Is your pet cat urinating outside the box? Below are some ideas to help treat the behavioral aspect of this problem. If your cat fails to improve, is not urinating, acts sick, or urinates small amounts frequently this could be a sign of a medical problem. We recommend checking a urine sample to rule out a medical problem first. We can obtain the sample at the clinic, or we do have a kit for collection of the sample at home.
Number of litter boxes- should be 1 more box than the number of cats in the household. Ex- 3 cats= 4 boxes.
Location of boxes- in quiet easily accessible areas. Not in a laundry room. If your house has multiple floors, the boxes should be on multiple levels of the house.
Cleanliness- Sift the solids and remove at least 1-2 times daily. Change the entire litter pan, scrub and clean thoroughly with a non-perfumed cleaner weekly. I use Feline Odor Neutralizer to remove the odors and freshen my litter boxes.
Size- the bigger the better!
Litter- most cats prefer clumping over non. If changing litters, do so by mixing the two litter types together and gradually increase the amount of new litter over a week or two, and providing a box with the old litter as an option.
Covers- depends on the cats preference- offer both to determine.
Cat Attract/Litter Magnet- a litter additive to make the box more appealing.
Place a scratching post or carpet around the outside of the box, so that the cat can stretch and scratch after using the box.
Make the prohibited areas unappealing
Clean soiled carpets or furniture thoroughly with an enzymatic pet deoderizer (Feline EliminOdor- we carry)
Apply odors that are unpleasant to your cat, like orange peels or pungent perfumes in places where your cat has eliminated.
Place irritating textures over the prohibited areas- double sided tape, sandpaper, aluminum foil, upside down plastic carpet runners.
Set booby traps, like balloons or bells, over the forbidden areas.
Place your cat's food bowls or toys on the area, as cats typically won't eliminate near their food source.