Does your cat suffer from litter box aversion? We see clients daily who have complaints about cats urinating or defecating in unacceptable places in the house. Cats are commonly dumped at shelters or forced to live outside due to house soiling issues. Unfortunately, many of these cats could be cured of their box aversion if the root of the problem was discovered.
Here are a few simple rules if you are having a problem with your cat:
1. Take your cat in for a complete physical exam, including lab work that tests for diabetes, hyperthyroidism, urinary tract infection, and bladder stones. Many cats will avoid the box if there is pain on urinating. If they are suffering from diabetes or hyperthyroidism they may have to urinate so frequently they just can't make it to the box. Once disease is treated, most cats will return to using their boxes with no problem.
2. Have one more box than the number of cats in the household. Many cats do not like to share their box.
3. Have multiple types of litter available. Some cats prefer clay, but others may prefer plastic beads, compressed newspaper, or soil-type litters.
4. Have a litter box on every level of the house. This may not be possible, but particularly for older cats, climbing multiple levels of stairs to get to the litter box may be problematic.
5. Make sure the cat can get to the litter box easily, without being chased by dogs, bully cats, or small children. Don't put the box near noisy equipment like the furnace or dehumdifier, both of which can scare the cat.
6. Place litter boxes far away from feeding stations. No one likes to eat in the bathroom.
7. Clean the litter boxes by scooping feces and urine clumps twice daily. After all, who wants to use the un-flushed toilet?
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