Feline Housesoiling

Feline housesoiling is a frustrating and often difficult problem to treat but there are many strategies that can be attempted to correct the problem.  In any instance of housesoiling, a medical cause for the behavior should be ruled out.  Diseases such as bladder infections, constipation or others may lead to inappropriate elimination.

          Most cases of housesoiling are reported in multicat households. This is not surprising, since social interactions and hierarchies are sometimes the cause of this behavior.  Other causes include litter aversion or litter box location.  If your cat starts urinating or defecating outside of the litterbox, steps must be taken immediately to correct the problem as the longer the inappropriate behavior continues the more difficult it is to treat.

          The following tips and strategies will help you learn a bit more about feline behavior and could help to prevent housesoiling trouble or correct an ongoing problem.

Prevention

In an attempt to prevent housesoiling in the first place, a few guidelines can be followed.

1)  Male cats should be neutered and female cats spayed at six months of age.  This will help stop spray marking behavior.

2)  Provide multiple litterboxes.  The rule of thumb is "one litterbox per cat plus one."  If possible, do not put all of the litterboxes in the same room.

3)  Do not allow harassment of the cat while in the litterbox.  This may deter him from using it out of avoidance.

4)  Don't place the litterbox near noisy appliances (furnaces, refrigerators, etc.) that may startle the cat while in the box.

5)  Scoop out the litterbox daily and clean thoroughly as needed.  Regular litters should be changed every other day, while clumping litters should be changed every 1-2 weeks.  For thorough cleanings use hot soapy water and rinse well.

Treatment

Even if you are careful to follow the above guidelines, there may still be a cat or cats in the household which exhibit inappropriate urination or defecation.  Feline interactions are complex and sometimes housesoiling has more to do with these interactions rather than environmental factors.  This is not to say that the cat's environment should be overlooked.  Here are some suggestions for environmental changes that may help in solving the problem.

1)  Change the type of litter used in the box.  Attempt to choose litters which closely resemble the area where the cat is soiling.  Often times cats prefer softer litters such as clay-based clumping litters or other substrates such as playground sand or sawdust. You may need to try many different litter types and additionally try different depths of litter in the box

2)  Change the box type.  Perhaps your cat  prefers a lower sided box, a smaller or larger box or a covered vs. open one.  Again you need to experiment.

3)  Add another litterbox if you haven't already done so.

4)  Build a frame which will sit in a corner with the litterbox snuggly fit inside. Cover the frame with indoor/outdoor carpet so that the cat can stand outside while voiding into the box.

5)  Change the location of the box.  If the cat regularly voids in one locale, put the box at that spot.  If the cat begins using the box leave it there for 2 weeks.   Then begin moving it, only a few inches a day, toward a more desirable location. 

6)  Be sure to thoroughly clean and deodorize any soiled locations within the house.  Cats are very sensitive to smells and communicate through different marking behaviors which may include urination and defecation.

7)  Rearrange furniture to completely cover a soiling spot.

8)  Move the food and water dish to a spot where the cat soils.  Most cats will not soil where they eat.

9) Make a soiling place less attractive.  Place double sided sticky tape, upside down carpet, aluminum foil, carpet runners or other undesirables down at the location.

If the above strategies are tried and are unsuccessful, you may need to confine the housesoiling cat to one room in the house with food, water and a litterbox in an attempt to encourage appropriate voiding habits.  Do not select a room in which the cat has already soiled.  If your cat sleeps with you, your bedroom may be a good choice, since most cats prefer not to void where they sleep.  If the cat  uses the litterbox normally in the room, keep the cat confined to that room for several weeks, after which gradually increase time allowed outside the room.

Various reinforcement strategies can also help.  When the cat is observed using the litterbox appropriately, give a good amount of praise with petting and treats.  Never punish an animal after the fact by scolding or rubbing the animal's nose in the soiled area.  If you catch the cat in the act, you can startle the cat with a hand clap, hiss or other noise but never use physical punishment. 

If the above strategies are tried without success, the cat may require behavior altering medications in order to try to control the problem.  This will require a discussion with your veterinarian in order to review the potential side effects of the medications as well as to review the animal's history and physical condition.  Medical behavioral treatment is attempted if physical behavior modifications are unsuccessful.  In order to be most effective, medical treatment must be implemented in association with rather than in place of physical behavior training.

In Closing

Feline housesoiling is a complex and difficult problem. Having your cat examined by your veterinarian at the first signs of housesoiling can help expedite a solution to this problem if a medical cause is underlying the behavior.  Ruling out illness as a cause of the behavior will help you get a head start on treating the behavior problem.  The longer a problem exists, the harder it is to resolve.

If you have further questions on feline housesoiling or need advice specific to your cat, please feel free to discuss it with us.  Your veterinarian can give you more suggestions and strategies to help you and your cat overcome this frustrating problem.