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Articles / TULARC / Cats / Behavior / |  |
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007. Housetraining - problem |
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This article is from the Problem Behaviors in Cats FAQ, posted to rec.pets.cats newsgroup. Maintained by Cindy Tittle Moore with numerous contributions by others.
It is possible for cats to stop using the litter box or to have trouble learning in the first place.
Do NOT ever try to discourage a cat's mistakes by rubbing its nose in it. It never worked for dogs and most certainly will not work for cats. In fact, you wind up reminding the cat of where a good place to eliminate is!
Potential CAUSES for failure to use litterbox:
* MEDICAL PROBLEMS:
+ diarrhea (many causes)
o small intestinal- soft to watery
o colitis (inflamed colon)- mucus in stool, blood, straining
+ urinary bladder inflammation
o FUS
o Bacterial infections
o trauma
o calculi (bladder stones)
o tumors
+ polydipsia/polyuria (excessive water volume consumed and urine voided: upper water intake for cats is 1oz/lb; most cats drink considerably less than this)
o diabetes insipidus
o diabetes mellitus
o kidney disease
o liver disease
o adrenal gland disease
o pyometra (pus in the uterus)
o hypercalcemia (high blood calcium)
o others
* TERRITORIAL MARKING
+ intact female in heat
+ intact male spraying
+ marking of peripheral walls particularly near windows may be from presence of outdoor cats
+ may be triggered by over-crowding of indoor cats
+ previously neutered cat has a bit of testicular or ovarian tissue remaining, possibly resulting in a low level of hormone which could trigger marking
+ neutered male with sexual experience exposed to female in heat
* LITTER BOX PROBLEMS
+ overcrowding: too many cats using same box
+ failure to change littter frequently enough -- some cats won't use a dirty box
+ failure to provide constant access to litterbox
+ change in type of litter used
+ change in location of litterbox
+ unfamiliar, frightening, or loud objects near box: dishwasher, etc.
+ food and water too close to litterbox
+ objectionable chemical used to wash or disinfect litterbox
+ location preference: your cat may want the box in a different location
+ texture preference: your cat doesn't like the feel of the litter
+ failure to cover litter: learned process from parents
o use of litterbox is instinctive
o cats that don't cover litter may be more prone to litterbox problems
o your cat may be indicating texture preference problem
* PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS (most common manifestation is inappropriate urination)
+ addition or subtraction of other pets in household
+ visitors, company, parties, redecorating, construction, or any type of commotion
+ a move to a new environment
+ change in routine or schedule: a new job or working hours
+ their return from boarding or hospitilization
+ interaction problem with other pets or cats
o cats are asocial rather than antisocial; in the wild each has a territory and period of contact with others in the group (and only one male per group)
o a closed environment will create a greater degree of interaction than some cats prefer. The more cats in a household, the greater the degree of interaction
* CHEMICAL ATTRACTION OF PREVIOUS "ACCIDENTS:"
+ likely to produce repeated visitations to the same spot
+ may induce urination by other members of a multi-cat household
+ you may have moved to a residence previously occupied with other dogs and/or cats
Continue to:
behavior, plants, escaping, housetraining, biting, garbage, noise, cat
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