Litterbox do's and don't's

Tricks to keep your cat happy with their litterbox

Cat owners often show up for appointments with their veterinarians frustrated and at their wits end when their cat has been doing his business outside the litterbox.  They've "tried everything", read articles on the internet or used enzymatic cleaners from the pet store trying to mask the odors.  basically, cat owners are usually at the end of their patience before they finally think of bringing the cat into the veterinary office for an evaluation and some expert advice.

Here's our advice to you about how to deal with this frustrating problem BEFORE it becomes frustrating......

First off, evaluate your household routine and environment.  If there have been any changes that could "stress" your cat (eg. change of litter type, change in box location, change in family schedule, parties, new babies, etc) this is a possible reason your cat has started these behaviors.  If you know there has been a stressful events, this will be very helpful information to provide your veterinary team.  If you can think of something simple that you recently changed before the behavior started, change it back.  Your cat may resume using the litterbox normally, and you may not need a trip to the veterinary clinic.

More often than owners imagine, there is a medical reason for cats to start having accidents outside the litterbox.  There are various medical causes that might instigate this behavior including (but not limited to) metabolic disease, hormonal imbalances, urinary tract infections, bladder stones. constipation or diarrhea.  It is important to bring your cat for an evaluation before the behavior has been going on too long, so easy problems can be diagnosed and treated quickly, and do not become more severe.

If your veterinarian determines through history and an evaluation, that the cause is "behavioral" there are several tips and tricks to encourage your cat to go back to the box.  Make sure you have one more litter box than you have cats.  For instance, if you have 3 cats, you should have 4 litterboxes provided.

 Scoop boxes daily, as many cats are fastidious.  Place boxes in quiet places, that give the cat a view of their surroundings if you have multiple cats, or small dogs that may disturb a cat while doing their business.  Try having both covered and uncovered boxes, as some cats have a preference for one more than another.  Try a litter substrate buffet.  Offer boxes with regular clumping litter, natural pine type litter, carpet, linoleum pieces, etc, keeping in mind what surface your cat has been choosing over the box.  

There are several products that are useful for tackling this problem.  There is a product called Cat Attract that is an herbal remedy you sprinkle into the litterbox to "attract" your cat back to the box.  There is a calming product, Feliway, that is basically a glade plug-in version of a happy cat scent that can help reduce your cat's daily stress or aversion to the litterbox, and there are many other stress relieving techniques on Ohio State's Veterinary College website called The Indoor Cat Initiative.