litter box problems

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Katherine Fisher - 22 Aug 2006 01:21 GMT

I have a two year old, male bengal cat and have had ongoing problems
with him doing his number two in inappropriate places. I also have
another male cat who is ten years old. the problem is this. Not too
long after I got the Bengal he would start to do his business in his
bed, when then progressed to my bed, a mat or anything soft for that
matter. I have tried three litter boxes, changed litter, clean the box
everytime they go, when I am home. I take out the soiled litter, wipe
the area where the feces or urine was and spray it with a product for
cats that gets rid of the smell.

He still continues to do it. The vet says nothing is wrong with him.
The bengal is a little agressive with my older cat, he will grab him by
the scruff and climb on his back and scratch him with his hind claws.

My problem I need help with is how can I get the bengal to use his
litter box all the time. For now when we are not home he has to go in
the bathroom until we get home and it is pretty small in there.

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John Ross Mc Master - 22 Aug 2006 01:45 GMT

>I have a two year old, male bengal cat and have had ongoing problems
>with him doing his number two in inappropriate places. I also have
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>litter box all the time. For now when we are not home he has to go in
>the bathroom until we get home and it is pretty small in there.

I have the same problem with a 3 year old female. She urinates on
beds, couches, etc.

I keep her in the bathroom when I can't supervise her.

I've started using Feliway in hopes that it will change here behavior.
My vet recommended it after the tests all came in negative. Jeffers
has the cheapest Feliway on the market.

http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/search_results.asp?CID=0&mscssid=9HF9XLPVNVGA8GT9D
FCBB0RKXM1248AD&keywords=Feliway&cmkw=Feliway

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send reply - 11 Nov 2006 04:20 GMT

I fought this problem for 2 years. I may have conquered it. one month of
good luck so far. My cat, for whatever reason, developed a phobia against
enclosed/covered litter boxes. She would always urinate in the box, but
never pooped in it. I think cats are a little more sensitive about covering
up their urine than their poop. I finally built a 3X3 foot big and deep
litter box. No cover. It supports about 90 pounds of cat litter. The cat
watched with curiosity when i built it. Then we placed it in position, got
rid of the covered litter boxes, and I picked up the cat and put her in the
new huge/open box with tons of litter. I talked to her and petted her in
the box and then got her out and gave her a can of her favorite food. For 1
month she has pooped and peed in the box. There is something about your
litter boxes your cat doesn't like.

> I have a two year old, male bengal cat and have had ongoing problems
> with him doing his number two in inappropriate places. I also have
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> litter box all the time. For now when we are not home he has to go in
> the bathroom until we get home and it is pretty small in there.

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send reply - 11 Nov 2006 21:31 GMT

Unreal. I post my great solution last night and I wake up to a big pile of
crap on the carpet near the litter box this morning. I guess the novelty of
the new litter box wore off. I am very hurt and torn and mad also. The vet
says the cat is physically healthy. It is probably something to do with the
other cat. I either have to find a home where this cat will be a single
cat, have her put to sleep, or have her become a farm cat at an aquaintances
farm. I don't want to have her put to sleep and it will be hard to find a
home to take her. I guess she will be converted to the rough outdoor farm
life. I'm really pissed at her. She is so sweet and loving. Why can't she
just sh.t in the box? Two years is enough for cleaning up carpet sh.t. It
can't be said that I didn't try. I've been quite patient, trying any and
all ideas. I am just so mad now she is making me face these hard decisions.

> I fought this problem for 2 years. I may have conquered it. one month of
> good luck so far. My cat, for whatever reason, developed a phobia against
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> > litter box all the time. For now when we are not home he has to go in
> > the bathroom until we get home and it is pretty small in there.

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Jim - 12 Nov 2006 04:30 GMT

Hello
I have 11 cats and I found out if the litter box is not cleaned not just
the litter. The walls, floor, front ,etc of the litter box. After awhile
they will quit using it.

> Unreal. I post my great solution last night and I wake up to a big pile of
> crap on the carpet near the litter box this morning. I guess the novelty of
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
>>> litter box all the time. For now when we are not home he has to go in
>>> the bathroom until we get home and it is pretty small in there.

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Catlover Medway - 11 Nov 2006 23:44 GMT

The UK behaviourist Vicky Halls writes eloquently on multi-cat households.
Territorial middening occurs where there is a perceived shortage of resources
and insecurity on the cat's part. She recommends one favoured resource plus
one for each cat in the household:

Littertrays (in different areas of the house, not all together)
Feeding stations and water bowls
Beds
High resting places
Scratching posts
Toys
Secret hiding places

Re-running the introduction process will also help.

Soiling of areas where the owner's scent is strong, such as the bed, is
called associative elimination. This is where an insecure cat seeks to
combine his or her scent scent with the reassuring scent of the owner to
deter perceived threats. It's mainly seen in indoor cats who face few
challenges. The UK behaviourist who writes on this is Peter Neville ("Do cats
need shrinks"). The answer is to remove all traces of the cat's urine and
close the room off to them so that they disassociate it with a middening area.
The ultimate trigger needs to be identified; did the behaviour coincide with
any change in the household?

I suggest you ask your vets to refer you to a behaviourist, especially in the
cases of associative elimination - this is extreme insecurity. A good pet
insurance policy will cover you for this.

http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/pet%20problems/cats/frameset.html
http://wizz-catz.co.uk/soiling.html
http://wizz-catz.co.uk/multicat.html

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