Q    Ever since my son's cat moved in with my family it has been urinating and defecating just outside its litter box. I clean the box several times a day and I have tried many different kinds of litter, but to no avail.  Do you have any idea why this cat may be doing this and what can I do about it?
 
A    There are a zillion reasons a cat might suddenly choose to eliminate outside of the litter box.  Last week I discussed one of these reasons: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD).  When a cat has FLUTD there is inflammation in the bladder that causes irritation during urination.  Thus the cat associates discomfort with the litter box and begins to look for other places  to urinate and defecate.  FLUTD or some other inflammatory condition or infection is the most likely cause for a cat to begin to eliminate outside the box.  Therefore, if your cat has suddenly started to urinate or defecate outside the box, see your veteriarian immediately.  He or she will want to test a urine sample and a fecal sample to search for evidence of inflammation, infection or worms.  If however the samples come up clean, then you have to think of other causes for Feline Inappropriate Elimination (FIE).
 If your cat's urine and fecal tests are normal, be sure to have a good physical exam and basic bloodwork performed to make sure that there is not another physical cause for FIE.  Anything from high blood pressure to arthritis can cause a behavioral change such as FIE.
 If your veteriarian doesn't find any physical cause for FIE, then we have to consider causes of psychological stress.  Many cats will mark their terriroty if they have been stressed by a move, have had a change in owner or if they detect another cat nearby.  These cats will back their rear end up to a vertical surface such as a wall, door or piece of furniture and spray urine horizontally onto this upright surface.  They will ususally urinate and defecate normally in the litter box when they aren't marking, and this is especially prevalent in cats that are not spayed or neutered.  Marking near doors and windows often indicates that the cat has seen or heard another cat outside the house.  Any type of stress can trigger marking behavior, so they may do it after being punished for some other behavior such as scratching the furinture. Punishing a cat is extremely stressful and generally unsuccessful, so I never recommend punishment when trying to alter any behavior in a cat.
 Marking behavior is treated by spaying or neutering the affected cat.  Closing the blinds and windows might help by blocking the cat's view of outdoor cats.  As a last resort, antianxiety medications can be used if the underlying cause of the cat's stress cannot be eliminated.
 Often cats will have an aversion to using a dirty litter box or to using a box that has been previously used by another cat.  Simply scooping the litter frequently will not solve this problem.  If you have a cat with litter box aversion, then you will need to find space for at least one more box than the number of cats residing in the household.  If you have one cat, you need at least two boxes.  If you have two cats, you need three boxes and so on.  Sometimes these boxes can be placed near each other but often one of the boxes will need to be placed where the cat has been inappropriately eliminating.  In the case considered here,  placing a brand new box right next to the  old one may do the trick.  Cats with litter box aversion need all of their boxes cleaned with soap and water (no disinfectants or deodorizers) and dried in the sunshine weekly. If you are using scoopable litter, all the litter boxes should be scooped twice a day.  If you are using clay or crystal litter then you may need to dump and clean the box everyday.
Cats choose where they eliminate by how the surface feels on their feet.  Some cats simply don't like the type of litter you have chosen for them.  Some prefer the feel of carpet or the bathroom sink.  If this is your cat, try to switch to something that feels and smells more natural to them.  There are some litters made for this problem that seem to work well, but I have found that many of these cats will responds if you use real sand (like you buy for sand boxes) or the cheapest, unscented, old-fashioned clay litter.  You do have to dump these daily, but that is a small task compared to cleaning up messes in the living room.  Cats who prefer carpet may respond to using carpet remnants in one of the litter boxes.  You can just toss these out and get more from any carpet store.  Cats who prefer cool smooth surfaces may like an empty litter box that you just dump in the toilet and clean out after each use.  Whatever you find your cat likes, after a few months of using the litter box, you will probably be able to slowly introduce some type of preferable litter by using just a little at a time.  Eventually  you can often move extra litter boxes just a few inches at a time until they are back in the room that you prefer.
Cats with litter box aversion hate covered boxes.  Avoid these like the plague until your cat is eliminating appropriately.  Many cats are also stressed by those self-cleaning boxes.  If it comes on while they are inside or nearby they may be skittish of litter boxes forever.
Many people keep litter boxes in the laudry room or even on top of the dryer.  If your cat has litter box aversion, try moving the box to a more quiet room.  Washers and dryers really scare cats with their erratic vibrations and noises.  Also make sure that dogs and children cannot bother a cat while it is in its box.  One unhappy experience in the box and a cat may never go back.
Keep food and water well away from the litter box.  Cats instinctively will not want to eat and drink near the area where they defecate.  Also be sure that litter boxes are large.  Cats need to be able to scratch around and find just the right place.  If you follow these tips most cats can recover from FIE.   But, it does take a lot of work on the part of the owner.  There is not a simiple pill to fix this problem, so be patient, provide your cat with lots of exercise, stimulation and play-time and everyone will live happily together.


Dr. Katherine A. Saenger, DVM, owns Bees Ferry Veterinary Hospital and Boarding Kennel (www.beesferry.com) and is a former board member of the Charleston Animal Society (formerly John Ancrum SPCA.) If you have questions about pet behavior or health, or suggestions for column topics, e-mail her at vetsaenger@bellsouth.net, and watch the column in coming weeks for her responses. See more columns at www.moultrienews.com.