Successful litter box tips

"Please take care of my litter box. 
" Many cats don't want to use dirty boxes or ones that don't suit their needs. Find out why cats don't want to use the litter box.  

Litter box avoidance and inappropriate elimination are the most frequent and irritating disagreements humans have with their kitties. Inappropriate urination and defecation may mean that the litter box facilities are sub par, that there's a medical problem or, in the case of marking behavior, that your cat is trying to signal something. Cats use elimination of urine (and sometimes feces) for communication – a kind of pee-mail, if you will. That can be a sign that something is wrong. In the latter situation, your kitty is not being mean or spiteful. She's got a problem and you'll have to figure out what it is if you want it to go away.

Punishing your cat for inappropriate elimination will not solve the problem. It will only teach her to fear and avoid you, and eliminate when you're not around. In fact, it can actually make the problem worse, since inappropriate elimination is often caused by stress, and punishment will only add to her stress level. 

When your cat eliminates outside the box, you should first schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Feline

Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), a group of disorders and diseases affecting the urinary tract, and colon disorders, such as irritable bowel disease, can cause inappropriate elimination. Symptoms of FLUTD include frequent voiding, straining at the end of urination, and blood in the urine. If your cat shows any of these signs, schedule an appointment immediately. Both males and females are at risk, but males are more likely to develop life-threatening blockages. If your cat strains to urinate and produces only a tiny amount of urine, rush him to the veterinarian. This is a life-threatening emergency. 

Once your veterinarian rules out a physical problem, then you should start to unravel the problem by looking at what's going on in your cat's life. Watch carefully and find out when and where she is eliminating inappropriately, and what's happening in the household at the time. Recognizing the reasons for litter box avoidance and addressing the cause will help you find a solution to the problem. With understanding, patience, and persistence, most such problems can be overcome. The top six reasons and solutions are:

1. Dirty Litter Box

A common reason for litter box avoidance is the cat's natural cleanliness. If you think the box smells bad, just imagine how it smells to your cat, since she has 200 million odor-sensitive cells in her nose compared to your 5 million. If she is turning up her nose at the box and eliminating elsewhere, it could be that it's not clean enough and offends her sensitive olfactory apparatus. In the wild, there's a good reason for such fastidiousness. Predators locate prey by scent. This is one good reason why cats are so careful about covering their waste – to keep bigger predators from locating them. A dirty litter box can make your cat feel vulnerable.

Clean the box often. Scoop out the soiled litter and solid wastes daily or twice a day, and change the litter and scrub the box with warm, soapy water weekly if you are using regular clay litter. Don't use harsh cleaners, such as bleach, to clean the box; they may offend your cat's delicate sense of smell further and add to the problem. 

Some cats are simply fussier than others, so a weekly scrubbing might not be enough. If so, you might try a clumping litter. With clumping litters, the litter needs changing less frequently, and still remains relatively odor free. By scooping out the clumps and solid wastes once or twice a day, depending upon the number of cats you have, you can make all but the most sensitive cats happy. Ultimately, you and your cat will have to reach an agreement on the cleaning frequency. 

2. Placement

Location is also vital. If your cat doesn't like the litter box's location, she may not use it. For example, if you place the litter box too close to her food and water dishes, she may avoid the box since cats don't like to eat and eliminate in the same area. If the box isn't easily accessible – for example, down in the basement or up on the top floor – she may not be able to get there in time, or may think it's too much trouble. If she has to brave some stressor to get to the box, such as a noisy water heater, the washer and dryer, or a dominant cat's territory, she may look for a safer place to eliminate. Cats like quiet, safe, private places to do what they have to do. Follow your cat and observe what's going on.

If location is the problem, move the litter box to an area that allows the cat privacy but is accessible and convenient for cleaning. Some people prefer keeping the box in the bathroom, but in a multi-cat household that can get crowded. Consider using a closet in a spare bedroom or a well-ventilated porch with easy access. Some owners locate litter boxes in a rarely frequented second bathroom or even in the bathtub. Try several locations until you find one she will use consistently.

3. Litter Changes

If a change in litter box behavior occurs after you've switched the type or brand of litter, try changing back. Your cat may not like the new litter. Cats are individuals and what appeals to one cat may not appeal to another. Some are highly perfumed to mask odors from human noses, but perfumes are offensive to some cats; other litters just don't have the right feel. Cats evolved from desert animals and a litter with the texture of sand is usually well accepted. 

