FELINE  INAPPROPRIATE  ELIMINATION

  Perhaps the single most common reason for litter box avoidance is a bladder infection, so in these cases our first step is to perform a urinalysis to rule out this possibility.

  If the urinalysis indicates no urinary bladder infection, the problem is considered “inappropriate elimination.  Even if our urinalysis shows signs of a bladder infection, it is usually quite effective to combine medical treatment (antibiotics) with behavioral modification techniques.

  The most effective method of behavioral modification is prevention of the unacceptable behavior while at the same time rewarding appropriate behavior. 

1.      Make sure that the litterbox is kept CLEAN!  We recommend cleaning the box daily or, if necessary, try using 2 litter boxes. 

2.      If you have switched litters, moved the litterbox, or changed litter boxes recently, SWITCH BACK!  Cats may not like a covered litterbox, may detest the smell of a perfumed litter, or prefer the feel of scoopable litter to that of clay litter. 

3.      Think about the litter box’s location.  Ideally, it should be in a room separate from where your cat is fed, positioned so that your cat isn’t surprised while using the box.  If it is necessary for your cat has to have her litterbox in the same room as her food, the food and litterbox should be located AS FAR AS POSSIBLE from one another.

4.      You should have at least ONE LITTERBOX PER CAT in your household.  Some cats will share a litterbox; some won’t.

  If your cat has a favorite spot for inappropriate elimination, make the spot less attractive.  Clean it thoroughly with a pet-odor neutralizer (you can usually get these at any pet store) and cover it with foil, a plastic sheet, or a plastic carpet runner with the points up.  Enzymatic pet odor neutralizers can take a week or more to work, so keeping her out of that room for a week or 2 may be very useful.  Ultimately, if it’s possible, keeping the cat out of that room forever may be the only way to keep her from continuing.

  If all this is unsuccessful, it may be necessary to start from scratch, retraining your cat on appropriate litterbox etiquette.  Start by keeping the cat in a “safe room,” where there is NO alternative but the litterbox as a place to go.  Do this by removing all piles of clothes, mats, carpets, rugs and, if present, filling the bathtub with 1-2 inches of water.  Once your cat is reliably using the litterbox again, you can start allowing it to gradually expand its territory again.  MAKE SURE to pay attention to all the points mentioned in the third paragraph of this document while doing this.

  Please call the Council Bluffs Veterinary Clinic if you have any questions or concerns.  Clinic hours are 8-6 Monday – Friday and 8-3 on Saturdays.  Our phone number is 323-2147