First let’s set the record straight. Your cat does not view its urinary habits as inappropriate, regardless of where the cat happens to pee. Feline house soiling in the form of urine placed outside the litter box and urine marking are normal feline behaviors. It is us, the cat owners and feline lovers, who find random urine placement objectionable. Second, it is no joking matter. Inappropriate urination is a very common reason cats are relinquished to shelters. These cats often are not suitable for placement in a new home and many are euthanized. If veterinarians and veterinary staff can help someone understand and solve this problem, they can improve cat owner's lives and may even keep cats out of shelters.
In multi-cat households, we will need to identify the guilty party or parties. It is not uncommon that multiple cats may be involved in this outside-the-box activity. For cats that are intact, we need to consider having them spayed or neutered.
As an important aside, cats never inappropriately urinate out of vindictiveness to their owners.
Once we know who, then we may consider the myriad reasons a cat may decide that a litter box is not their preferred place to urinate:
1. Size. The litter box may be too small
2. Substrate aversion. They don’t like the material that is in the box for litter. Some cats like dirt, or clay, or sand.
3. Location, location, location. Perhaps something scary happened where the litter box is and they don’t want to go back. Maybe it smells funny to them. Maybe the location next to a loud furnace is a deterrent.
4. Cleanliness. They don’t think the cat box is clean enough. Typically, the litter box needs to be emptied daily to keep cats happy.5. Remoteness/distance. Maybe it is too far to get to the box on time. Basically, each level of a house needs a litter pan, even if you just have one cat. This idea is especially important in older cats or any cat with mobility issues.
6. Bullying. This is very common. One cat may prevent another from getting to the potty. A household needs enough boxes to help defuse bullying. The rule of thumb is one litter box per cat, plus one. For example, a three-cat household needs four boxes. It doesn't matter whether you want four boxes; the cats want four boxes. And the boxes don’t count if they are located next to each other. The idea is that the cat that is being a bully can’t possibly patrol all those boxes. There needs to be physical separation between the boxes.
7. Anxiety. In my experience, this is the most common problem. Other problems like bullying can contribute to this, but separation from the owner is also a common form of anxiety. If identified correctly, anxiety issues may respond to medication.8. Urine marking/spraying. This is normal communication in the cat world. This form of urination usually occurs on vertical surfaces and usually the cat will urinate in its cat box as well. Cats may spray when they are threatened or perceive a threat to their territory. New cats in the house and cats outside may be a trigger for this behavior. New things like carpet and furniture or moving to a new home also may be triggers. Cats also may spray out of frustration. Circumstances such as enforced diet change and lack of time with their owner may trigger spraying behavior.
9. Medical issues. This needs to be ruled out by our veterinarian. A thorough exam and a urinalysis will help identify problems and possibly provide a solution.
If you have a feline friend with urinary issues, let us know. We would be happy to help.
Next week: solutions and options.
Timothy R Kraabel, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline Practice)
Outreach Chairman, American Board of VeterinaryPractitioners
