If you must, move it a few inches a day until relocated. |
| Don't locate box by door |
Cats like their privacy too. |
| Don't punish your cat |
Your cat associates you with the punishment, and it makes the situation
worse. |
| Don't wait long to get help |
Solve it now, the longer the problem persists the more difficult it is to
cure. Consult your veterinarian, and seek the advice of a qualified behaviorist. |
| To find a behaviorist |
Contact American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviorists on the American
Veterinary Medical Association web site: www.AVMA.org |
