Solving Litterbox Problems

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There are several possible reasons cats may urinate outside the litter box:

1. Medical condition such as a bladder infection or urinary tract crystals
2. Dislike of the type of litter, the box location, or scared of the box
2. Territorial marking (usually in the form of vertical spraying)
3. Stress and fear
5. Pain from declawing
6. Kitten has not yet learned about litterboxes

RULE OUT ALL MEDICAL CONDITIONS
In about 90% of cases when cats are urinating or defecating outside the box, it is due to a medical problem such as a bladder infection or urinary tract crystals. These conditions are very painful and the cat may avoid the litterbox because he associates it with the pain, and as a cry for help.

You should take the cat to the vet and ask them to run a urinalysis to check for these problems. They may find that he has a bladder infection and prescribe a course of antibiotics. If left untreated a bladder infection can spread to the kidneys and make her very ill and cause permanent damage to the kidneys. Urinary tract crystals can lead to blockages, but can often be treated with diet if caught early.

Intestinal parasites and diarrhea can lead to defecation outside the litterbox.

DIET
Always feed a premium canned food such as Nature’s Variety, Wellness, or Natural Balance or a raw diet – homemade or Nature’s Variety frozen meals is a good one. See www.catnutrition.org for more information These high protein, high moisture foods are shown to produce an acidic urine which reduces the incidence or recurrence of bladder infections. Dry food leads to urinary tract problems due to chronic dehydration and an alkaline urine.

Encourage high water consumption to help prevent minor urinary tract irritations that can lead to worse problems. By drinking plenty of water your cat's urinary tract will be flushed out, helping reduce the levels of bacteria and reducing the formation of crystals in the urine. Leave out fresh bottled or filtered water daily. Cats have a very sensitive sense of smell and chlorinated tap water will discourage them from drinking. They will only drink the bare minimum of water if they don't like the chemical smell and taste. Also you can try a cat water fountain, cats love fresh aerated water and will drink more. Feeding a portion of the diet as canned food is also a great way to increase water intake and prevent urinary tract problems.

THE LITTERBOX
Your cat may also dislike the type of litter you are using. Stay away from scented litter or pellet-textured litter including those made of pine and cedar. Many cats are repelled by the smell and strange texture. Instead stick to plain clay litter or a clumping litter. Try Cat Attract, a litter specially made to encourage problem cats to use the litter box.

You should have one litter box for each cat in your home, even though they will not use their own box, cats are very clean and territorial about their litter, and don't want to step in their own or another cat's mess. Unless you can clean a single litter box several times a day, use multiple boxes and clean them at least once per day. Avoid small boxes or short covered boxes, your cat needs enough room to stand up and turn around comfortable. Don't use boxes with doors because cats don't like the trapped feeling.

Make sure the box is placed in a quiet private place, but not one that is difficult to get to. If you have a large home, it's a good idea to place boxes in different areas, so your cat doesn't find himself far away from a box when nature calls. If the box is placed in a room where noise often scares the cat (laundry room or garage) or where he may be closed out of sometimes (a bathroom) that can discourage him.

ELIMINATING TRACES OF URINE SMELL THAT ATTRACTS YOUR CAT
Make sure you clean any the soiled areas thoroughly with Nature's Miracle - an enzyme cleaner available at many pet stores which breaks down cat urine at the molecular level so cats can't smell it (and neither can you!). That's important because if she smells urine there at all she will go there again. You need to soak carpet or furniture with Nature's Miracle and leave it to dry slowly. If you are not sure where all the smells are coming from, try using a black light - available at many pet stores for this reason. With the lights out, scan the area with the black light and contaminated spots will glow.

COSEQUIN
Cosequin is sold by vets and online as a joint supplement, it contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, proteoglycans which help repair joints and have an anti-inflammatory action. The lining urinary tract is also made up of proteoglycans, and feeding a joint supplement such as Cosequin can help rebuild the lining and reduce inflammation, therefore reducing pain and burning sensations when your cat urinates.

PHEREMONES
After the enzyme-treated spots are dry, spray the areas with a product called "Feliway", it is a spray you apply to walls, floor and furniture to prevent territorial urination. It mimics the pheremones that cats produce in their facial glands. It's available as a spray and as a plug-in diffuser in most pet stores and online at www.feliway.com

BEHAVIOR
Never ever punish a cat in any way for going outside the box - cats do not respond to negative reinforcement, and punishment will only cause stress which leads to more litterbox problems. If you see him have an accident, ignore him, clean up the mess immediately and pretend it didn't happen. Trying to convey your displeasure will not help stop him.  Some cats may develop changes in behavior under stress. Try to keep your cat's life predictable and routine. For example feed at the same time each day and play at the same time each day. The more he feels like his life is orderly and he has control, the less likely he is to feel nervous or stressed.

COMPLICATIONS FROM DECLAWING
Declawing involves the removal of the last bone in each digit (finger) of the paw. The joint is severed and the claw is removed along with the last bone which it is attached to. This extremely painful operation causes ongoing complications in many cats. Nerve damage is a common problem and early-onset osteoarthritis is frequent. Pain due to the mutilation known as declawing is sure to deter a cat from stepping into a litterbox full of gritty material that hurts his paws even more. If your cat is declawed and has shown an aversion to the litterbox, bring him to a vet for an exam to detect osteoarthritis, phantom pain, bone regrowths or other problems that can occur days or years after the surgery. There may be something the vet can do to alleviate or reduce the pain. In addition using a very soft-textured clumping non-clay litter is recommended.

LITTER-TRAINING KITTENS
Most kittens learn from their mother how to use a litterbox. However some kittens taken from the mother early or born outdoors do not figure it out right away. Litter-training a kitten is not nearly as involved as house training a puppy, they pretty much train themselves. Confine the kitten(s) in one room with the litterbox, and gently place them in the box right after each meal. Use a litterbox they can easily get in and out of, and do not use clumping clay litter for kittens. If you allow the kitten out into a large area he may get lost and not find his way back to the box in time when nature calls, so gradually allow him out for longer periods once he is using the box.