By Ruth Walby
While you're complaining about what your kitty is doing to your house, are you listening to what your kitty is trying to tell you? He's only doing what he can to tell you something is wrong in the only way he knows-peeing on everything in sight.
There's no one solution that will fix this problem. It could be one thing or it could be a combination of things like a medical ailment, a sanitation problem, the wrong litter, the wrong size litter box, the location of the litter box, the introduction of another cat or person into the household or even emotional stress from moving, new carpets, remodeling, new furniture, new food or a change in the habits of the household.
Actually, kitties get upset quite often over simple things. They are creatures of habit that don't like for their routines or surroundings to be changed at all. Some kitties adjust quickly and others just go all nuts.
IS IT MEDICAL?
The first thing to do is make sure it's not a medical problem. Look to see if kitty is straining while trying to urinate in his box. If the answer is yes, get him to the vet as quick as possible. It's probably a urinary problem and will need medical care. If, after the problem is fixed, he still avoids the litter box it's because he's learn to associate the pain he was having with the box.
Get a new box, perhaps a different scented litter and start litter training all over again.
CLEANING PROBLEMS
Cats are just as particular as people when it comes to their "bathroom. Some will use it even if it hasn't been cleaned for a week and others want it cleaned daily. If the litter box isn't kept up to your cat's expectations he will just start "going" on the floor, the furniture or the laundry on the floor. So keep their box clean on a daily schedule and avoid any potential problems.
LITTER & THE BOX
Cats are funny when it comes to where they're going to do their "business". You'd think that because they came from the wild that any old thing would be good enough. Guess again!
When kitty has become used to using one type of litter it's usually very hard to get him to change. The only way is do it gradually with a combination of two litters, weaning him off of one. Just expect this to take time.
The same type of finicky behavior can be had for the litter box itself. Some like the box covered and out of site. Others won't "go" if they think someone is watching them, are to close or if they feel trapped when noise approaches them. Trial and error will tell you which your kitty prefers and where he prefers it.
EMOTIONAL STRESS
This area is so much harder to fix and yet is usually the #1 cause of the problem. Some cats adapt to changes without any problems while others have a very hard time adjusting and show it by urinating where they're not supposed to. Some questions to ask yourself to help find the answer would be:
1. Has a new member been added to your family (a baby, another cat, a dog or a human visitor) or has one left recently, like going off to school or a death in the family?
2. Is there stress in your life that kitty is picking up on?
3. Did something happen that scared kitty while he was on the litter box or near it? Like a loud noise inside or outside of the house.
4. Have you moved into a new home or apartment?
5. Have you remodeled a room? Have workmen been coming and going in his territory? Remember, it's your house but it's still his territory.
6. Have you moved the litter box to a different location?
7. Has there been an outside neighborhood cat that's been bothering your inside kitty? Can your kitty see, hear or smell the other cat?
8. Have you changed kitty's food lately to something he doesn't like?
9. Has your daily routine changed? Have you started a new job or just been gone a lot and kitty is now alone more than before?
If the answer to any of these questions was "YES", then it's time to help kitty de-stress. No, I don't mean some sort of kitty spa! You need to spend quality time with him each day until the problem is resolved. After all, he's part of the family too, isn't he?
Spend time playing with kitty every day. This doesn't have to be for long periods, even 5-10 minutes; two to three times a day is great. Pet him, hold him and talk gently and lovingly to him as often as possible. Make sure he gets lots of attention.
If you're introducing a new baby into the home, have the baby's things out a couple of weeks before your due date. I've found that leaving a small cloth with baby powder on it and another one with a little formula on it in baby's crib, the rocker you'll be using and other places where baby will be, helps kitty get used to some of the new smells attached to baby.
If you're bringing in a new pet, keep the new pet in another room with the door closed for about a week to let them get used to the smell of each other. Give your old pet lots of attention. Sit by the closed door with kitty on your lap and play with the new pet from under the door. Kitty then understands you still love him and the new thing behind the door might be OK to have around. Introduce them gradually to each other, a few minutes at a time and then longer and longer until things seem to be all right. There will be a certain about of combat to settle who's king or queen, but that's to be expected. Just don't let it get out of hand.
If you're changing kitty's food you need to do it in graduated amounts, mixed with his old food, until he's completely weaned on to the new food. Don't rush it-this may take a couple of days or a couple of weeks depending on how kitty and his tummy accepts the new food change.
Establish a daily routine as quickly as possible if you're going to be away from home or changing you times for being around the house. Kitty needs to know when you'll be home, when his litter box will be cleaned, when playtime is going to be, when bedtime is and most important of all-when his mealtime is.
Cats are definitely creatures of habit. They like things to be done the same way and at the same time, each and every time. After all, they were once worshipped as gods, right? And, we all know, it's good to be the king!
Ruth Walby
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