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Litterbox
issues are often a primary concern for cat owners. This document will
help guide you through the process of determining the cause of your
cat’s litterbox problems and will give you tips on how to solve those
problems. Cat elimination problems are frustrating for cat owners. When
trying to figure out the cause of your cat’s elimination problems, it
is important to keep in mind that cats do not eliminate outside of the
litterbox just to spite their owner or because they are angry. Because
humans act for these reasons, it’s easy for us to assume that our pets
do as well. Animals don’t act out of spite or revenge, so it won’t help
to give your cat special privileges in the hope that she or he will
start using the litter box again.
Go to the Vet
Before
doing anything else, it is important to have your cat examined by a
veterinarian. Your cat may have an undiagnosed medical problem which
may be causing him or her to use the litter box inconsistently. Cats
can often hide the symptoms of an illness, so even if your cat "seems"
healthy, please consult with your veterinarian to rule out any medical
problems.
How Big is Your Cat?
This
applies to the size of the box that you choose, as well as the choice
to use a hooded box or not. A cat needs to feel a sense of space in his
place. The cat needs room to turn around, to cover what they've
eliminated, or to choose one corner over another. Often, if they feel
their bodies hitting the sides of the box (especially bigger or
long-haired cats), they will simply choose a place that affords them
more "elbow room", and that usually means a place that we consider
inappropriate.
A Hooded Litterbox?
If
you have a small box with a hood for a large cat, he will have two
alarms that will sound upon entrance and exit from this confined area.
First, the whiskers are designed to detect whether there's enough room
for the cat. If the whiskers brush against the opening, they send a
message that the rest of the cat probably won't fit either. Second, the
cat's side(s) touching the hood sends that same message. Cats prefer
space to "privacy". Outside, a cat doesn't look for a "private" place
to eliminate. Quite the opposite! It's really us who would rather see
them eliminate inside something that leaves them sight (and scent)
unseen. There's also an inter-cat aspect of the hood that can come into
play. If there are hierarchical problems in the house, one place where
conflicts take place most often is around a hooded box. With no
sightlines and no escape route, the cat in the box is completely at the
mercy of another who wishes to ambush. If an ambush occurs, as with all
of the possible reasons we're outlining here, the result is a negative
association with the box itself. If a hooded litterbox is a potential
issue in your household, it would be in the cat’s best interest to
remove the hood.
Whether or Not to Use Silver Liners?
Liners
are a luxury for the owner, but may not be so for the cat. It is easy
for cat owners to clean a soiled litterbox when all that has to be
touched is the liner and not the litter. While this is convenient for
the cat owner, there can be unanticipated drawbacks. There are two
primary drawbacks, one obvious and one not so obvious. The obvious
"snag" is that different cats like to paw at or bury their litter at
different depths and with different intensity. If their claws get
hooked on the bag, whether side or bottom, once again we're dealing
with a negative box association that could lead to non-use. When
following a system of rule-outs, or the detective work that goes into
each of our consultations, we always look for leaky liners as a
possible cause. The second reason liners may not be too friendly is
that they do carry a bit of a static-electric charge to them
(especially in high and dry Colorado!). It's not much, but again, most
especially in the cases of larger and/or long haired cats, the
combination of coming into contact with the hood and the liner can give
them just enough of a zap, going both in and out of the box, that it is
equivalent to punishment to even attempt entry! If you were in their
paws, you'd keep out, too!
Still Having Problems?
There
can be as many reasons a cat chooses not to use a litterbox as there
are cats. Each cat is an individual with his or her own set of reasons
why he or she would send up a red flag in the form of inappropriate
elimination.
In this section, we focus on the
substrate--the elimination surface--the litter itself. Although surface
preferences usually develop early in life, cats can change suddenly
later for reasons we don't always fully understand. We can only try to
cater to these preferences, often by trial and error. The following
factors are based on a mixture of scientific studies and anecdotal
observations by behavior consultants.
Types of Litter
The
choices seem limitless: clay, scoopable, newspaper, corn-based,
wheat-based, granules, pearls, crystals, scented, non-scented. Most
cats prefer a soft litter since the majority of substrate preference
problems we see are for soft surfaces like bath mats, bedding, and
clothing. This may mean that a change from regular clay litter,
pellets, or `crystals' to a sandier, scoopable litter is in order. Cats
who are used to eliminating outdoors and are in the process of being
retrained to an indoor litterbox might even prefer garden dirt or
potting soil. One caution: clay and scoopable litters are dusty, and
may contribute to asthma or other respiratory problems. Corn and
wheat-based litters, or pelleted types, are the least dusty.
