Everyone knows that cats are clean creatures when they have been properly trained. So when a cat urinates outside its litter box, there is an underlying reason. William Haddon, an expert and behaviourist, weighed in on the potential causes and solutions so that you no longer have to clean up after your cat.
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Reasons your cat does its business outside the litter box
There are several possible reasons your cat is going to the bathroom outside its litter box:
- They may be stressed and ‘go' in response to this stress
- It may be a medical problem (infection, incontinence)
- Its litter box isn’t suitable (in terms of location, the tray, the type of litter you use…)
Try to understand what may have caused your cat to become stressed in the first place if you believe this is the reason for their new behaviour (a noise near the little box for example) or consult a veterinarian if you think there may be a medical explanation. When you have ruled out these two options, the problem is likely to be the little box itself.
How to clean your cat’s litter box
To make sure your cat does its business in its toilet and not on your nice new carpet, you have to make sure that the litter tray is suitable for your cat. Here are a few things to consider:
- The litter box has to be in a quiet, easily-accessible location
- You have to use suitable litter in the bottom of the tray
- The litter has to be regularly cleaned and emptied
- If you have more than one cat, you will need more than one litter box
- If your cat is afraid of using the litter box, you could buy pheromones to make them feel calmer and encourage them regularly.
