| Solving
Litterbox Problems
There are several possible reasons cats may urinate outside
the litter box:
- Medical condition such as a bladder infection or urinary
tract crystals
- Dislike of the type of litter, the box location,
or scared of the box
- Behavioral: Territorial marking, stress or fear
- Pain from declawing
- Kitten has not yet learned about litterboxes
- Summary
1. MEDICAL CONDITIONS
In about 90% of cases when cats are urinating or defecating outside
the box, it is due to a medical problem. Although bacterial bladder
infections are not common in cats, "idiopathic" urinary
tract problems are extremely common. Most often they are caused
by a high urine pH leading to the formation of struvite crystals
in the urine. These tiny crystals make microscopic cuts in the
lining of the urinary tract, resulting in inflammation and a
burning sensation. Left untreated, the crystals can form partial
or complete blockages, which can quickly lead to death due to
toxicity as the urine cannot be eliminated from the body.
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. Request a complete urinalysis. 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. However if bacteria are not present, antibiotics
are not necessary and instead the problem is likely idiopathic
urinary disorder, and should be treated with diet and the urinary
pH monitored carefully.
It is not uncommon for veterinarians to dismiss feline urinary
tract problems if bacteria are not present, since bladder infections
are more common in dogs. However you should persist in a diagnosis
and possibly seek a second opinion if your vet dismisses your cat's
problem as "behavioral" without thoroughly investigating
medical problems first.
Intestinal parasites and diarrhea can also lead to urination and/or
defecation outside the litterbox. You should bring a stool sample
to your vet for analysis. If internal parasites are present, de-worming
your cat will be necessary.
Diet
Always feed a premium canned food such as Nature’s Variety, Wellness, Innova
Evo or Natural Balance or a raw diet – homemade raw food or Nature’s
Variety frozen meals is a good one. See www.catnutrition.org and
www.catinfo.org for more
information. These high meat 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 the formation
of an alkaline urine.
Urinary pH and L-Methionine
If your cat's urinary pH is above 6.5,
you must immediately change to a grain free high-meat canned cat
food, and consider supplementing with L-methionine, an amino acid
that acidifies the urine. Prescription diets are available, but these
are simply over-priced and not particularly good quality cat
food with added L-methionine, which you can purchase separately
and mix into any canned food. Check with your vet for dosage,
250 mg/day is a common starting point. If you supplement your
cat's diet with L-methionine, you must test the urine pH at least
monthly to make sure it stays in the ideal range of 6.0 - 6.5.
If urine pH falls below 5.5, there is a risk of oxalate crystals
forming, and you need to reduce the dosage of L-methionine. If
the urine pH is still above 6.5, you may need to increase the
dosage.
Hydration
Always encourage 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. You can also mix extra
water into your cat's canned food.
Supplements
Cosequin is sold by vets and online as a joint supplement, it contains glucosamine
and contrition 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.
Herbs that can be beneficial for urinary tract problems
is marshmallow root or cornsilk powder sold at health food stores.
Give your cat 3-4 tablespoons of either powder daily for 7 – 10
days.
Cranberries have NOT been shown to be effective for urinary
problems in cats and since fruits are poorly digested by cats we
advise against giving any supplements containing or based on cranberry.
2. 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 clumping
litter. Try Cat
Attract, a litter specially made to encourage problem
cats to use the litter box. Even if your cat is being treated
for a medical problem, they may continue to avoid the litter box
because they associate it with the pain of urination. Keeping the
box clean and using a litter like Cat Attract can help encourage
your cat to return to the proper place.
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 Scent that Attract Your Cat
Make sure you clean any the soiled areas thoroughly with a product like 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.
3. 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.
The most common behavioral reason for urinating outside the litter
box is hormonal - cats who are not spayed or neutered are driven
to advertise their sexuality by urinating in various places. Un-neutered
male cats are especially prone to "spaying" - a type of territorial
marking - but females may also spray. Unspayed females in heat
often urinate frequently in small amounts around the house. The
solution is to get your cat spayed or neutered immediately! Preferably,
cats should be spayed or neutered before they reach sexual maturity
- ie around 4-5 months of age. Females spayed before their first
heat cycle have a much lower incidence of deadly breast cancer,
and males neutered before sexual maturity are far less likely to
spray. See part B below for suggestions on how to deter spraying
once it has begun.
Stress brought on by changes in your cat's life, such as introducing
a new pet, a new baby, or moving can bring about behavior litter
box problems. Keep in mind that your cat is not doing this to "spite"
you or make you angry, they simply feel afraid or stressed out
and this is their natural reaction to the stress. First, try to
minimize your cat's stress by providing a quiet environment for
him to relax in, such as a closed off bedroom with his own litter
box. Always introduce new pets gradually and carefully (see our
article on introducing new pets for ideas). Make your cat's daily
schedule as predictable as possible. In extreme ongoing cases,
your cat may require medication prescribed by your vet for stress
and anxiety, often referred to as "kitty prozac".
Feliway
After the enzyme-cleaned 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
4. 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 amputation of the toes 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, for example World's Best Cat Litter (made
from corn).
5. 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.
6. SUMMARY
- Rule out medical conditions by visiting the vet and requesting a
complete urinalysis. Check your cat's urinary pH.
- If your cat's urine pH is above 6.5, ask your vet about an
L-methionine supplement to add to a good quality canned cat food.
Prescription diets are available, but these are simply poor quality
over-priced cat food with added L-methionine, which you can purchase
separately. Always monitor urine pH when supplementing with L-methionine
because if the pH falls below 5.5 another type of crystals -
oxalate - can form.
- Always feed a grain free high meat canned food diet to maintain
the proper urinary pH and encourage hydration to minimize the
formation of urinary crystals and bacteria. Avoid all kibble.
- Encourage water consumption by always offering fresh water.
- Ensure that your cat's litter box is extremely clean at all
times, is jumbo sized, and that you use a plain clumping litter
that your cat likes.
- Clean up any accidents with an enzyme cleaner sold at pet stores,
to ensure your cat is not drawn back by scent.
- Use feliway to reduce stress and discourage territorial marking.
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