Urinating outside the litter box – the behavioural side of the story…

Urinating outside the litter box – the behavioural side of the story…

In my previous blog post, I described the most common medical reasons for urination issues in cats. If your cat is urinating outside the box and all urine testing yields normal results we are most likely dealing with a behavioural issue. So then the detective work begins: why is your cat peeing outside the litter box? There are many different reasons for this. If you’ve recently changed to a new type of litter, this could be the reason. If the litter box has been moved or is in a high traffic, noisy area, this could create an aversion. It is best to place the litter box in a quiet, out-of-the-way area. Is the litter box covered? Cats tend to prefer an uncovered litter box. Is the litter large enough? Bigger cats need bigger litter boxes. We recommend that you have 1 more litter box than the number of cats you have in the household. This ensures that all cats have access to their preferred box in case there are territorial issues. It is important to clean the litter box daily and dump all contents and wash the box weekly to monthly. If you have a multi-story household, having a litter box on each level is best. It is important to thoroughly clean the area your cat has soiled with an enzymatic urine cleaner as any lingering smell of urine can trigger them to mark the area again. Try your best to keep clothing and bags off the floor as these are often target areas. If the peeing outside of the box continues in spite of these tips, we move on to other possibilities. 
Is there a change in the household? – a guest? a new baby? a new pet? renovations? Any change in the environment can create anxiety in your sensitive kitty and lead to “protest” peeing. In other words, your cat pees outside the box to let you know that they are not happy with these changes. If your cat seems anxious, we recommend trying a product called Feliway. It comes in a liquid that plugs into the wall and diffuses a feline facial pheromone that calms anxious cats. It also comes in a spray which can be used for particular areas. There is also a litter box additive called Cat Attract that can help to encourage fickle cats to use the litter box, and a diet called “Royal Canin Veterinary Diet – Calm” that can also help reduce anxiety. When all else fails and your cat continues to urinate around the house, there are daily oral medications such as Fluoxetine or Clomipramine that can be used to calm your cat’s anxiety and thereby stop the unwanted accidents. If your kitty is having urine accidents, give us call so we can help return them to using the litter box.