Inconsistent litterbox use by cats is an extremely common problem and in our experience one that is usually – although not always – resolvable.  Because we had so many questions about these sorts of problems in our “Most Burning Question” box, we thought it would be helpful to once again describe 5 guidelines for creating a cat friendly litter box that most cats are likely to use.

Cats choose where to relieve themselves based on a combination of reasons that include surface and location preferences, convenience, and safety.  For example, your cat’s litterbox may be pristinely clean with the finest grained litter at just the right depth, but if your cat doesn’t feel safe getting to the box or using it, all your work will be for naught.

• 1. Keep it clean.  When you go into a public restroom, don’t you avoid using a stall if the toilet hasn’t been flushed?  Enough said.
• 2.  Keep it soft and shallow.  Repeated preference studies have revealed that cats prefer fine grained litter that feels soft under their paws.  AND you generally don’t see cats outside wading through piles of dirt, but merely seeking out a bit of loose soil they can scrape to cover their waste.  Hence, the shallow recommendation.
• 3. Keep it simple.  Make the box easy to get to and easy to get in and out of.  Just because you prefer a cover to keep the litter in doesn’t mean your cat will.  Easy in, easy out -  make it a “walk up” box.
• 4. Keep it convenient.  Don’t expect your cat – particularly if she is quite young or quite old – to navigate several flights of stairs or squeeze behind barriers to get to the box.  Provide several boxes so one is always within easy reach and to make sure there is always one unoccupied, unguarded box in a multi-cat family.
• 5. Keep it safe.  If your cat is generally fearful, if there are conflicts between family pets, or if there is some other reason getting to the box is quite fear producing, your cat will instead choose an area that allows her to avoid her fear.  Determine what the fear is about – we’ve had cases in which cats would not enter rooms with ceiling fans – and either remove it, protect your cat from it, and/or help your cat overcome her fear.

Cats have a very strong inherent tendency to relieve themselves in loose, particulate matter.  If your cat is doing otherwise, it’s time to be a “behavioral detective” and determine why.  Always start with a good physical examination from your veterinarian.  If you think conflicts among your cats are contributing to a litterbox problem, check out our Helping Cats Co-Exist DVD.

Our friend Kathy has been caring for a stray cat that has “adopted” her. Kathy lives in a rural area, and Sam has been staying in her barn, but Kathy would like to bring Sam into the house and integrate him into the family with her other two cats.  The couple of times Kathy has brought him inside, Sam has gotten along with her other cats and is friendly with people, but he has urinated in her house more than once. A discussion with Kathy revealed that Sam had two problems. He was spraying (urine marking) in some places and when he used the litterbox, his urine would go over the sides. Sam was only half-squatting when he relieved himself in the box.

Kathy wanted to know how to prevent the soiling problems so Sam could regularly be inside, and become more a part of the family.  These problems aren't uncommon with newly adopted cats and need to know how to prevent litterbox and marking problems.

Sam has no problem going to the litterbox, but his posture causes the urine to go outside the box. Kathy can deal with this by giving Sam a litterbox with high sides that will keep the urine in the box. One way to do this is to use a tall plastic tote container with a hole in one side that will allow Sam to easily go in and out.

To prevent spraying and other problems, it’s a good ideawhen introducing a new cat to your household, to isolate the newcomer in his own room with water, food and a litterbox for a few days. This is what we recommended to Kathy. At first, Sam can come out to visit only when he has a chaperone until he seems comfortable with his new home and demonstrates he isn’t going to spray or eliminate outside the box. This gradual introduction helps him to acclimate to his new home with minimal stress and to show that he will use the litterbox provided for him.

During the short forays out from his room, Kathy should make the experiences fun and pleasant for Sam by pairing his visits with the other cats and people with play and/or food treats. Sam’s exploration of other rooms in the house should also be pleasant and calm, so he doesn’t associate the new places with fear or excitement. Antagonistic interactions with other cats or highly excitable experiences may lead to spraying.

Since Kathy has seen Sam spray in her house, we recommended that she talk to her veterinarian about a prescription of short-term anti- anxiety medication for him. This may inhibit the spraying and facilitate Sam’s integration into the household. We also recommended that Sam not be allowed to go outside without direct supervision, since he has been known to fight with other cats outside. Such antagonistic interactions outside can trigger marking behavior inside.

While there are no guaranteed ways to prevent elimination problems with cats, if their behavioral needs are met, most cats will use a litterbox reliably.