Advice regarding the house soiling cat

 When a cat urinates or defecates in places other than the litter boxes, it is very frustrating for the owners and unfortunately in many cases this can lead to the cat being rehomed or sometimes even euthanasia because the owners do not know where they can get help to solve the problem. 

House soiling can be a complex and complicated problem to solve. It is therefore important to proceed systematically: First look at what is most likely the cause of the cat soiling inappropriately and consider what solutions are most likely to solve the problem. Also encourage the owner to book a consultation with their vet to rule out disease, especially if the first steps do not stop the inappropriate soiling.

Why do cats do it?

When the cat urinates or defecates elsewhere than in the litter boxes, it is most often due to:

- Physical illness, e.g. cystitis or crystals in the urine - or other diseases, which cause an increased urge to drink and urinate.

- Inadequate litter box conditions, e.g. that the trays are too small, badly placed, etc.

- Marking of the territory, e.g. because of stress from living close together with other cats. 

But most often the inappropriate urination actually has a combination of causes: The same cat can e.g. both have cystitis, have a litter box that is not cleaned often enough and mark the territory extra, because it feels threatened by the neighbors' cat.

In the past, the treatment of an house soiling cat often began by assessing whether the behaviour was either due to physical illness or behavioral problems. Today, house soiling is seen as a both/and – not an either/or.

Does the cat have a physical illness?:

The only way we can assess whether the cat is physically ill is to have it examined by the vet. Although we are sure that there are behavioral reasons for the inappropriate toiletting, e.g. that the cat is in conflict with another cat in the home - we cannot rule out that it also has physical problems, without having it examined.

If the cat has untreated physical problems, e.g. crystals in the urine, we can conduct behavioral therapy for an eternity without solving the problem completely. It is neither fair to the cat, to the owner and his wallet, nor to us professionally. Therefore, it is best to both recommend a physical examination at the vet and referral for behavioral assessment.

It is also important to remember to obtain and test a repeat urine sample after treatment, so you are sure that the treatment has worked sufficiently - and to inform the owner that the cat may relapse. Many owners believe that once the cat has been treated these physical problems cannot recur in the future.

Are there behavioral reasons for the inappropriate soiling within the home?:

There can be many behavioral reasons why a cat soils inappropriately. When the cat marks its territory, it often leads to social problems with other cats, but also a new baby in the family, a new puppy, the fact that a partner has moved in, a neighbour's cat staring in the windows, etc. It is therefore important to clarify everything with the owner.

Again, it is not an either/or: even if physical problems have been found, which may be a contributing factor, there may also be behavioral problems. If the cat has had physical bladder problems due to stress, the cause of the cat's stress should also be addressed. Otherwise, you may be dealing with multiple physical relapses.

As mentioned, inappropriate toileting can be a very complex and complicated problem to solve - but sometimes it is not that difficult. 

There are two very basic questions in particular, one must not forget to ask the owner of an house-soiling cat:

1: Is it neutered?

Intact male cats in particular have an increased tendency to spray urine, compared to neutered cats. Intact female cats can also urinate inappropriately during their heat. But both neutered male and female cats can naturally also begin to urinate inappropriately and mark their territory by spraying it with urine. Some owners think that is a physical impossibility.

2: Does it have access to litter boxes?

If the cat does not have access to litter boxes within the home, I don't think that this can be deemed as inappropriate urination. Many owners expect the cat to always go to the toilet outside, when it e.g. has a cat flap. But in many urban areas there are no areas of bare soil where the cats can dig - which is part of their natural toilet behaviour. In some seasons the ground is frozen or too wet to be used. In addition, there may be strange cats outside, which makes the cat too nervous to go to the toilet there: It is a vulnerable position for a cat, to sit and urinate and particularly to defecate. Finally, the advantage of having multiple litter trays is also that the owner can keep an eye on what urine and faeces look like, how much comes - or doesn't come - and other factors that are important for assessing the cat's state of health.

When the owner does not want a physical examination:

Some owners hesitate to have the cat examined by the vet. This can be the case for several reasons, for example:

- The owner himself is convinced that the reason is purely behavioural. Here it is important to make the owner aware that behavioural causes such as stress can indeed make the cat less clean within the home - but that stress can also lead to physical illness in the cat. Therefore, it should be examined by the vet, even if there are signs that there is also a behavioural cause for the problem. If we treat behaviour but ignore physical illness, the problem will not be resolved. And vice versa: If we only treat the physical condition, but do not look at the behavioural nature of the matter, the problem will typically continue or even progress further.

- The owner does not want to spend money on a vet visit. Here it is important to explain that you can end up spending a fortune on behavioural help and aids such as pheromones, stress- and anxiety-relieving supplements, cleaning products, new litter boxes, discarded carpets, pillows, sofas, etc., if you do not get the cat examined and treated for possible physical illness.

- The cat is afraid of its transport box and of the vet visit itself: I can also help them correct that and the owner is very welcome to book an appointment in the app for advice on transport and vet visits with me. 

If the owner does not want behavioral advice:

- Sometimes by dissolving urinary crystals or by treating the cat for diabetes solves the problem by itself. But often there will also be a behavioral issue that needs to be addressed. If it for example has been painful for the cat to urinate or defecate for a period of time, the cat may associate the litter box with pain and therefore avoid using it. In such cases, the owner may need help teaching the cat to become comfortable using a litter box again.

 - Some owners think that behavioural assessment consists of aura reading, distant healing and the likes – and do not want to spend money on that sort of thing. Here we can inform them that fortunately there are trained professionals who work solely as pet behaviourists and whose work is based on scientifically certified methods.

 - The important message is that there is still the possibility of solving the toileting problem, even if it does not disappear completely when the physical disease is treated. Some owners would very much like to help the cat and continue with treatment, but do not know that there is an option to get behavioural therapy - and therefore choose euthanasia, even though it is not what they really want.

Conclusion

 1: All cats displaying signs of inappropriate urination and defecation should be examined by the vet.

2: All physically ill cats and those which display signs of inappropraite urination should also be offered behavioural assistance.

Suggested procedure for cats who soil within the home:

 1: Ask if the cat has been neutered. If not, you can talk about the benefits of getting it done.

 2: Ask if the cat has access to litter boxes. If not, you can explain why you can't call it inappropriate urination if it doesn't have access to litter boxes in the home - and recommend that it gets one.

 3: If the answer to questions 1 and 2 is yes, you should always recommend a physical examination of the cat. It is urgent if the cat has stopped urinating.

 4: Also always refer to a registered cat behaviourist, regardless of whether physical problems have been identified with the cat or not.