Experiment with several types to see what he likes best. Buy a small box or bag of each – test clumping and non-clumping clay (try the unscented versions), recycled paper, wood byproducts, plant-based material – the varieties are practically endless. Fill several boxes with different kinds, and see which one your cat prefers. With all these choices you are bound to find one that suits. Choosing a litter should be a team effort. If you find yourself needing to switch litters, try changing the litter gradually. Slowly add more of the new litter into the old to increase the chances of your cat accepting the switch.

If you are bringing a formerly outdoor cat indoors, and he is not using the litter box, it could be that the litter is not what he's used to. Try filling the box with clean dirt or sand – whatever he's been using in the yard. After he's using the box consistently, very gradually, over the next two or three weeks, mix the dirt with increasing amounts of the litter you want him to use.

4. Box Issues

The size, shape, and depth of the litter box can also affect your cat's behavior. She may reject the box if, for some reason, she doesn't like it. Hooded litter boxes are popular with some cats, but most don't like the confining nature of them and feel trapped when using such a box – a particular problem in multicat households with dominance disputes. Large or overweight cats may find the opening to a covered box too small, or may not have enough room to maneuver inside such a box, and longhaired cats may have trouble keeping their fur clean. 

Older cats, or cats with health problems, such as arthritis, may have trouble stepping into boxes with high sides, or into boxes with smaller openings. If cats have any health problem that makes movement difficult, provide a sturdy ramp in front of the box, and a step down inside, if needed.

Some cats dislike litter box liners. Remove the liner if you notice your cat pulling it up or leaving claw marks in the plastic. 

Providing several boxes of different sizes and types may help resolve the litter box problem. 

5. Environmental Changes

Cats are creatures of habit and they don't like changes in their environment. If your cat stopsusing the litter box after a change has taken place in the household, it could be that the changeis causing her to become anxious. Anxiety is one of the more common feline emotional problems,and may contribute to a number of behavior problems, including house soiling. Have you justbrought home a new child, spouse, family member, or pet? Have you moved or remodeled thehouse? Have you recently changed your routine – gone back to work, say, after being at homeall day? Even healthy cats can become stressed and anxious by changes that might seem minorto you. Look at the situation from the cat's viewpoint and see what might be going on.

During household changes, reassure your cat, give him extra attention and treats, and keep 

the litter box squeakyclean. This will help him regain his feeling of safety and routine,

 and help him adjust more quickly. If you've added a

new baby to the household, check out the helpful advice on Helping Your Cat and New Baby Get Along; if a new pet has arrived, read Pet to Pet Socialization – Adding a Kitten. If you've moved, check out How to Introduce Your Cat toYour New Home.

6. Territorial Disputes

If you have more than one cat, disputes can arise over litter box usage. Cats are

 territorial by nature. Their societies are sometimes structured in a hierarchical manner, governed by strict rules of conduct. In multicat households, the

 cat will sometimes leave her feces uncovered as a form of scent marking, to announce her presence and status. Uncovered feces mean that the territory is taken. If the other cats

 feel they're encroaching on a dominant

cat's territory, they'll be reluctant to use that box.

Also, some cats don't like sharing their litter box with other cats. The solution is to provide a litter box and a private location for each cat. As a rule, you should have one litter box for every cat in the household. Also, consider keeping an extra box in another location to circumvent disputes or clashes. If a cat doesn't want to approach the main box area while another cat is there, she can detour to the other box to do her business. This prevents the cat from choosing a less acceptable location if the need is urgent.

7. Overcrowding

Having a companion for kitty is a good way to keep him from becoming lonely when you're off earning the cat food. However, overcrowding – having too many cats for the space you have available – can create considerable stress. Many territorial-type behavior problems arise from overcrowding, including house soiling. For cats to feel secure, they must have an area to call their own, to which they can retreat when threatened. This is particularly true for indoor-only multicat households. Make sure you can provide facilities for each of your cats. You can also expand the territorial range by adding cat trees, outside enclosures Selecting a Cat Enclosure, cat condos, kitty hideouts, window perches, cat shelves, screened patios, and so on. You don't have to spend a fortune – cut holes in several cardboard boxes, turn them upside down, and place them strategically. Make sure each cat is given enough love and attention, too.

8. Spraying

This marking behavior is not connected to other litter box problems, because the reason for the behavior is completely different. Unaltered male and female cats spray urine to mark their territory. While more common in males, both genders can spray. Spraying has sexual and dominance-type connotations; the behavior being most prevalent in intact cats with a full complement of sex hormones. This is why spaying and neutering usually ends the behavior.

