Yesterday’s blog describe the P.E.T. Test for helping figure out the WHY of poor bathroom behavior. It can be due to physical health, emotional issues or traits of instinct.
How do you fix these challenges issues?
If it’s due to a “P” problem (physical health), once the vet diagnoses the situation the medical treatment often will also solve the behavior. For instance, treating the diabetes or kidney failure can reduce the output of urine so the cat once again can get to the facilities in time.
Occasionally the cat’ just so big he “hangs over” the side of a standard box, and an innovated solution (maybe an extra--large storage bin) can help. If arthritis makes it difficult for your aging cat to climb into the box, appropriate medications may ease the discomfort, or offering a box with lower sides make it easier to navigate.
But cats have a memory for bad experiences. So if kitty remembers that it HURT to go to the bathroom, he may blame the box even after the constipation or cystitis has resolved. In these cases, simply getting rod of the old box that has the bad association, and providing a new one can work wonders.
When the behavior results from traits of instinct, simply listen to the cat. She won’t use a dirty box so keep it clean. He can’t help his hormones, so neuter him--you’ll reduce spraying by up to 80 percent simply by having him or her fixed.
Too many cats pretty much guarantees you’ll have litter box lapses. Even spayed and neutered kitties get their tails in a twist and baptize their territory in the face of too much competition for space. And rankly, some cats hate to share the toilet--so they go elsewhere.
Add litter boxes. A good rule of paw is the 1+1 rule. Have at least one box per cat, plus one. Cats that own a different box for liquids and another for solids welcome the extra facilities. Also, in a multiple cat household, it’s common for one cat to “own” a particular box or location so the other felines don’t dare trespass. Placing more boxes in different locations prevents a single litter box from being guarded.
