We often see clients that have a cat, or cats, soiling the home. This behaviour can put immense pressure on the feline-owner relationship but with a variety of diagnoses available we have to be sure our solution is most likely to prevent the problem recurring in the future.

Possible medical reasons would include kidney disease and diabetes where excessive thirst and urination will occur.  Also cystitis where there will be repeated attempts to pass a few drops of urine quite likely with blood in them.  In geriatric cats dementia is not uncommon and these cats will lose their desire to be clean probably along with other medical signs.

We will refer owners to a behaviourist once all physical reasons for the problem have been ruled out. The main behavioural reasons for cats to start soiling indoors include marking behaviour and inappropriate elimination.

It is perfectly natural for cats to mark their territory with urine, faeces or through claw marking. Indoor marking often becomes a problem in multi-cat households or following the invasion of a neighbourhood cat but is just as likely following changes to the home territory (i.e. building work or the installation of a new kitchen). The cat, male or female, neutered or entire can spray small volumes of urine on vertical surfaces, items that warm up and cool down (e.g. radiators) and anything that carries a foreign scent, such as shoes or shopping bags. Faeces may also be left in a prominent location, such as a hallway.

When cats are trained to use a litter tray they create an association in their mind between the act of toileting and the substance that they toilet on. Visual clues, such as location of tray, are also important. Inappropriate elimination differs from marking in the way that the urine and faeces are left. Rather than spraying, the cat will crouch down and leave large volumes of urine and faeces in quieter locations. Occasionally cats have not been litter trained properly when young but a breakdown in toilet training usually occurs if a litter tray is removed or changed suddenly, if the type of litter is changed (from wood pellets to gravel, for example) or when a cat feels exposed during the act of toileting (placing a litter tray in the hallway, for example).

Whilst you wait for your diagnosis, stop punishing your cat as this will worsen the problem and heighten anxiety, clean up urine and faeces using a lukewarm solution of a biological washing powder to prevent over-marking and consider using pheromone products (Feliway) to increase feelings of security around the tray and other commonly used areas of the home.