It's easy to tell the difference between spraying and urinating. During spraying, the cat backs up to a vertical surface, raises his tail (which often quivers), treads, and sprays urine onto the vertical surface. This is as opposed to squatting to urinate. Spaying and neutering often eliminates spraying and is the first step to take toward resolution of the problem.

However, spraying can also be a sign that a neutered male or spayed female cat has some issues related to anxiety or stress (e.g. a territorial dispute or a disturbance in their routine). Battles for dominance or territory may cause spraying in a multicat household, regardless of the cats' neuter status, and you'll need to resolve the dispute before the behavior will cease. A project such as this can be challenging. Spraying may also occur if a reclusive cat sees other cats outside in the yard, an area he likely considers an extension of his territory. One little wrinkle in the diagnosis of stress-related urine marking is that it does not always occur in the form of spraying. Sometimes urine marking may be performed from the squatting posture. The key to diagnosing this curve ball delivery is to pay attention to the sites on which urine is deposited. Litter box problems result in deposition of urine in relatively uninteresting "other" locations, usually on rugs or carpets in out-of-the way locations that are convenient for the cat. Horizontal urine marking, however, might be found on a person's possessions, on new things brought into the house, on a particular bedspread, on the stovetop, on a heating register, etc. When the location of urine deposition becomes as interesting (or perplexing) as this, consider anxiety-related urine marking, even if the cat "performs" in the squatting posture.

Urine-marked areas must be well cleaned with a non ammonia-based cleaner and then the area should be blocked off so that the cat no longer has access to it for a while, or the significance of the area can be transformed by moving the food dishes there. Products for cleaning pet stains that contain enzymes or bacteria work by eliminating odor-causing chemicals. Such products are usually effective. It's important to remove all traces of the urine (and/or feces) or the scent will attract kitty back to the spot. But you need to address the problem's underlying cause to end the cycle of inappropriate elimination; otherwise, your cat will just move to another area to spray. Ask your veterinarian for advice if you're stumped for a solution. Certain medications combined with behavior modification techniques can help resolve the problem.

Remember:

Don't perform disliked procedures, such as pilling and nail clipping, near the litter box. Your cat may associate these activities with the litter box and avoid it.

Don't try to catch your cat to perform disliked procedures (such as those listed above) while he's using the litter box.

Don't do anything else that might cause your cat to associate its litter box with unpleasantness. E.g. Don't force him into the box after an accident; don't punish your cat when he's near the litter box (or any other place, for that matter).

Don't rub the cat's nose in urine or feces if he eliminates outside the box.

Don't use harsh disinfectants or cleaners to clean the litter box.

Do check with your veterinarian to rule out possible medical contributions.

Do clean the box daily.

Do make sure your cat has a quiet, private, stress-free litter box location.

Do praise and reward your cat when he uses the box correctly.

Three things your cat wants you to know!

                 
1. "I scratch for a reason!" There are many reasons why cats might scratch up items in your home. Here is an article on scratching (including furniture scratching) that can help you understand your cat.



Cats make great pets. They love to play, they love to cuddle when you're watching TV or sleeping, and they purr for no reason other than being near you. But they also love to scratch. Unfortunately, the things they love to scratch are often the legs of your antique table, your upholstered sofa, or your expensive stereo speakers. And no amount of reprimanding or pulling out your hair in frustration seems to make them stop. But don't despair; there are some things you can do.

Scratching is easier to deal with if you understand why cats scratch in the first place. In the wild, cats scratch around their immediate environment to signal their presence to other cats and to claim the area in question. The marking takes two forms: visual and olfactory. The visual mark is in the form of clawing marks and is so obvious that even we humans can recognize it (not that we appreciate its significance). The olfactory mark is subtler, involving the release of pheromones. These are substances secreted from the body to be picked up by members of the same species, causing them to alter their behavior.

Cats secrete pheromones from superficial glands in the skin of the cat's paws through the process of kneading. The message is invisible to all creatures and is undetectable unless you have the right equipment (a super sensitive nose) and are close enough. A competitor coming up to the site will see the scratch marks and then smell the message: another cat has already claimed this place. One thing's for sure; the signal is not a friendly one.

Scratching has additional functions, too. You might think your cat scratches to sharpen his claws, but it more likely it provides your cat with a form of physical therapy for the muscles and tendons of his paws. It also assists in shucking off old nail husks.

The Domestic Situation

Healthy and natural to your cat, scratching can become a real problem for the owner. Even your fairly secure
housecat will occasionally feel the need to leave his mark by scratching, and the most usual target is your furniture.

