If your cat is going to pee or defecate outside its toilette, it is only seldom just an issue of training or hygiene. Cats are clever animals and they have no trouble to understand, where to go to toilette. Therefore, if they don’t abide the rules of hygiene, you must seek the issue somewhere else.
For instance, my cat learned to go to the toilette by itself. I brought her in as a kitten and I must note, that she was an outdoor kitten, she has never lived in a flat before. However, she understood immediately what the little box was for and from the very beginning, she was duly using the toilette. I didn’t have to explain anything to her. But she does sometimes pee outside the toilette. In her case, it’s plainly a revenge. Whether it’s because she had to ask for her evening pouch twice or I refused to stroke her when she wanted me to. Not using the toilette can have several reasons.
When cats pee and defecate outside their toilette, it can be territorial behaviour. Mainly in uncastrated tomcats. But if you castrate the tomcat after it has started with marking, he can even keep at this behaviour. Even female cats can start marking. Especially, when they feel threatened in their position or territory. For instance, if a new cat comes into the family, or a dog or, for instance, even a child or a new partner. Some can be derailed even just by a mere human visit or smell of a different cat on the clothes of their owner.
The causes vary
As you surely know, cats mark also by scratching. To solve the issue, it can help when you put scratching posts in places where the cat marks. If you think, that the cat minds the new arrival into the family, this person should simply start fawn over to her: start offering it its favourite treats, start playing with it. But they should never try for a closer contact forcefully. The remainder of the family should devote more time and attention to the cat, so that it wouldn’t feel threatened in its position.
If the marking started with the arrival of a new cat, you should keep the cats separated at first and they should each have their own toilette at their disposal. As soon as they get used to their mutual presence, the issues should fade away. However, there are also individuals that will never get used to a new cat and they suffer mentally.
When it comes to the relations to people and the surroundings, the cat is a very complex and sensitive creature. By not abiding by the rules of hygiene, the cat is capable of showing that it is unsatisfied with something. It can be a new piece of furniture, a smell, or perhaps a change of the daily rituals. Or it is just asking for more attention this way. For example, it can try to point out to you, that it has some kind of a health issue. That always must be ruled out.
A crucial thing is to have enough toilettes. There always should be at least one more toilette in the household than there are cats. In case there’s one cat, there should be two, for two cats three toilettes and so on.
The placement of toilettes is also important. They should be in a calm, not very frequented place, where the cat will have enough privacy. This can be helped also with a purchase of a covered toilette. I made a wooden box for one of these toilettes, which doesn’t disrupt the room’s interior in any way and besides that, our dog doesn’t get to the fouled litter, as it would be very happy in its generosity to “help” me with the cleaning :). The toilette should not be placed even next to a feeding bowl or by a favourite bed.
We also shouldn’t forget regular, and most importantly, timely cleaning of litter. Every cat has a different level of fouling tolerance and after it has been surpassed, it will start looking for an alternative place to do one’s needs. For example, my cat has really high tolerance, I sometimes marvel at it during cleaning that the poor thing still goes there :). But I also know cats, that go to a toilette once or twice and they never think of it again. Sometimes, you can solve this issue just by changing the type of litter.
Forget about punishment
Take care never to resort to punishment. This usually just deepens the issue, and doesn’t solve it. A cat considers a punishment from a person that it trusts to be cruelty and betrayal and it only worsens its mental instability and stress. It is always necessary to find and remove the cause.
Always thoroughly clean the fouled place. When the cat still smells its smell from the place, it will provoke it to come here to defecate repeatedly. Some cats are discouraged by the smell of rue, lemon or orange bark. However, count with that, that if you don’t remove the cause of the problem, the cat will find a new spot.
If nothing helps, you can try pheromone products, therapy by Bach drops, homeopathic drugs or calming medicine. Before its use, however, you should always consult a veterinarian.
Keep in mind, that cats will never defecate outside the toilette without a reason. And to solve this issue, a significant activity of the owner will always be necessary. It is a cat’s way to communicate, a warning, that the cat is feeling some discomfort. And it’s also up to you to remove this discomfort from the cat’s life, to the satisfaction of both sides.
Did you tackle similar issues homeopatikum with your cats? Have you got your own proven method, how to teach cats to use a toilette?
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