Urine marking outside of the litter box can occur in a crouching or standing position.  When done in a standing position is called spraying.  Spraying can be performed by both males and females. 

Causes:

• Cats that have been neutered at the appropriate age and who have never seen another cat may still urinate inappropriately 
• A dirty litter box may cause a cat to avoid using the litter box
• Do not punish your cat in the vicinity of the litter box as it may associate the negative experience with the litter box
• A cat may be marking to reiterate its territorial claim (ex: in a multi-cat household)
• A cat may be marking to relieve anxiety or stress
• One cat in the house may be avoiding the litter box due to a “bully” cat
• If a cat has developed a preference for a specific target surface, they may continue to mark similar surfaces

The longer urine marking is allowed to happen, the more difficult it is to pin point the cause and therefore more difficult to resolve the problem.

Solutions:

• A urine analysis or blood profile may be required to rule out a medical reason causing the spraying (ex: urinary tract infection, kidney infection, diabetes, etc)
• Intact cats should be neutered to eliminate the hormone influences
• Provide one litter box per cat in the household
• Choose an assortment of locations throughout your home

If you have any questions or would like help determining how to solve your cat’s elimination problem, please call us at (519) 250-0099.

www.TownandCountryAnimalClinic.ca