Faced with this problem, many people consider declawing surgery. Many veterinarians believe declawing is a painful and unnecessary surgery and refuse to do it for humane reasons. Instead, they advocate training your cat to use a scratching post. However, some veterinarians still believe declawing is a safe procedure.

Declawing Facts




Intensity of pain. Many cats recovering from this surgery suffer from pain as they wake up. In fact, declawing is considered such a painful surgery that it has been used in studies to investigate methods of pain relief.

Duration of pain. In most cases the pain appears to subside after 24 to 36 hours. However, during that time your cat will be gingerly walking around the place as if his paws are extremely tender – and they probably are. In other instances the pain lasts considerably longer, especially if there are surgical complications.

Adverse consequences. Some cats are still hobbling around years later, though the majority eventually return to "normal" as far as we can tell.

Litterbox use after the surgery. Your cat might find the litter painful on his tender paws. Vets often recommend putting torn up newspaper in the litterbox to prevent litter particles from adhering to the wounds. This practice sometimes leads to litterbox aversion and subsequently inappropriate elimination of urine and/or feces.

Behavioral change. Aggressive cats may be more likely to bite instead of swat with their paws once they have been declawed.

Alternatives to Declawing

There are several good options to declawing. These take the form of training your cat to use scratching posts, trimming the nails, and nail covers.

Scratching Posts

To persuade your cat to use a scratching post, you have to understand some basics:

Keep one extra scratching post in the household. If you have four cats, keep five posts. Once the problem is under control, those that are not being used can be removed.


Each scratching post should be tall enough for your cat to stretch up to its full height without being able to reach the top, i.e. about 3 feet high.

The scratching post should be steady. No self-respecting cat will entertain the thought of using a post that rocks or falls over.

Use the correct material. One of the essential functions of scratching is to leave a visible mark. Fabric that doesn't tear or fray will be of no use. Burlap is a favorite with many cats.

Choose an attractive location for your cat. Most people try to hide scratching posts from view. This completely negates the whole purpose of scratching for the cat. Position posts in obvious areas at first, preferably near scratching sites that your cat has selected for himself, then gradually repositioned to less obvious places later.

Deterrents

Several deterrents are available and may help.

Physical. If a particularly valuable piece of furniture must be protected during training, heavy gauge plastic sheeting can be applied to alter its texture and to serve as a deterrent.

Chemical. You can try moth repellent aerosols, which contain naphthol, though the area has to be "freshened" periodically as the odor will fade.

Pheromonal. Feliway®, a pheromone-containing proprietary spray, has been touted as a repellant for furniture scratching cats. The idea is that the pheromone, a natural scent signal and, in this case, an extract of feline facial secretions, will alter the "significance" of the previously scratch-marked area.

Environmental measures. Territorial stress may aggravate marking. If there are squabbles between cohabiting cats, or if a dominant or anxious cat is constantly aggravated by neighborhood intruders, you should address these territorial issues first.

Nail Covers

A few years ago an excellent product was introduced to reduce damage from furniture scratching humanely. "Soft Paws"™ (or Soft Claws) are [[AWT|6316plastic nail caps]] that can be super-glued to a cat's claws following a preliminary nail trim. The results are often spectacular, with damage to furniture practically non-existent while the nail caps remain in place. The manufacturers recommend a complete replacement every month or so, but replacing lost nails individually as they fall off also works (and involves far less work).








. "I'm trying to communicate!" Here are some keys to understanding feline communication These tips can really help strengthen your bond with your cat.
Dr. Nicholas Dodman

Although cats have a reputation for being independent, there are times and situations when they can (and do) interact with others of their own kind and humans in a social way. When motivated, they make their needs and wishes known to others without the benefit of speech or language as we know it. Cats have subtle ways of communicating, some of which have eluded scientific scrutiny for years. The senses and behaviors cats use to facilitate communication include vision/eye position, olfaction, touch, voice, body language, and operant actions.

 Vision/Eye Position

A blind cat is at a serious disadvantage when it comes to communication because so many signals sent and received by cats are visual. On the aggressive end of ocular signaling is the stare. An irate cat will transfix her adversary with a blood-curdling look of animosity and malicious intent. If you've even been the subject of one of these looks, you'll know what I'm talking about. The corollary to the stare is the fluttering blink of trust and affection. If a cat doesn't
trust another creature, she will keep her eyes wide open. Semi-closed eyelids are indicative of trust. ("See, I don't even have to keep my eyes open.")

