Feline Inappropriate Urination – Part II: Please Make It Stop

        Once we've considered who is peeing in the heater vents and we have asked ourselves why they are doing it, we can  tackle the what, where, and how of  solving the problem.  Treatment has to be individualized to each situation and cat, or cats.  Of course, we may not discover the  exact reason for the inappropriate urination  so a multimodal approach is best in most cases.   

1.      The soiled environment.  The urine-soiled area needs to be thoroughly cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature’s Miracle, to  eliminate future visits.  The area also may need to be closed off from the offending cat.  Plastic totes, double sided tape, foil, furniture placement, potted plants, and invisible fencing may all be  used to prevent access.  If the specific area is not easily identified, a black light can help locate soiled spots.

2.      The litter box.  Make sure the box is roomy and comfy for everyone who needs it.  Obese cats and large cats need more space.  As a rule, sides, liners and covers are bad.  Kittens, older cats and the infirm may have a hard time negotiating sides on the box.  Liners are just annoying when kitty   tries to scratch around and cover feces and urine.  Box covers trap smells and block kitty’s view of intruding other cats.  As a cat, one typically likes a 360-degree view while eliminating.

3.      The box placement and number of boxes.  As stated before, one box per cat, plus one, is recommended; and make sure that there is a box on each level of the house.  Put the boxes in well lit, quiet areas away from food and water but close to where the cats spend the majority of their time.

4.      Pick the right litter.  Most cats prefer fine-textured, unscented litter, several inches deep.  If in doubt, try litter box samplers.  Put out several different boxes with several different types of litter - clay, sand, paper litter, or even soil.  Let your cat cast its vote with urine and go with the demonstrated preference. 

5.      Cleanliness.  As a basic rule of thumb, scoop the box daily.  This may not be enough in multi-cat households if one box is particularly popular.  If you ask the cats, they would each want a personal litter box valet that kept the other cats out of the area, looked away while they used the box, handed them a kitty treat as they exited the box, and then removed any offending material immediately.  Always empty and thoroughly clean boxes every 1-2 weeks, depending on use.

6.      Avoid punishment.  Never physically punish your cat for inappropriate elimination.  Not only  is that ineffective, but it quite likely will make things worse.  Punishment will create more anxiety and cats will not connect the crime to the punishment.

7.      Medical treatment.  If your veterinarian uncovers medical issues such as drinking more water or urinary tract infection, treatment plans will need to be determined and implemented.

8.      Anxiety and urine spraying.  Anti-anxiety medications may be utilized.  Drugs such as Prozac, amitryptylline, and busprinone can be  prescribed.  Medication use would need to be discussed with your cat’s doctor.  Such therapy is often life-long, although withdrawal of medication may be considered after long periods of good behavior.  We may also use pheromone sprays, such as Feliway, to promote positive feelings in the cats when they enter the area involved.

        Feline inappropriate elimination is a frustratingly common problem.  It is imperative to act quickly when it happens.  The longer such a problem goes on, the more difficult it may be to correct.  Once the offending cat is identified, take him or her to your veterinarian for a thorough physical examination and have a discussion about your options.  Once medical disease is ruled out, together we may tackle the many issues discussed here and formulate our best plan.  With thought, perseverance, environmental manipulation and appropriate medications, we can  often help.

Timothy R Kraabel, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline Practice)
Outreach Chairman, American Board of VeterinaryPractitioners

Help! Why is My Cat Urinating Inappropriately Everywhere?

        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