March - April, 2006     Page 1     Page 2

It can be extremely frustrating to have a cat using your entire house (or even parts of it) as its own little toilet. Luckily, there are several steps you can take to help teach a new or old cat to use the litter box and leave your carpets in peace.

Rule out other causes. When a cat stops using its litter box, it isn't always because your cat isn't trained or doesn't like its box. Consider these causes first:

• Rule out medical problems. The first step you should always take is a trip to the veterinarian to rule out possible medical causes. You always want to be sure that you're not trying to treat a medical problem with behavioral strategies.
• Rule out spraying. Generally, you can tell the difference between spraying and urinating because cats urinate down onto a surface, like your floor. Spraying would be horizontal onto furniture or a wall. In about 80 - to 90% of cases, spraying can be improved by spaying or neutering the offending cat.
• Rule out marking. Although spraying is a form of marking, cats can also mark by urinating around doorways, windows, or other territorial areas. This is different than simply not using the litter box. If your cat seems to be marking because of a territorial threat or strife with another cat in your house, seek help from a qualified cat behaviorist to address the underlying causes

Back to Basics. We add a lot of frills, thrills, perfumes, and fluff to litter boxes that cats are not always thrilled about. Cats tend to prefer nothing but the basics in a litter box. If you're trying to solve a litter box problem, go back to basics to encourage your cat to go back to the box

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• Use basic, clumping litter that is fine-grained rather than course. No crystals, no perfumes, no special mixtures. Just the basics.
• Don't use too much litter. Contrary to what I used to believe, more isn't always better. Use only about an inch or two of litter in the box.
• Avoid litter boxes with covers over them. We like them because they keep the smells inside. Many cats don't like them. Why? Because they keep the smells inside!
• Similarly, if you have your box in a small closet witout sufficient ventilation, you may chase your cat away no matter how many air fresheners you put in there.
• Skip the litter box liners. They're convenient for us but many cats aren't the least bit pleased with them

Location, Location, Location! As in real estate, location is everything when you're dealing with litter box woes. Follow these guidelines:

• Never put your litter box near your cat's food and water bowls. Who wants a toilet in their kitchen? Likewise, avoid putting the box where your cat suns itself or sleeps.
• A high traffic area (a hallway or kitchen) may discourage your cat also. Would you want to take care of business with people walking by? Choose a room or closet out of the way.
• But not too out of the way. Alright, I know, I'm asking for everything, but would you be happy if you had to go all the way down to the basement from the third floor every time you want to go to the bathroom? Choose an area that is not in a high traffic area but not so secluded that your cat will never make the trip to the box.
• Try to avoid putting your litter box right next to a water heater or washing machine that may come on and startle your cat just as it is about to use its box. Some cats may adjust to this over time, but you need to stack the deck in your favor so no appliances near the box!
• Be sure your cat can see the doorway to the room that its litter box is in. Cats like to be able to see an escape route when they're taking care of business.

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