Without vision, a wealth of communication is lost, leaving a cat literally in the dark as to the intentions of other animals nearby. All is not lost, however, as auditory, olfactory, and tactile signals will help fill in the blanks.

Audition/Vocalization

Cats make a variety of sounds in a variety of intonations. McKinley (1982) classified cats' vocalizations into two basic categories – pure (simple) sounds and complex (multiple) sounds. Pure sounds include the growl, squeak, shriek, hiss, spit and chatter. Complex sounds include the mew, meow and moan.

The growl, shriek, hiss and spit are pure sounds that communicate aggression. To another cat there may be some qualitative differences between these warnings. For example, it may be that the hiss and growl signal two levels of warning whereas the spit and shriek are more extreme utterances inferring that "boiling point" has been reached or exceeded.

The only benign communication in the pure sound group is the squeak – a high-pitched, raspy cry given in play or in anticipation of feeding.

Chattering is not a sound used in communication but rather is reflexive chattering of the teeth brought about by frustrated predatory ambitions (i.e. seeing birds on a feeder on the other side of a window).

Two complex sounds are interesting: the mew and the meow. The mew may just be the kittenish equivalent of the adult meow as, like the meow, it signals a wish for attention from a benevolent attention-seeker. The meow is made up of two sounds, phonetically "me" and "ow." The former is thought to mean "here I am" and the latter "don't hurt me." Kittens, of course, direct the mew toward their mothers. Adult cats direct the meow toward humans perhaps because, as cats' feeders and groomers, we fill a parental role.

Touch

Cats groom other cats, and sometimes their significant humans, as an altruistic stress-relieving measure. Perhaps they expect payback at some time in the future (reciprocal altruism) but it is nonetheless an affectionate gesture. This form of grooming is tendered and received in a way that indicates close relationships or mutual bonding.

Operant Behaviors

Cats will sometimes indicate their intentions by their movements. Walking directly toward another cat or person is an indication that she is about to initiate an interaction some way. If the cat's tense body posture or angry vocalizations indicate trouble it may be a good time to run and hide, though if the cat appears relaxed and happy and is squeaking softly it may simply be trying to get your attention.

When they want to be fed, cats will often walk obliquely in front of an owner seemingly trying to trip them up. Entwining themselves around a stationary person's legs also indicates that it's time for food or attention. Bunting, or head rubbing, is an affectionate gesture that involves marking with special biological scents, called pheromones. Urine marking and furniture scratching - other olfactory communications - signal anxiety or frustration.

Body Language

I reserve the term "body language" for those shows or alterations in a cat's body "morph" (shape and appearance) that convey a signal to others. Of particular interest are eye signs (like pupillary dilatation), ear signs (e.g. ears swiveled back), head/neck position, and tail position. Body morph changes, however, must be interpreted in context for their significance to be appreciated.

Though body language can indicate a cat's mood, not all of the signs are emitted consciously for the purpose of communication. For example, a cat doesn't dilate the pupils, puff up its coat, or flatten the ears, to signal its mood to some other creature, but rather undergoes these transformations automatically. Dilated pupils admit more light; piloerection makes the cat look bigger than it really is; and ears are flattened for their preservation in a fight.

Some body language signals are consciously adopted to ward off unwelcome advances. Previously socialized cats will understand the significance of each other's body language in this respect. To a cat, an open-mouthed threat is a serious warning, as is a stiffly held body with the head held low and rump elevated.

Not all body language signs are ominous, though. A kitten whose tail position describes a question mark and who is merrily frolicking around is signaling to others that he is ready for play. A cat that curls up on your lap is signaling its trust and affection.

Conclusion

A wealth of information about a cat's mood and intentions can be gleaned by paying careful attention to its behavior and appearance. With careful observation and attention to detail, it is possible to comprehend with some precision whether a cat is fearful or irritated, hungry or angry, in prey mode or relaxed, seeking your attention or trying to avoid you. Cats communication systems may not be as sophisticated as our own but they achieve the desired effect. Cats never did find it necessary to discuss where they came from or where they go after death. They just live for the minute and communicate what they need to communicate with regard to their likes and dislikes, needs and wants, affection and trust. Greater love hath no cat than this.


When your cat climbs into your lap, tucks in his paws and begins to purr, all is right with the world, and this is one thing we love about our cats: that feeling of contentment they share with us.




3. "Please take care of my litter box." Many cats don't want to use dirty boxes or ones that don't suit their needs. Find out why cats don't want to use the litter box.