Inappropriate Elimination (House-Soiling) in Cats

Inappropriate Elimination (House-Soiling) in Cats

Despite the cat’s reputation for fastidious cleanliness, house-soiling is the number one behavior problem of our feline friends.  Many cats are turned outside, given away, or even put to sleep for this behavior problem.

Urinating in odd places can mean a behavior problem, a territorial marking problem or some sort of social or environmental problem, and sometimes the differences are not clear cut.  Several factors may be in play an some conditions involve the medical symptoms from psychological stress.

Should the Approach be Medical?

There are several medical conditions that can lead a cat to inappropriate urination and these should be ruled out so as not to get on the wrong track.  The cat will need to be examined and have some diagnostics performed.  Conditions to rule out, in part, depend on the age of the cat as young adult cats tend to get different diseases than do senior cats.  Here are some conditions to be ruled out:

• Bladder infection (common in senior cats, unusual in young adult cats)

• Bladder stone (more common in female cats but can happen to any animal)

• Conditions that lead to excessive water consumption (there are probably a dozen such conditions but most of them are more common in older cats and can be ruled out with a basic blood panel)

• Arthritis (usually an older cat problem.  Often these cats will urinate next the box or near it because they cannot squat properly or can no longer step into a high-walled litter box)

• Bladder tumor (not common but still a consideration if there is straining to urinate and/or bloody urine)

• Constipation (frequently leads to the cat passing stool in any number of places and is generally characterized by straining to defecate and small, very hard stools).

Of special note is the condition currently referred to as feline idiopathic cystitis.  This condition amounts to physical manifestations of anxiety where the cat not only may urinate inappropriately but also strains painfully in the litter box, and produces bloody urine.  A male cat can actually obstruct his urinary tract, creating a medical emergency.  This is a common condition in young adult cats, but is uncommon in older cats. 

As mentioned, your veterinarian should evaluate your cat medically before you conclude that the problem is behavioral and you embark on a long-term behavioral approach.

Urine Marking/Territorial Anxiety

Cats use urination and defecation as a means of communication with other cats.  By leaving their mark, they are telling other cats “I was here on this date at this time”.  Other cats may then know this land has been claimed (or perhaps not recently been claimed) and may act accordingly.  Cats also mark by rubbing their faces on objects and scratching vertically on surfaces.  

Psychological stress, such as the presences of other cats, moving to a new home, prolonged or sudden absence of the owner (who is usually viewed as a parent by the pet cat), noisy construction outside, visiting humans or other animals, or even new furniture may create a need for a cat to reassert a territorial claim.  Signs that this kind of stress is causing the problem include some or all of the following:

• Spraying on a upright surface

• Urinating in the litter box sometimes and sometimes urinating elsewhere (as opposed to never using the box at all)

• Defecating in the cat box but urinating outside the box

• The cat (either male or female) is not neutered

• There has been a change at home leading to the cat to feel a need to reassert territorial boundaries.  Examples: a new pet has been added, a new roommate has been added, a recent move to a new home has occurred, remodeling has been done, the owner recently returned from a vacation, other neighborhood cats are visible or can be smelled in the yard

• The area marked is near a door or window

• The problem did not start until the furniture was added or rearranged

• The cat appears to be responding to a punishment for another behavior

• The area marked involved the owner’s bed or laundry

• The area marked is the same each time

Odor eliminators should be used in marked areas to discourage the cat’s tendency to return to these areas.

If any of these scenarios seem to fit, anti-anxiety medications may be helpful if the source of the stress cannot be identified or altered.  Your vet can recommend the appropriate medication for your cat.

Other Products for Anxiety

Several products that help with anxiety are noteworthy, especially in situations where a cat in not amenable to taking medication or there is a medical condition that precludes medication.

Pheromone Sprays and Diffusers

Feliway spray is for the area being marked rather than a medication administered directly to the cat.  The spray consists of feline pheromones of the type that cats deposit when performing facial marking (i.e. rubbing their face/cheeks on things to scent mark).  These pheromones provide a message in the cat’s own language proclaiming that the territory is secure and there is nothing to worry about.  This confers a general calming effect and reduces the cat’s interest in marking.  Feliway is available as a spray to apply to marking surfaces or a s plug-in diffuser that spreads pheromones through the room.  Diffusers last approximately one month.

Note: Neutering is the first step in addressing this problem.  Hormonal motivations to mark territory are potent and must be removed from the picture.

Dietary Supplements

Alpha-casozepine is a natural protein contained in milk and is responsible for the calming features of drinking warm milk.  It is available in pill form and it has been formulated into calming diets.  It is not particularly sedating but has anti-anxiety properties helpful in creating a more “zen” brain-chemistry.  L-theonine is derived from green tea leaves and is available in tablet form for dogs and cats, also for anxiety management.  Supplements such as these are compatible with the other therapies listed about and may be used in combination with pheromones or medications.

Litter Box Aversion/Environmental Factors

The following are clues that an inappropriate urination problem reflects a litter box aversion.

• Urination does not involve spraying vertical surfaces

• Both urination and defecation occur outside the litter box

• Two or more cats share a litter box (the current litter box recommendation is one box per cat plus one extra)

• A new brand of litter is suddenly being used

• The box is covered.  A covered bathroom area is highly unnatural for cats as the prefer better lighting for elimination and odors are concentrated in an enclosed area.

• The box is not changed frequently

• The has had a negative experience in the box (the cat was captured from the box or another cat ambushed them coming out)

• The litter box is in a heavy household traffic area

• The litter box is downstairs in a dark basement that no one ever goes to

• A puppy, dog or even a small child is bothering the cat while in the box

• The litter box is located near a noisy appliance

• Another cat in the household is a bully and/or controls access to resources such as food, rest areas or the litter box in a multi-cat household.

Cats with litter box aversion frequently require retraining to the box.  As a first step, the litter box situation must be made optimal.  If it is possible, an additional box should be provided.  If there are multiple floors to the home, there should be a box on each level.  The box should be 1 and a half times the length of the cat (not including the tail) or the cat will feel cramped.  Spread the boxes out in different locations in the house so they have some privacy and do not feel threatened by other cats who need to use it.

The box should not be in a high traffic area.  In a single cat home, the cat may have experienced something unpleasant in association with the current litter box and needs to be relocated.  It is important not to keep the cat’s food in a location near the box as the cat will not want to use the feeding area as a toilet.

Obviously, any litter boxes should be scooped daily or even twice daily and kept as clean as possible.  Clumping litter should be changed at least monthly and non-clumping litter should be changed twice weekly.  The box should be washed with soapy water or water alone with no strong-smelling disinfectants the might be objectionable to the cat.

There is a litter additive called Cat Attract, which is an herbal product designed to return the cat to the box.  This may be helpful in the retraining regimen.  If the difficulty is keeping the box clean, a self-cleaning box may be helpful.  On the other hand, some cats object to the moving parts on the self-cleaning boxes so use with caution.

As the next step, a different type of litter can be provided to see if the cat prefers one over the other.  Signs that a cat does not like the current litter include: sitting on the plastic lip of the litter box to eliminate, failure to dig a hole in the litter, and/or shaking the litter off the paws when exiting.

Some cats also do not like plastic liners in their boxes so these should be removed.  

If these tips are not effective in restoring the cat’s proper toilet behaviors, a behaviorist should be called in.  Please contact your veterinarian for recommendations.  

Many people waste time and effort on the wrong approach until they are at their wit’s end and considering euthanasia. Let your vet or a behaviorist help you sooner rather than later!

Published 1/1/2001, Revised 7/10/2018 in Veterinary Partner powered by VIN