Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.
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tvpjournal.com | September/October 2015 | TOday'S VeTerinary PracTice PracTicaL TecHniQUeS FrOM THe naVc inSTiTUTe Peer reviewed 47 and try substrates, such as diapers, carpet swatches, towels, and even potting soil or sand, especially for cats that have been outdoors. Location Aversion This aversion is usually the result of the cat living in one part of the house and the litter box being located elsewhere. For example, a cat's "core area" is on the third foor but the litter box is in the basement. another example is a litter box that is located in a dark room. While cats can see in dim light, they cannot see in total darkness. The cat may use the litter box during the day, but avoids that location at night. This type of problem can be easily corrected with a simple night light. Separation Anxiety in one retrospective study, the most common behavior in cats with separation anxiety was inappropriate urination, with the owner's bed a popular spot for urination. 4 However, often changes in litter box hygiene (ie, box not cleaned as often) during the owner's absence results in the inappropriate elimination as the cat does not want to use a "dirty" litter box. DEVELOP A TREATMENT PLAN The treatment of inappropriate elimination is based on environmental modifcation—fnding the perfect litter box. Litter Box Specifcations as outlined in the 2014 AAFP and ISFM Guidelines for Diagnosing and Solving House-Soiling Behavior in Cats, "bigger is better" when it comes to litter boxes. 1 The recommended specifcations include a rectangular shaped box that is 1.5× the length of the cat (from nose to base of tail) or a minimum of 22 × 17 inches. Typically, commercially available litter boxes are too small, so encourage your clients to investigate other sources, such as under-the-bed storage containers or concrete mixing trays. in addition, research has shown that cats are equally divided regarding preference for open or covered boxes, 5 but the covered box still needs to meet the above size requirements. if the box is covered, the opening should allow easy access. Litter Box Cleanliness it seems that the biggest infuence on litter box preference is cleanliness. advise clients that it is important to clean the litter box at least once a day. depending on litter quality, the box should be emptied, washed with mild soap and water, and flled with new litter to a depth of at least 3 inches every 2 to 4 weeks. Litter Box Number & Location as with all real estate, when it comes to elimination, it is "location, location, location." Litter boxes should be located in the core area where the cat lives. For example, if the cat spends most of its time in a second foor bedroom, the litter box should be near the bedroom, not in the basement. it is also important to have an adequate number of litter boxes. The generally accepted rule of thumb is one litter box per cat in the household plus one more—but not all in the same location. Otherwise, all the boxes are similar to one big box, which is not ideal. it is best to have at least one large box in each area where the cat spends its time, and this is particularly important when there are multiple cats in the household. each cat should have easy access to a litter box and a safe route of egress that avoids an encounter with a potential enemy. tvpjournal.com | September/October 2015