In the overview, we cover some of the major physical and behavioral causes
of litter box avoidance.
As mentioned above, stress can be a big factor and common cause
of litter box avoidance.
Not exact matches
She offers straightforward solutions to the problems that cause people to give up their cats, many
of which are avoidable, including
litter box avoidance, scratching furniture and physical ailments.
More than just the typical behavioral changes associated with age, cats with CDS can display symptoms such as increased vocalization,
litter box issues, disorientation, pacing, restlessness, changes in relationships with family members, uncharacteristic
avoidance of physical interaction, constipation, incontinence, irritability, among other possible symptoms.
If your cat's problem is related to
litter box avoidance, it's also a good idea to take a picture
of the
litter box set - up to show your veterinarian.
If you have five cats it may not seem like much fun to have to scoop six
litter boxes but it's better than having some or all
of the cats stressed out and maybe ending up with a
litter box avoidance problem.
The Journal
of Feline Medicine and Surgery has just published research indicating that declawing increases the risk
of long - term or persistent pain, which can result in behaviors such as
litter box avoidance, aggression / biting and over-grooming.
And, from a feline standpoint, because cats have such a keen sense
of smell, some are ««turned off» by scented
litters, and this could lead to
litter box avoidance issues.
Staff is trained to discuss and modify a range
of behavior problems for both dogs and cats, including housesoiling,
litter box avoidance, unruly behavior, destructive behavior, separation anxiety, leash reactivity and aggression.
Again, some cats don't like scented
litter, though which will result in
avoidance of the
litter box.
Landsberg reported that about 5 %
of cats developed either biting or
litter box avoidance problems after declaw surgery.
These are just a few
of the problems we can address: aggression to people or animals, excessive vocalization, fear and anxiety (including separation anxiety), phobias (including noise or storm phobia), unruly behavior, destructive behavior (including scratching furniture), stereotypic (repetitive) disorders (tail - chasing, self - mutilation, over-grooming), house training problems,
avoidance of the
litter box, and cognitive dysfunction (aging changes).
Choosing the wrong
litter box can have dire consequences for cats:
litter box avoidance is one
of the main reasons why many cats are surrendered to shelters.
These mats are designed to trap
litter so it doesn't track, but the rough surface
of some
of these mats are hard on soft kitty paws and can lead to
litter box avoidance for some cats.
Litter box avoidance may be a symptom
of arthritis (although there are many other reasons for eliminating outside the
box.)
Litter box avoidance in cats and changes in any pets personality are often symptomatic
of a problem that requires veterinary attention.