{"id":144,"date":"2014-10-09T14:31:56","date_gmt":"2014-10-09T14:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.carolynspamperedpets.com\/blog\/?page_id=144"},"modified":"2014-10-09T18:49:33","modified_gmt":"2014-10-09T18:49:33","slug":"keeping-your-cat-thinking-inside-the-litter-box","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carolynspamperedpets.com\/blog\/keeping-your-cat-thinking-inside-the-litter-box\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping your cat thinking inside the litter box"},"content":{"rendered":"

What does it mean when your cat begins to eliminate outside of the litter box?<\/p>\n

What can you do about the problem?<\/p>\n

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If you notice that your cat is urinating or defecating outside of the litter box the first thing you should do is bring your cat to the veterinarian to try to rule out medical issues.<\/p>\n

Medical problems causing inappropriate elimination can be very serious and in the case of a cat being “blocked”, or unable to pass urine, the problem can be fatal in a very short period of time.<\/p>\n

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Here is a short list of things that you can do to help your cat “think inside the litter box”:<\/p>\n

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1.\u00a0 Have your cat spayed or neutered.\u00a0 Unaltered pets sometimes eliminate to mark territory.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Keep the litter box and the litter clean.\u00a0 Scoop once or twice daily, or more if you need to.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Have one more litter box than the number of cats.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 If you make a change in the litter or the litter box, keep the old options available until your cat has demonstrated that they accept the new option.\u00a0 Sudden changes in litter box location, litter type, or the type of box can cause problems for your cat.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 If you currently use a hooded litter box or litter box liners, and your cat begins to eliminate inappropriately, offer your cat a nice sized litter box, and lose the liners.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 If your cat is urinating or defecating just over the edge of the box, get a bigger box, and\/or make your own high sided litter box out of a plastic Sterlite storage box.\u00a0 The box pictured here is 26 1\/2″L, 16″W, 12 1\/4″H.\u00a0 As you can see from the picture below, Andy the cat has plenty of room to move around, and the sides are high enough so he can’t overshoot any urine.\u00a0 An ideal litter box is one-and-a-half times the length of your cat.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 If you have multiple cats, and all of your litter boxes are in one location, and you are experiencing problems, consider offering a secondary location for additional boxes.\u00a0 When a cat is taking care of personal business in the box it is sometimes the ideal time for a household opponent to stage an ambush.\u00a0 This can create a litter box aversion for the ambush victim.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0 Is the litter box near any household item, such as a furnace or washing machine, which may suddenly turn on and scare your cat?\u00a0 The litter box needs to be in a private well lit area, but also one that is easy to get to.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0 When you clean the litter box use a mild unscented soap, strong smelling household cleaners may have unpleasant odors, which your cat may object to.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 If you continue to experience problems, please don’t give up!\u00a0 Revisit the problem with your veterinarian, and also seek the assistance of a feline behaviorist.<\/p>\n

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