Spraying or Inappropriate Elimination?
Depositing urine or feces outside the litter box is the most common behavioral complaint that owners make about their cats. At least 10 percent of pet cats exhibit an elimination problem at some point in their lives.
The first goal for diagnosing the cause of the problem is to determine if the cat is exhibiting spraying behavior or if he is eliminating inappropriately. If the cat shows a standing posture with his hind legs straight and his tail held upright and quivering, while treading with his back legs and spraying a fine mist of urine one to two feet up on vertical surfaces such as door facings, table legs, bed ruffles, and stereo speakers, the cat is spraying. If the cat squats to deposit waste onto a horizontal surface (the top of your bed or on the carpet, for instance), he is defecating or urinating, depending on what is deposited.
The amount of urine sprayed is usually less than the amount urinated. A cat that urinates is relieving a full bladder; a spraying cat is marking and therefore conserves his marking material so that he can identify a greater number of vertical surfaces with his odorous calling card. In some cases, the offending cat does all three--sprays, urinates, and defecates in locations other than his litter box. In these extreme cases, you might want to consult television's Dr. Phil.
Is Your Cat Sick?
Rule out and/or treat physical problems contributing to your cat's tendency to deposit urine or feces outside his litter box by taking him to his veterinarian for a physical exam and laboratory tests. If the cat has a bladder infection, he may be urinating outside the box because he cannot make it there in time. The cat with diarrhea may experience a similar lack of control. Cats suffering from feline urological syndrome may dribble urine when the bladder becomes full or may, on occasion, spray. Secondary conditions such as arthritis and weakened urinary urinary sphincter control may make it harder for an older cat to get to his litter box in time. In these cases, housesoiling is due to disease, not improper behavior.
Sometimes, housesoiling continues after medical problems have been resolved. The cat with diarrhea that defecated on the bathroom rug may develop a liking for the soft rug material and continue the unwanted behavior. The long-haired cat that had diarrhea in or around his litter box and soiled his feet and hair may associate his distasteful experience with the litter box and avoid it in the future. A cat associating the burning pain of urination caused by a bladder infection with his litter box may avoid the box long after the bladder condition is cured and the pain gone.
Sleuthing the Cause
After disase has either been ruled out or treated successfully, the next step is to answer specific questions. When did the housesoiling begin and under what circumstances? Did the problem commence with a change in environment such as move to new home, boarding, or new construction next door?
What about the litter box? Are you placing the cat's food and water in close proximitiy to his toilet? Did you go on vacation leaving an irresponsible neiighbor kid to clean kitty's litter box? Have you changed litter products? Are you washing the box with a strong-smelling detergent or disinfectant? Have you changed the type of boxes or box location? Has your cat had a frightening experience near the box--been mediated; had mats removed; or experienced the iron falling on his head from the utility room shelf while he was attempting to do his business?
Does your cat have a location preference for his unwanted behavior--urinating in the sink; on top of clothes stacked in the hamper; or on your bed? Or is he indiscriminate--going anywhere and eveywhere?
Have there been changes in people or pets in and around kitty's territory--a new cat hanging around the patio door; a new pet; boyfriend; or baby? Does the cat exhibit the behavior when she is in heat or he hears other tomcats singing outside?
Understanding the cause of housesoiling is a step toward curing it. For example, if you determine that the cat as an aversion to the new litter, the answer may be a simple as returning to the old litter products. If, however, the cat has begun spraying in reaction to the birth of your triplets and fails to respond to behavioral modification or to drug therapy, the answer may be as life-changing as turning the cat outside.
To learn how to determine which cat in a mult-cat household s urinating outside his litter box using flouorescein dye and black light, visit Black Light.
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