Reason #10: demonstrative behavior
Perhaps walking outside the litter box is a sign the cat is sending you. Sometimes this happens when he wants to draw attention to a problem, for example, with health or improper placement of the tray. And it happens that the cat is aggressive and thus challenges the owners. In this case, you may need to consult a zoopsychologist and consider the problem comprehensively in the context of your interpersonal relationship with the cat.
Sometimes provocative behavior is dictated by the fact that the pet wants to receive additional attention from you. At first he didn’t receive enough attention, but then he noticed that you scolded him for his misdeeds, that is, you paid attention to him. After that, the cat began to do everything out of spite, just to get another portion of attention from you. You say it's stupid because it's negative attention? No, it's not stupid. This is how not only cat psychology works, but also human psychology: negative attention is much better than complete indifference. Watch the following video about people and you will understand a lot about cats. If a cat is inclined to extort attention in this way, he will probably do other dirty tricks in the house.
How to wean it and what to do?
Each specific reason for a pet’s inappropriate behavior requires its own solution.
If you don't like the tray
Method one: improving the tray.
We check the sides, the size of the tray, and its cleanliness. We're setting up a second tray so that there are two - separate for big and small things. We remove the tray from a walk-through, crowded place, away from the bowl of food and the “dormitory building”. For particularly shy people, you can try to have a closed toilet-house.
We check the sides, the size of the tray, its cleanliness
Pay close attention to the filler. Perhaps there is something wrong with him. Try a different look and type. For example, replace wood with clay, clay with silica gel or regular sand or newspaper.
Method two: “compromising” the place that the cat has adapted for the toilet.
To do this, put foil or a wet rag there, or place a bowl of water. You can catch the moment when the animal “settles in” and spray it with water from a spray bottle. For some time, the frightened hooligan will avoid the “scary” place. There is a chance that he will forget about him completely.
Method three: move the tray to a place that the animal has chosen, or place several temporary containers in “memorable places”, lay down paper towels and napkins. The main thing is that the pet does not shit on the floor.
Note: it is useless to punish a pet for an expired crime. You can hit him with a wet rag, if only he is caught red-handed.
If the problem is health
Treatment prescribed by a veterinarian will eliminate the pain and return the pet to the litter box. If the animal is old and it is difficult for him to get to the toilet, you should show understanding and place the tray within walking distance of the pet.
Sometimes you want to kill them
If the cat marks
In this case, comprehensive measures will be needed:
- relieving excitement, nervousness, reducing sexual activity with the help of special drugs, for example, “Cat Bayun”;
Note: it is useless to spray the marks with odorous substances or various “anti-gaspers”. The cat will only mark more actively in order to kill the “alien” smell. You can remove the mark with a neutralizer such as vinegar or vodka. Cats can't stand them.
- restricting the animal's access to marking sites;
- using a diaper. Spending most of the day in a diaper, the animal gradually weanes itself from marking;
- mating a cat - after pregnancy, hormonal levels are restored;
- sterilization of animals.
Advice: if there are two cats in the house and there is an active dispute over territory, you should, if possible, separate the zones of influence and provide the cats with separate trays. The competition factor is also removed by separate feeding at different times.
If the cat takes revenge
Demonstration heaps and puddles - on the bed, sofa - evidence of a pet that has been offended in its best feelings. In this case, breeders advise treating critical areas with vinegar (diluted half with water) and covering the bed/sofa with plastic wrap, newspapers, or something prickly and rough.
If cat waste products begin to appear in flower pots, then the most obvious way to combat this harmful phenomenon is to lift the pot from the floor and place it out of the cat’s reach. And offer the animal a replacement in the form of temporary trays/cans/bowls. To prevent a hooligan from wanting to test the resistance of the owner's shoes against leaks, you should temporarily remove the shoes from the floor into the closet.
Demonstration heaps and puddles - on the bed, sofa - evidence of a pet offended in its best feelings
It is also necessary to limit the cat’s access to the scenes of such crimes - close the room or take the animal into custody, put it in a cage while the owners are not at home. For these purposes, breeders highly recommend spacious exhibition cages.
The bondage method often works. As soon as the pet intends to make its “pee-pee” in the wrong place, immediately send it to the cage - with the company of the tray. 2-3 weeks of such imprisonment and the cat gives up.
Psychological moments
Psychological problems that provoke a pet to shit anywhere can be eliminated only with love, patience and affection. You need to establish a relationship with an “upset” cat. Do not scold, do not beat, but press for pity. Housewives are not forbidden to shed a tear to show their pet how upset she is. You can talk about life, complain about difficulties, stroking and scratching the “asshole” behind the ear. And so on day after day, without breaking into screaming and yelling, until trust in the owner’s boundless love returns to the offended cat’s soul.
In addition to psychological conversations, active games and fun with your pet help. A few toys and a paper bow on a string can work wonders.