Depth of Litter
From
experience and the expertise of other behaviorists and knowledgeable
guardians who have been down the path of trial and error, cats prefer
the "less is more" philosophy when filling their box. Add enough so
that they can cover and dig, but not enough so that their paws actually
sink in into the substrate. One to two inches of litter is plenty.
Kittens may even need the litter to be more shallow. More litter does
not equal a less smelly litter. If you live with multiple cats
especially, you know what a large fallacy that one is. The ammonia odor
in cat urine, despite the best marketing campaign of the litter
manufacturer, is strong!
Older cats may have issues with
pain that impact their use of the litterbox. A recent study found that
90% of cats over 12 years of age had signs of arthritis that were
visible on radiographs (x-rays), many of them severe. Less litter
provides a more stable surface that may be more comfortable for those
creaky old joints.
How Often do You Scoop and Clean the Litterbox?
If
you've chosen a scoopable litter, it is important to remove waste
daily. Even with non-clumping litter, cats like the feeling of picking
their own spot, circling it, digging a shallow space for it, and
burying it-we want to leave plenty of room.
Strange as it
may seem, we can actually overdo cleaning the box. We often claim in
the name of fastidiousness, that boxes need to be spotless daily. That
may not be true. For some cats, the comforting presence of their own
scent is important in maintaining good litterbox habits. However, if
your cat is having box problems and you're not cleaning the box
regularly, a thorough cleaning is the first order of business.
There
is also a difference between necessary removing of waste daily, and
cleaning the box. In general, litterboxes do not need a deep cleaning
(dumping all the litter and washing the box) more than once every three
or four weeks. Hot water and soap are adequate for cleaning. Stay away
from heavy-duty cleansers like Pine-Sol, Lysol, or ammonia, as their
strong odors may actually cause aversion to the litterbox.
What to Use: Scented or Non-scented Litter?
Non-scented
is best, especially if there is a lid on the box. Remember what the cat
has to deal with in those close confines. If your cat is having
litterbox problems, don't add another complication by adding a scented
litter. Many cats seem to dislike the strong perfume of some litters.
Making the Switch
Cats
need a daily routine. If we've decided that a surface preference is a
component of their elimination problem, it may only make the problem
worse if we abruptly change litter types. The best plan of action is to
be patient, and introduce no more than a half a cup per day of the new
substrate in the litterbox until the switch is complete. Be sure to
note if the problem is worsening. If it is, just back up to the
previous content, and leave it be for two days. It may take a couple of
weeks to change over. This may seem like a long time, but the effort is
well worth it!
If You Have a Multiple-Cat Household, Your Cat May be Having Litterbox Issues Related to Inter-Cat Aggression
Aggression
can develop between long-time companions, but is more common after a
new cat is brought into the family. You might notice increased tussling
or even fighting. This can be manifested as cats moving more warily
around the house, growling or hissing, acting "on guard", or being more
easily startled. It's not hard to spot signs of aggression, whether
full-blown or more subtle. But there is an obvious problem that may
also occur: refusal to use the litterbox by one or more of the cats.
- It's
important to recall that litterbox problems with cats who don't get
along are a product of the aggression. If your cats are not getting
along, please contact our animal behavior department for suggestions on
how to remedy that specific problem. Regardless, it is important that
cats never feel "cornered" in the litterbox by another animal.
Otherwise, cats can form a negative association with the box. If they
do, they are less likely to use the box. The first step to prevent a
cat from feeling cornered is to remove the lid from a hooded litterbox.
- The
second step is to put the litterboxes in easily accessible areas. This
may be a temporary move as the cats sort out their differences, but
squishing a litterbox between the washer and dryer or in a closet
creates the same sort of poor-visibility situation as a hooded box. The
cats must be able to see what's around them in order for the litterbox
to be an acceptable place to eliminate. Eventually you may be able to
move the box to a more convenient location.
- The final
essential step is to add more litterboxes! The tried and true formula,
"one box per cat plus one", works very well. For example, in a two-cat
household, you should have three litterboxes. Take caution to not to
put all the litterboxes in one place. The goal is to give cats an
expanded sense of territory, which is accomplished by spreading their
scent. We must sometimes put boxes where our cats need them, even
though they may not be the most desirable spots from our human point of
view. If it helps keep the peace--and keep everything inside the
box--it's definitely worth it! Taking steps early to diffuse the
aggression will promote harmony in household and prevent problems from
developing.
Sources for this document include The Denver Dumb Friends League and Little Big Cat
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