Litterboxproblems

You walk into the bathroom and find your cat sleeping contentedly in her litter box. (Luckily, you had just cleaned it.) Is this normal behavior? Should you get her out or let her stay? Your cats litter box can sometimes trigger unexpected behaviors from her. Some of these habits might seem weird or annoying to us, but they are, actually, perfectly normal to your cat. But there are other behaviors that are more dangerous and require your intervention. Here are the most "common" strange litter habits and what to do about them. It may not seem like the best place to play to you, but cats will often convert their litter box into a sandbox. Often this starts in kittenhood and continues into adulthood with an occasional playtime in the box. "Some cats like to sleep in their litter, even hide in it," says Stefanie Schwartz, DVM, a veterinary behaviorist with Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston who is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. "This is normal if the litter is clean - or even a bit soiled, but dry."

Within the past several years, a number of products have entered the cat litter market as "alternative" litters. The chief claim of many of these litters is that they are made from plant-based or recycled materials, as opposed to clay, the basis of "traditional" kitty litters. As with most products or groups of products, there are both advantages and disadvantages to using alternative cat litters. One advantage that makers of these specialty litters feel appeals to cat owners with environmental concerns is that alternative litters - because they are made of biodegradable substances - present less strain on landfills. Some brands are even marketed as being "compostable" and/or burnable.

We can almost see the ads now: "Tests at a major university prove our product eliminates cats inappropriate elimination problems."And indeed, thats more or less what a study at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine (as published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Vol. 9, No. 1) proved: ". . . use of Zero Odor litter box spray appears to decrease litter box odor and increases the attractiveness of litter box(es) to cats."

It's one of the unpleasant aspects of living with cats, but there are ways to make the chore a bit more efficient.

There are products made especially for cleaning after our pets. But there are some ordinary household products that can help, too.

We humans are often quite offended when our cats mark inside our houses. It is true that some marking behavior can have unpleasant consequences....

I recently received a letter questioning why a cat would choose to eliminate on an Oriental carpet. If we cannot understand the exact reasons, well then, can we at least fix this problem? There are many potential reasons for a cat to eliminate on a carpet. As always, a medical diagnosis is needed. But once your cat receives a clean bill of health, one possibility to consider is marking behavior. Check for evidence of social…

Why in the world are there so many types of litter boxes available? Does box style really matter? Most cat owners purchase litter boxes that are inexpensive and readily available. Sometimes, designer litter boxes become attractive options - maybe some people figure, if we have to deal with the mess, at least we should have an aesthetically pleasing container. …

This essential part of your cats daily routine has to meet her needs first (hint: Forget the perfumed scents). Heres why.

Cats are capable of an amazing assortment of behaviors. Some behaviors that are normal for cats are socially unacceptable to humans. A particularly common but universally unacceptable behavior is elimination outside the litter box. When a cat soils in places other than his box, it is time to call the veterinarian. Once the cat is determined to be healthy and all reasonable medical explanations have been ruled out, it is time to consider other factors. …

Cats have different ways and different reasons for leaving behind their unmistakable mark.

The most important consideration is to choose a substance that your cat will use reliably.