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try and solve these issues* Original document found at Ragdoll Rescue NW. Learn about www.ragdollrescue.com. Visit the site map to find more usefull info at RRNW! Please feel free to link to this page or use this page as a reference. But please keep the RRNW credit notes intact. Thank you | |
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So you have a cat who decides to use your bed/floor/clothes/furniture/bathtub (well you get the point) as a place to potty or poo instead of it's litter box! Follow the steps below for possible causes and there solutions.
1. First get your kitty vet checked for a possible urinary tract infection! If your kitty checked out ok at the vet then the mystery begins! Oh come on everyone loves to solve a mystery right? 2. Has there been any significant changes in the household recently? Cats hate change more than anything! Moving, change in family dynamics (adding or missing a family member) fighting among family members, new pet, lost old pet, new litter box, new litter, new food, new cat in the hood challenging his territory by fighting or marking your yard, change in work schedule (more or less time at home) any number of things changed can cause a cat to become upset. So make a list of anything you can think of that has changed then decide if you can make it better somehow for the cat to deal with it. 3. Always clean all areas that have been exposed to urine or feces with Simple Solution it really does work! You may think you have gotten the spot clean but a cats nose is so much better than ours if you don't use a enzyme cleaner you are not getting it clean! There are others on the market but I like SS because is really does work the first time and every time! And always keep the litter box clean! 4. Try using Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter. Read a testimonial on the use of this litter and where to get it. Many cats prefer a certain litter if you have changed a brand get some of what they like. Many cats prefer a fine grained litter to dig in and a cats nose is very sensitive so try not to use a scented litter. Some cats will do better with 2 boxes. Always place boxes on each level of the home in quiet private places. Some cats prefer open boxes some covered boxes always make sure the box is large enough for the size of your cat to get in, stand up and turn around comfortably in. Most cats like at least 3 inches of litter to dig in. If you have several cats the rule of thumb is have one more box than you have cats! 5. Never physically or emotionally punish a cat, it only makes the situation worse! Try and solve the problem and give a lot of extra attention when kitty is not mis-behaving. 6. Feliway Stress Reducer Hey, cats can get stressed, too! Helpful for calming a cat down, it puts the friendly hormone scent from the cheek in the air. It reduces or completely eliminates stress-related behavior including urine marking, vertical scratching, loss of appetite and reduced desire to play or interact. Great for new kittens. Found at Petsmart. Feliway Plug-in and Feliway Behavior Modification Kit Comfort Zone With Feliway Stress Reducer at Walmart 7. If you have given all these things a try and still no luck ask your vet about trying an anti-anxiety med like Amitriptyline or Busbar. 8. If all else fails sometimes retraining them to use the litter box can work by putting cat in a large cage or bathroom with litter box, food, water and a bed. Do this till kitty has been consistently using the box for a while then try letting him/her out only when you are home and always give lots of attention! 9. If any of these above do not woirk and you have exhuasted most of your options. Then as the last resort, is to make your kitty an outdoor kitty with a nice house/shelter and a securely cat fenced in yard, I recommend bringing kitty into the garage at night and in from bad weather and keeping marked areas cleaned with SS, or if you have no financial worry's give kitty his/her own room that is only filled with easily cleaned surfaces and all his amenities. Do not ever declaw a cat! There are other options available and many declawed cats are prone to litter box issues! Not to mention the pain that sometimes never goes away, as well as making them defenseless if they should find themselves outside! *Declawing, what you should know and its alternatives* *Cat Attract Litter* A testimonial from a person who uses Dr. Elsey's cat attract litter. "I have read quite a bit that many cats are surrenders due to litterbox issues. Well, I was in Petsmart and I overheard a lady ask the salesgirl...where can I find the cat litter for cat's who poo on the carpet? It's call Dr. Elsey's cat attract litter. Found at Petsmart pet stores. The company guarantee's it. So, I'm thinking...riiiight. I have a little monster who has refused to poo in the litterbox. I have puppy pads in all her favorite places. So, I bought some of this stuff. And by god...I have not had ANY on the carpet! I practically did the happy table dance when she went IN the litterbox. I have 3 of them in the house, and yes she selected the ONE filled with this special litter. It's not cheap by any means, but I thought I'd share and perhaps when people are looking to surrender the question can be posed have you tried this litter? I use Nature's miracle to clean spots but this litter is working out so far! YEAH!" Janet - RRNW member |