Your Cat’s Inappropriate Elimination and What You can Do About It.
A cat that stops using the litter box creates all sorts of problems. Did you know that it’s the most common reason for pet owners to relinquish their pet cat?
Capital Why? So why does your cat urinate on your Persian rug? Although your gut reaction to your cat’s inappropriate urination may be that your cat is unhappy with you or the kibble that you serve, other things may be at play…
UTI. Your cat may have a physical problem like a urinary tract infection, feline lower urinary tract disease, kidney or liver diseases, or struvite crystals. The best way to rule these out or to pinpoint a physical problem is to bring your cat into Town N Country for a check-up.
P. U. If you’re a cat lover, you already know that cats are fastidious and need a clean box. Scooping out your cat’s box is a daily task, and dumping the litter, cleaning the box and starting with fresh litter should happen once a week. If you don’t…your Persian carpet may be at risk!
Stresssss. Another reason for inappropriate elimination could be stress-related. With multiple cats, one cat might be bullying another. It’s recommended that cat owners have at least one litter box per cat. Or the placement of the box might not suit your cat. For instance, your cat might not prefer the box near a vent where the air movement and noise could startle. Is your litter box near a high traffic area in your house? Or is it placed near a noisy appliance? Some rearranging could solve your problem.
X Marks the Spot. Inappropriate urination could indicate markings. Urinating near window sills or patio doors could mean your cat has felt stressed by animals outside your home. If you ever see your cat backing up to a vertical surface, stepping in place with his tail quivering and spraying urine – that’s marking by spraying.
The RX. Anti-anxiety medications can offer help many cats that are stressed or even territorial. Another solution is a product called Feliway which contain synthetic pheromones similar to what occurs naturally from your cat’s face and helps reduce anxiety. You may have noticed the way your cat rubs her face and chin on surfaces. By doing so, she releases a scent containing pheromones which has a calming effect. You can find Feliway in forms of sprays or plug-in diffuser.
A, B, or C? In a multi-cat household, you may not know who the culprit is. If that’s your problem, you can either separate your cats or administer an approved fluorescin dye by mouth that stains your cat’s urine fluorescent green.
PS You can learn a lot by simply observing your cat. If he jumps into the litter box enthusiastically, sniffs around to find the right spot, does his business and scampers happily out, your litter box has his stamp of approval. Approaching tentatively or leaving very quickly could mean he doesn’t give high marks to your provided facilities.
Most cats will exhibit inappropriate elimination sometime in their lives. Give Town N Country a call and let us help you find the solution to a problem that’s more common than you may have realized.
