Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
The keys to eliminating housesoiling are:
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Ruling out any medical problems with the cat
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Early intervention to stop the behavior
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Keeping the litter box immaculately clean
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Making sure the box is in a convenient location
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Providing a litter box for every cat in the home
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Giving the cat a type of litter she likes
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Using drug intervention when behavior modification fails
There are so many factors that can trigger a cat to stop using or
only intermittently use her litter box that I use a questionnaire with
owners when they bring a housesoiler in for an examination.An owner
may not detect problems or stresses that the cat is experiencing, and the
situation needs to be evaluated from the cat's perspective.
Many steps may be needed to get inappropriate elimination under
control.The very first step, in all cases, is a thorough medical examina-
tion, because housesoiling is often a sign of a medical problem. If the
cat gets a clean bill of health, proper cleaning of the litter box and envi-
ronment are always the next steps. Behavior modification is next. If all
else fails, drug therapy should be considered.
CLEAN UP RIGHT
Never use products that contain ammonia to clean up urine or
feces, especially if a cat eliminates outside of the litter box. Ammonia
will actually intensify the odors of the waste products you are trying
to eliminate. Simple soap and water may seem to remove the smell,
but your cat's sensitive nose can probably still pick up the odor—
which encourages her to eliminate in the same place again.Your best
bet is to use specially formulated enzymatic pet-odor neutralizers,
which are available through your veterinarian, in most pet supply
stores and in many supermarkets.
