Cat Behavior Problems - Solving House Training Issues

One of the reasons why it tends to be difficult to solve house training/house soiling or litter box avoidance issues, is because it's up to you to identify the cause.

The hardest part of solving litter box aversion problems is identifying the cause. Unfortunately, cats are extremely sensitive to change - and if your cat had been using the litter box faithfully and then suddenly stopped, something has changed whether you are aware of it or not.

So the goal is to figure out what's changed.

Here are a few things to think about:

The most important thing to consider when trying to figure out what caused the house soiling problem is: WHEN did this behavior start?

2nd most important: Have you ruled out a health issue such as a Urinary Tract Infection? (The #1 symptom of a Urinary Tract Infection is litter box avoidance)

Other questions to consider that will help you determine the cause:

Did anything at all change near the time when the behavior started? (Try to think of everything, no matter how small it seems)

Have you moved to a new home recently?

Have you introduced a new cat/dog/ferret/roommate into the home?

Have you moved any of the litter boxes? (Maybe he or she has a favorite box to use and that particular one has been moved)

Have you rearranged any of your furniture or added new furniture?

Are you 100% sure this cat is the one not using the box?

If you have multiple cats, are they getting along?

Multi cat disagreements are actually a lot harder to spot than most people think. Just because they aren't fighting doesn't mean they're getting along. One cat may even be "silently" intimidating another, but the owner isn't aware of it.

If you know which litter box he or she usually uses, watch to see if any of the other cats are spending extra time "hanging around" near that box.

If you have any covered litter boxes, pay special notice to any cats that tend to sit on top of the litter box.

One way to retrain a stubborn cat is to confine the cat in a nearly empty room for a day or two, providing only a few toys, a scratching post, water, a bed and a litter box.

When using this technique to house train your cat, make sure you don't allow access to the rest of the house until the cat has been completely retrained and there's no risk of further accidents.

Some people think it's crazy when they realize just how many things can upset a cat's bathroom habits. What they don't realize is that elimination is actually a very complex and delicate part of a cat's life, and it can be easily disrupted.



About the author: Elizabeth Barton
Struggling with cat litter box training? Get more detailed information about solving house training problems by visiting http://www.secretsofcats.com/house-training.html today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Barton



This article selected by Romi Matsushita. Get smart pet tips and strategies for taking care of your cat such as cat articles, cat problems, cat flea medicine at About Cats Information.


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