Dealing with Cats Urinating Inappropriately
One of the reasons why cat owners give up on their cats is their pet’s tendency to urinate in places other than their litter box, a behavior also called inappropriate elimination. Cats urinating inappropriately are not uncommon, and there are several reasons why they behave this way. If your cat begins to urinate anywhere although it is trained to use the litter box, then you should find out what could be causing this behavior.
As always, the first step is to rule out sickness as the reason for change in behavior. Cats with urinary problems may tend to avoid using the litter box because urinating has become painful for them, and they associate the pain with the litter box. You should have your cat checked for possible medical problems.
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Having more than one cat at home may make it difficult for you to tell which one is guilty of inappropriate elimination. If this is the case, then you should take all your cats to the vet. The vet can give your cats something that will produce a particular stain in their urine, which makes it easy for you to identify the cat with the problem. This stain can be seen using ultraviolet light.
Cats urinating outside the litter box may be caused by other factors aside from health problems. One of these is jealousy of new cats, pets, or people at home. Cats are sensitive when it comes to attention. They can easily tell if you are lavishing much of your affections on other things other than them, and they want to feel reassured that you still care for them. When there is a new cat, dog, or even a new baby at home that is taking your attention, your cat may feel jealous, and this jealousy can be displayed in appropriate elimination.
Another reason for cats urinating inappropriately is anxiety caused by new surroundings. If you have just recently moved to a new place, your cat may feel insecure in unfamiliar territory. Your cat may feel anxious about the new environment, and this anxiety can show through certain behaviors such as not using the litter box.
Cats urinating inappropriately may also be an indication that it’s time to clean the litter box. Cats are finicky animals. They don’t like to be around unclean environment, and they will refuse to use a litter box that smells.
Declawed cats can manifest inappropriate elimination. You may observe that your cat intentionally avoids the litter box after it has been declawed. This is because the rough particles in the litter box may be painful for your cat’s paws. You should change the litter you are using to a softer material so it will not be painful for your declawed cat to use the litter.
Cats urinating outside the litter box may also be caused by something trivial, such as putting the litter box to a different place. Cats like routines, and oftentimes they won’t like it when you change things that they have been used to. If you want to move the litter box, do it gradually, moving it for short distances at a time.