Cat behaviourist and Animal Planet’s “My Cat from Hell” TV show host, Jackson Galaxy, says a cat who all of a sudden begins to eliminate outside his litter box is marking territory because of insecurities, he’s dealing with a physical issue i.e stress or health problems, , or there is a litter box problem. Galaxy suggests ruling out a physical ailment with an immediate vet visit.
“Make sure your cat’s not acting out from a physical thing,” Galaxy says.
Health issues like urinary tract inflammation or infection can cause a cat to urinate in unusual places if she associates the litter box with painful urination. Bathtubs are common places cats go if urinating is painful for them.
If a health problem is not the culprit, you’ll need to consider other possibilities like stress related marking or even the litter box itself. Clean-up will be important to prevent the cat from returning to that same spot over and over again.
If your cat is spraying or marking territory, consider having your male cat neutered. If your neutered cat is spraying in your multi-cat household, try setting up separate living areas for the animals so they feel they have their own personal territory in the house. If that’s not practical, be sure to give them plenty of hiding places and perches that enable them to easily retreat to avoid each other.
Here are some tips to stop your cat from urinating in the bathtub or any other inappropriate places:
- Address the soiled spots – Be sure to clean up any areas right away so that your cat doesn’t think that spot is acceptable. If left untreated, the smell will continue to linger and lure the cat back for another elimination.
- More than one litter box – Provide more than one litter box so your cat can find it easily. You should have one box per cat, plus an extra one. So if you have a multi-cat household, you’ll need to keep that in mind.
- Location is important – Make sure the litter box is easily accessible and convenient to use. If you have a multi-level home, you’ll want to provide a litter box for your cat on every level. If you find she’s going in one particular spot, try moving the litter box to where she’s eliminating. Not the most ideal location? Slowly move it to a more desirable place once she’s returning to the box to do her business.
- Open or closed? – If your cat seems to dislike her litter box, try another style. Some cats like eliminating in an open litter box while others might prefer an enclosed container. If one style of litter box doesn’t work, simply try something different, or offer both to see which the cat prefers. Cats are naturally curious. A new model might be just what draws her back in!
- Litter issues – Have you changed the type of litter you’re using? Cats typically don’t like change once they’ve gotten used to going in a certain type of litter.
- Dirty litter box – Is the litter box dirty or too small for the cat to adequately do business? A cat will not find padding around in a dirty litter box pleasant, especially if it’s not sized appropriately. In fact, he’d rather eliminate in a clean area outside the litter box than stomp around in his own waste. Scoop the litter once a day. Completely clean the box and scooper, and replace the litter at least once a month.
- Positive reinforcement – Avoid scolding your cat if he makes a mistake. Punishment will only add to his stress and prolong the inappropriate urination.
- Seek help – If after you’ve tried a number of things and your kitty is still eliminating everywhere but in her litter box, it might be time to call in a certified professional cat behaviourist or chat to your vet.
Information courtesy of https://modkat.com/