INDOOR TOILETING PROBLEMS IN CATS
Marking or toileting?
Indoor marking behavior can be confused with a breakdown in toileting behavior
Territorial marking by urine spraying which usually occurs against vertical
objects such as chairs or walls and can be distinguished from urinating where
a greater volume of liquid is deposited from a squatting position by both male
and female cats. However, sometimes a small volume of concentrated urine is
also deposited from a squatting position as a mark, and feces can also be used
to mark territory in a behavior known as middening.
Why do cats toilet indoors?
One of the reasons cats make good pets is that they usually learn very early
and with little effort from us that our homes are not toilets. Kittens almost
instinctively head for the litter tray at even a few weeks of age and usually
make the transfer fully to the garden once allowed out. Some individuals take
longer to learn than others and some longhair breeds can be notoriously difficult
to establish as house trained. Yet others develop clean indoor behavior normally
and then suffer a breakdown, perhaps as a result of illness and then fail to
reestablish their previous clean behavior
Treatment
Several aspects of the cat's environment can be altered to try and treat the
problem.
The litter tray
(a) Number of litter trays
One tray per cat is a good rough guide, as many cats do not like to share
trays.
(b) Type of litter
Several types of cat litter can be offered, such as granule types, wood chip
pellet, reusable waxed granule varieties or finer grained litters. Cats often
prefer finely grained substrates such as sand or a proprietary brand with sand-like
texture. If the cat is to be allowed outdoors the litter can be mixed with soil
from the garden to help transfer toileting behavior completely to the outdoors
later (ensure vaccinations are up to date).
(c) Cleaning
The litter tray should neither be allowed to get too dirty as this will discourage
most cats, nor should it be cleaned too often as the presence of the cat's own
smell on the litter will help to develop the idea of a latrine. Solids can be
removed regularly but the more cats use a tray, the more often it will need
to be cleaned, but one per day per cats is recommended.
(d) Security and position
An open litter tray in a busy part of the room may make some cats feel very
vulnerable and they may prefer to eliminate (urine or feces) behind the furniture
or in a quite corner. Place the tray in a secure quiet place and either cover
with an inverted cardboard box with a hole cut in it for entry and exit or buy
a proprietary litter covered litter box for those that seem anxious, although
many prefer an open tray. Cats may usually be most unwilling to use a litter
tray placed too close to a feeding area.
Encouraging use/preventing accidents
Confine the cat in a kittening pen in a small room with only enough space
for a bed and a litter tray. The desire to avoid soiling the bed is established
early in life and he or she should move as far away from the bed as possible
to eliminate and this will mean using the litter tray. Hopefully within a few
days the cat should again being to associate toileting with the litter tray.
The cat should be kept in the cage indoors at all times when the owner is unable
to supervise. After a couple of days of 'good aim' the cat can be allowed out
of the cage only into the room where it is kept and the litter tray moved progressively
further away from the bed. Access to the rest of the house should be allowed
one room at a time and only under supervision for the initial introduction to
each room.
Cleaning up
Before allowing access to any room, all previous unwanted toileting areas
should be thoroughly cleaned using a proprietary 'urine digester' or a warm
solution of a biological washing powder or liquid followed by a light scrubbing
with an alcohol such as surgical spirit. (Check that cleaning does not remove
color from carpet etc.) The area should be left to dry thoroughly before supervised
access is allowed.
Other ways of increasing security
1. Board up the cat flap where appropriate to help redefine the indoors from
the outdoors and the safety of the home. This will also help manage the cat's
access to the indoors and aid supervision when there. It may help to put the
cat out immediately after feeding as toileting sometimes follows. The cat should
generally be encouraged to spend more time outdoors as the more he is out the
greater the chance of needing to go to the toilet in a suitable place and its
development as a latrine.
2. Never punish cats. If caught in the act they can be picked up and placed
on the litter tray, stroked and calmed. Never 'rub the cat's nose in it' as
this will make a nervous cat even more likely to toilet indoors.
3. The speed and success of treatment may be assisted by the use of certain
drugs, particularly with nervous or agoraphobic cats. This option should be
discussed with your veterinarian and only used in conjunction with the above
suggestions.
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