Litter box behaviour, Spraying and Scratching

Litter Box behaviour:

If your cat's litter habits change, be sure to have it examined by a veterinarian to first rule out any medical problems. Once you have ruled out a medical condition, make sure that it's not the litter box itself that is dissuading your cat. Is it clean? Is there something about the location that your cat doesn't like? If none of these seems to be the problem, consider the following factors: Are there any new people or pets in the house? Is there a new cat in the neighbourhood or construction nearby? Once your cat has adapted to the change, it should revert back to normal litter habits.

Spraying:

In addition to urinating out of physiological necessity, many cats use their urine to mark their territory. This behaviour is called urine spraying. Instead of squatting and urinating in a big puddle, the cat will raise his tail and squirt the urine backwards towards the object that it is trying to mark. Both males and females spray urine although the behaviour is much more common in tomcats. The easiest form of treatment is to castrate the cat. In 90% of all tomcats this procedure is effective.

As a rule, cats will only start to exhibit this type of behaviour when they feel their territory is threatened, such as bringing a newcomer onto the scene. Some indoor cats may feel threatened if an outdoor cat starts making himself present at the window. In this case you can and should intervene by trying to encourage the outdoor cat to find some other type of hangout. Mothballs can be placed outside your door as a form of deterrent, but use caution when handling these because they can be harmful if eaten (children and puppies may not know any better).

Consult with your veterinarian about possible health problems which may be causing this behaviour. Veterinarians have had success treating cats with drug therapy to help reduce their anxiety.

Scratching:

Scratching is a biological necessity for your cat. So you can't really punish her for clawing the furniture, unless you have provided her with an alternative like a scratching post. If your cat has already scratched something, cover it with plastic and she will likely turn to the post instead. When you catch your cat scratching furniture, try squirting her with a water pistol or squirt bottle and use a firm "no." When she scratches her scratching post, reward her with praise.

Articles and graphics courtesy of "The Cat Furniture Depot"