It is better to play active games with your pet before he does “bad things” on the carpet or in another unauthorized place. Running around, happy with the owner's attention, he will not spoil the impression of himself.
Reason No. 12: the cat stopped going to the litter box after the dacha
Separately, it is worth considering the complaint that the cat, after walking outside or going to the country, stopped pooping and peeing in the litter box. This is due to the fact that many cats, having tasted the joy of going to the toilet outside, then do not recognize its substitute, that is, the litter box. Therefore, animal psychologists do not recommend allowing cats to pee and poop outside if you can control it.
But what to do if the problem has already appeared? Firstly, going to the toilet in the country should be avoided. Secondly, if possible, we don’t let the cat pee anywhere and spray it with a spray bottle if he settles down in another place, praise him for going to the litter box, and force him to go to those places where he has already gone. Plus, the advice about the lawn from the next section might be helpful.
Reason #13: lack of culture
If you adopted a cat from the street, then in some cases litter box training is difficult. Judge for yourself. All your life you have been writing wherever you want, and then suddenly they took you into an apartment and began to force you to do it only in the tray. Many cats in such a situation quickly adapt, but there are also those who do not want to learn the subtleties of etiquette.
A way out of the situation may be to let the cat out for walks every day, so that the pet learns to do its business there and returns home lighter. But this is only suitable for those who have their own plot near their house.
Another option is to try pouring earth or sand into the tray. The cat may not immediately “understand” the filler, but the earth or sand will immediately hint at what needs to be done. Further, when the cat gets used to going into the ground in a tray, it can be replaced with litter. This should be done gradually, replacing more and more of the soil with filler.
Is your kitten healthy?
The most common ailment that leads to ignoring the tray is urolithiasis. Practice shows that urolithiasis is extremely rare in kittens. It is much more likely to ignore the tray due to a cold or cystitis. If your kitten suddenly stops using the litter box, you should take him to the vet before taking any action.
Analyze after what events the kitten began to crap in the house. Perhaps we bathed him, took him to the veterinary clinic, treated him for fleas or worms. Taking any medical or preventative medications can have side effects. Failure to completely dry the coat after bathing can lead to hypothermia. A visit to the veterinary clinic may result in a viral disease, especially if the kitten has not received vaccination.
Reason #14: the smell clogs
Sometimes cats pee on the bed or other places to cover up the bad smell. For example, a child pees in the bed, a cat smells it and wants to kill it with its smell. Moreover, it is not even so important whether the child peed recently or a long time ago: cats have a sensitive sense of smell. Sometimes the issue can be resolved only by changing the bed linen or mattress.
This situation is typical not only for beds. A noteworthy story is that of one man whose cat persistently peed on the parquet floor in his room, and then during the renovation it was discovered that dirty men’s trousers were walled up under the parquet. The cat smelled them and tried to cover it with her own.
Remedy to stop a cat from shitting
It will not be easy to stop a cat from crapping on the owner’s bed without understanding the reasons and eliminating them. The most effective way is to physically block access, simply put, close the door. However, owners must be prepared for the situation to escalate. Alternatively, the cat will break through at every opportunity and cause mischief literally before our eyes. The pet may choose another tactic - excrement will soon be found in his favorite slippers or dress shoes.
Another method suggested by “folk wisdom” - covering the bed with newspapers or rustling plastic bags - also does not always work.
It is much more effective to use smells. The smell of citrus fruits and bleach will scare away the cat. If a cat shits in a corner, wash the area with a bleach solution. It is better to spray the furniture with lemon juice or squeeze an orange peel. There are also special sprays that repel cats. However, their smell is often too strong even for the human nose. Moreover, smell is not a panacea. It will disappear and the cat will get back to his business.
Sometimes a cat starts to shit if new furniture or a new family member appears in the house. For him this is a stressful situation, the possibility of loss of status, foreign odors. And the best way to demonstrate to everyone “This is my home!” — mark the maximum number of objects with your excrement. If you find yourself in such a situation, the best option would be increased attention and respect for your pet, and every possible demonstration of its status. Then the cat will calm down for “its” territory - and the problem will be solved by itself. Simply wiping objects with a cloth that has previously been used to “wash” the cat can also help. On the face of cats there are many glands that secrete specific odorous substances - it’s not for nothing that they rub against everything. Objects treated in this way will acquire a smell that is almost imperceptible to humans, but quite noticeable to a cat. And therefore, no additional “processing” is required.
Reason #15: old age
In old age, not only people can suffer from incontinence, but also cats. Plus their mental abilities deteriorate. Then the cats start peeing and pooping anywhere.
Don’t scold the respectable animal, it’s already difficult for him and he doesn’t do it on purpose. Instead, buy a litter box with low sides if you find that your pet has difficulty getting into the toilet. And you can place several trays around the apartment so that the cat has time to reach them.
Well, if your cat is already incontinent, buy special cat diapers.
