Is the cat urinating frequently?.............................. could be medical

Have you seen blood in the urine?.............................. could be medical

Is the cat vocalizing while urinating?.............................. could be medical

Is the cat straining to urinate?.............................. could be medical

Is the cat urinating on flat surfaces (i.e. the floor)...................... could be medical or behavioral

Is the cat urinating on vertical surfaces (e.g. walls)............... probably behavioral

Is the cat defecating outside the box?........................ probably behavioral

1. Cat is unneutered or unspayed

2. Stress

• New baby/people in the house
• New animal in the house
• Animal outside the house
• Move to new house/apartment
• Separation Anxiety
• Changes in schedules of people in the house

3. Litter box issues (see below)

4. Illness

• Many medical conditions, including urinary tract infection, cystitis, kidney disease, bladder stones, diabetes, etc...

It is very important that you thoroughly clean the areas where the cat has urinated, or you increase the likelihood that the cat will want to return to that spot. Clean the area with a cleaning product that does not contain ammonia. The smell of ammonia is reminiscent of urine and may encourage the cat to return to that area.

To further discourage the cat from returning to the spot, try one of the following:

· Place aluminum foil or heavy gauge plastic over the area (cats don’t like the feel)

· Put a piece of furniture over the area

· Put the cat’s food bowl in the area (cats don’t like to eat where they eliminate)

· Put deodorant soap or other strong scent in the area; try a sock filled with moth balls

Cats are fastidious creatures and the litter box must be kept scrupulously clean. Review these guidelines.

· Scoopable (clumping) litter should be scooped daily and completely changed weekly.

· Non-scoopable litter needs to be changed every other day.

· If using non-scoopable litter, the box should be washed out once a week with warm soap and water only.

· If using clumping (scoopable) litter, the box should be washed out at least once a month with warm soap and water only.

· Litter should be unscented. Do not use deodorizers.

Use this equation to calculate the number of litter boxes you need in your home: one litter box per cat, plus one. So, if you have 2 cats, you probably should have 3 litter boxes. If your home has multiple floors, you should try to have at least 1 litter box on each floor. Bear in mind that some cats like to urinate in one box and defacate in another.

· Is the box large enough for the cat? If the cat is going near the box, but missing, it may be the box is not adequate in size for the cat.

· Cats can be very finicky about litter, so if you have changed the brand of litter you use, you may run into trouble. Most cats prefer unscented, sand-type litter.

· Is your litter box hooded? Some cats like hoods, others do not.

· Where is the litter box located? The box should be in a quiet, accessible area. Laundry rooms are often a bad choice. Also, keep the litter box well away from the cat’s eating area.

· Are you using a liner in the box? Some cats do not like liners.

· Put the litter box in the area where cat has been going and gradually move it (maybe a foot every day) back to where you want it

· Try different depths of litter (i.e. more shallow or more deep)

· Take the cat to the box often and praise it for scratching and/or using box

· Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract Litter is infused with herbs that many cats find very appealing and has  helped to lure some cats get back into the box. There is a money back guarantee on the litter, so this is a no risk option. Cat Attract litter is often used sucessfully in conjunction with another product:

· Feliway is a synthetic feline pheromone that is designed to help alleviate stress and anxiety in cats. Feliway is available in an electric diffuser that covers about 650 square feet

Medications:

There are anti-anxiety drugs and other medications available, but they are not without side effects and should be used only as a last resort.

Behavior modification techniques:

In some instances (e.g. separation anxiety), it may be best to consult an experienced animal behaviorist. Please ask your veterinarian for a referral.

What doesn’t work:

Cats do not engage in this behavior out of spite and therefore anger and punishment are not constructive and will often exacerbate the problem.

Action checklist:

• Rule out medical problems

• If possible, identify cause of problem

• Make sure litter box is clean

• Make sure soiled areas are thoroughly cleaned up and scent is no longer detectable to cat

• Experiment with types of litters

• Experiment with types of litter boxes

• Experiment with location of litter box