Help Your Cat Think Inside the Litter Box
Cats are fantastic pets. They require almost no maintenance. They also take care of their own cleaning needs and are largely independent. Despite their ease of maintenance, there is one thing you must do regularly if your cat is to remain happy and healthy. Any ideas? If you said, clean the litter box, then you are on the money!
While your cat’s litter box may be a stinky part of your life, it’s a very important part of his! You should realize that a litter box can serve as a window into your cat’s health and happiness. A perfect example is the habit of inappropriate urination or inappropriate elimination (poo vs. pee), the most common cat-owner complaint. This one habit may be able to tell you a lot about how kitty is feeling physically or emotionally.
Should your cat suddenly choose your favorite pair of shoes as his new toilet, you know you have a problem on your hands beyond the obvious frustration this might cause you. Your cat may avoid its litter box for several reasons. A prime example is that you aren’t holding up your end of the partnership by keeping its box clean. Kitty is a tidy critter and expects you to keep its litter box empty. Failing to clean its box can lead to him deciding to creatively employ any number of undesirable locations as his new kitty toilet. So scoop their litter box (of both poop and pee) at least once daily.
Your realtor can tell you another reason your cat may opt for another spot. Location, location, location! Not only may your cat have a preferred location for its box to begin with, he may not take kindly to your changing that location after he’s grown comfortable with your first choice. Avoid noisy or high traffic areas. How would you like an audience when doing your business?
Cats tend to be creatures of habit. They are not usually fond of surprises. If you recently changed your cats litter and he suddenly starts peeing in your shoe, then I suggest going back to the litter you originally used. If you want to change litters, it is best to do so SLOWLY! Simply mix a small amount of the new litter in with the old and allow your cat to adjust. Eventually, you will eliminate the old litter all together and your cat wont know the difference. Can you say, sneaky!?
Another motive behind the litter madness is that kitty may dislike the scent or texture of the litter you have selected. You may need to try several types before you find a cat approved variety. Add this to the cats-are-finicky checklist.
Also, as a rule, you should have one litter box per cat in your household. If that sounds a little over the top, let me put it into human terms for you. Imagine being one of the last people to use a gas station restroom. That queasy stomach feeling you’ve just experienced is what your cat experiences when it’s the last kitty to come to the box. More boxes will give kitty more options. Of course, that comes at the added cost of you having more boxes to clean. But that’s certainly better than finding surprises in your laundry.
A more serious reason as to why your cat has suddenly decided to poop outside of his box would be because of an illness or medical issue. Cats will often associate pain or discomfort with their litter box, hence the reason they avoid it and head straight to your closet. Bladder stones, urinary tract infections and constipation are just a few of the medical conditions that often lead to inappropriate elimination and urination. If your cats bathroom behavior suddenly takes a turn for the worse, it is a good idea to take him to the veterinarian as soon as possible. The majority of the time, your vet can quickly determine your cats problem and offer assistance.
As important as it is to your cat, that litter box should also mean a lot to you. It affords you insight into your cat’s world and can tell you a lot about how happy and healthy kitty may be. Just be sure to keep it clean. To put it into human context, you prefer to do your business on a flushed toilet, right? If not, I need to write another article.
