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tvpjournal.com | September/October 2015 | TOday'S VeTerinary PracTice PracTicaL TecHniQUeS FrOM THe naVc inSTiTUTe Peer reviewed 45 Feline house soiling—which encompasses urinating and/or defecating outside of the litter box and urine marking or spraying—is one of the most common reasons cats are presented to veterinarians. Sadly, if not resolved, it is also one of the most common reasons cats are relinquished to animal shelters. While that is the bad news, the good news is that, in many cases, veterinarians can treat this condition and keep cats with their families. COMING TO "TERMS" WITH HOUSE SOILING When communicating with clients about feline house soiling, it is important to use consistent terminology (see The Latest Guidelines & Terms). Inappropriate elimination is typically characterized by the cat discontinuing—either completely or partially—use of the litter box for urination and/or defecation. When eliminating outside of the litter box, the cat usually squats while urinating, and typically deposits a large amount of urine on a horizontal surface. Urine marking or spraying is characterized by the cat typically continuing to urinate and defecate in the litter box, but also marking or spraying vertical surfaces. When marking/spraying, the cat is usually standing, with the tail up and twitching. Urine marking can be a complicated problem, often involving medical therapy, which is beyond the scope of this article. IDENTIFY POTENTIAL MEDICAL CAUSES When a cat is presented for inappropriate elimination medical causes that may be contributing to the behavior need to be identifed, if present. These causes include: • diseases that result in polyuria, dysuria, diarrhea, or constipation • neurologic diseases • Postsurgical conditions that cause pain or discomfort while urinating or defecating, such as onychectomy or tendonectomy • in senior cats, arthritis, sight or olfactory impairment, cognitive dysfunction, and hyperthyroidism. a classically conditioned aversive association with the litter box can occur if a cat experiences an event that causes pain during urination and/or defecation in the litter box. When cats defecate outside of the litter box, it is often the result of such an event. in Feline inappropriate Urination Terry Marie Curtis, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVB University of Florida Each year, the naVC institute takes place in Orlando, Florida, and top specialists in select areas of veterinary medicine provide hands-on, one-on-one continuing education to the Institute attendees. The naVC and Today's Veterinary Practice are delighted to bring our readers the practical techniques from the naVC institute column, which provides the opportunity to experience the excellent education provided at the Institute within the pages of this journal. This article reviews information from the session, Clinical Behavior: Getting answers to Your Cases, presented at the NAVC Institute 2015 (July 16–31). Visit navc.com/institute for further information. Feline Friendly Article t he l atest Guidelines & terms In 2014, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (catvets.com) and the International Society of Feline Medicine (icatcare.org) released the aaFp and iSFM Guidelines for Diagnosing and Solving House-Soiling Behavior in Cats, available at catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/ house-soiling. 1 In these guidelines, the term inappropriate elimination is replaced with house soiling because the latter term implies no misconduct by the cat and, thus, may encourage owners to better follow veterinary recommendations.