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Wednesday, January 21, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
When your cat
starts thinking
outside the box
Unlike many pets, cats
arrive in your home with
few requirements. Cats crave
a high-quality food, seek a
safe, stimulating environ-
ment, and will cuddle up
when given lots of love. And,
of course, they need vet-
erinary care and a few sunlit
window perches.
But there is one very
important thing that every
indoor cat or kitten needs: a
litter box and suitable litter.
Inappropriate elimination
is the most common reason
cats are given up to shelters
and one of the most common
problems that people seek
veterinary advice. However,
by understanding your cat’s
behavior and a little patience,
most pet parents and their
furry feline friends can over-
come any issues they have
with litter boxes. The good
news is only about 10 per-
cent of all cats develop elimi-
nation problems.
There are many reasons
why some cats bypass the
litter box and go elsewhere.
The cause may be a medical
condition or stress-induced
changes in the household or
the litter box itself. It’s up to
you as your furry friend’s pet
parent to become a pet detec-
tive and track down clues.
Most cats are happy to
use a litter box because their
instinct is to bury their urine
and feces, so if your cat stops
using the litter box, there
may be a medical problem.
As with a change in groom-
ing habits, a departure from
litter box etiquette is a reason
to contact your vet as soon as
possible. Many medical con-
ditions can cause a change in
a cat’s litter box habits. Once
your vet examines your furry
friend and gives her a clean
bill of health, you can inves-
tigate why your cat is elimi-
nating inappropriately.
It’s not to make you mad
or to get revenge. Actually
the number one reason a
healthy cat will stop using
her litter box is because her
litter box is dirty.
Cats are very clean ani-
mals. Look at how fastidi-
ous they are about grooming
themselves. Your cat also has
a keen sense of smell, so you
can imagine how offensive it
is for Kitty to have to elimi-
nate in an unclean litter box.
Keeping your cat’s litter
box up to standards is very
important. And that means
scooping out your furry
friends litter box daily. How
often you replace the litter
depends on the number of
cats you have, the number of
litter boxes you have, and the
type of litter you use. It’s not
as complicated as it sounds.
Too often people forget
that their furry friends’ lit-
ter box usage needs to be
addressed from the cat’s
point of view, not the pet
parent’s. There are endless
possibilities of how to cor-
rect the behavioral problem
of inappropriate elimination
when you keep that in mind.
For instance, Kitty’s litter
box may be too small or too
large or the litter may be too
scented for her liking. Or her
litter box may be placed in an
out-of-the-way spot to mini-
mize odor that bothers you.
Think like a Realtor for a
moment, because with cats
it’s all about location, loca-
tion, location when it comes
to litter boxes.
Cats like their litter boxes
in quiet areas that provide
them with privacy. In your
home, that could mean in
the master bathroom or in
the den. Resist stashing lit-
ter boxes in high-traffic areas
like the laundry room, or in
a place that is hard to get to;
she may not use it.
Keep the box far away
from her food and water
bowls.
If you have more than one
cat, veterinarians and ani-
mal behaviorists recommend
one litter box per cat plus
one extra. Giving your cats
choices increases the likeli-
hood that they will routinely
use a box instead of choosing
a corner of the living room.
If one cat stakes out one box,
the other cat still has a place
to go. And if you have a two-
story home, place a litter box
on each level because the
more accessible they are, the
more they will be used.
The size of a litter box
photo by Jodi sChneider mCnamee
Chai knows where to do her business.
matters, too. The majority of
cats prefer large boxes that
they can enter easily. And
most cats like a shallow bed
of litter, so providing one
or two inches is better than
three or four.
And sometimes it‘s the
litter that’s the problem.
Give Kitty a choice of litter
types. Cats generally prefer
non-scented clumping litter
with a medium to fine texture
like sand. Scented litter may
make you feel good, but the
smell may be overpowering
to your cat.
Remember that cats have
a sensitive sense of smell and
touch to help them navigate
through their environment.
These sensitivities can also
influence your cat’s reaction
to her litter. So cats that have
grown accustomed to a cer-
tain litter might decide that
they dislike the smell or feel
of a different litter because
you decided to try a new
brand.
During your detective
work remember to clean the
soiled areas well. Cats are
highly motivated to continue
soiling an area that smells
like urine or feces.
Your cat may elimi-
nate outside the box due to
stress. Cats can be stressed
by events that their pet par-
ents may not think of as
traumatic. Cats don’t like
change, so it could be mov-
ing the placement of your
cat’s litter box or adding new
pets to the household. Or it
could be something as sim-
ple as changing your daily
routine.
Remember to be patient
and try to understand your
cat’s behavior problem from
her point of view. Watch
Kitty closely, and through
the process of elimination
(no pun intended) you should
eventually find out why your
furry family member has
decided to think outside the
box.
FURRY FRIEND S
501 ( c )( 3 )
FOUNDATION
PET COAT DRIVE
WE HAVE COATS AND SWEATERS!
If you are in need of one for your dog,
please stop by The Nugget offi ce.
Also some available at the
Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank.
All Sizes are needed. New or
clean and in good condition, please.
Donations may be dropped off at
The Nugget office at 442 E. Main Ave.
www.FurryFriendsFoundation.org
Furry Friends Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization