Cats are one of the most beloved pets. Cute, soft and fluffy, they bring a huge amount of positive emotions to the house. But there are situations in which the cat seems to forget that it is one of the cleanest animals on the planet. Everything was just fine, and suddenly the cat began to shit anywhere. What happened? For what reason did the trouble happen and what to do about it?
Today you will learn why cats begin to shit anywhere and how to deal with such misfortune. You will be surprised how large the list of reasons can be for which the animal began to use the owner’s slippers or a nook behind the sofa as a toilet.
How to understand why a cat shits anywhere?
Before you start exploring ways to overcome a bad habit, you need to understand the causes of inappropriate behavior. Without a clear understanding of the motives, you will not be able to achieve a positive result. All the efforts of the owners will be in vain, and relations in the house will go wrong.
There is a fairly impressive list of reasons why a cat began to shit anywhere. Each animal is individual, so the owners will probably have to work hard to solve the problem.
So, you noticed that the cat began to shit anywhere. What to do in this case? Let's get it right.
Disease
The main and most dangerous reason why an adult cat begins to shit anywhere is the disease of the animal. This factor must be excluded first. So the first thing that responsible owners must do is to show the pet to the veterinarian.
If a cat shits anywhere, the reason may be that the animal is trying to attract your attention and asks for help. During the process of emptying the intestines or bladder, the animal may experience discomfort or even pain. In this case, the familiar place for "secluded affairs" no longer seems safe for her. The cat transfers its feelings to the tray. Pussy will try to relieve the need for a flower pot, on the corner of the carpet, in the shoes of the owner. In general, she will try to find a place where she will not be hurt.
The most common reasons cats become crap anywhere is constipation, worms, or other parasites. Also, some ailments may become the fault.
Urolithiasis disease
This disease is accompanied by the formation of uroliths (stones) in the ureters, bladder, or directly in the kidneys. With blockage of the excretory tract, the pussy appears pain, colic. The urine leaves drop by drop, there are impurities of sand or a drop of blood. The main symptoms are as follows:
- frequent urination;
- the presence in the urine of impurities of blood or sand;
- anxiety;
- depression, depression;
- dense painful stomach;
- refusal to drink fluid;
- decreased appetite;
- pain during urination.
If you do not show the pet to the doctor in time, he can quickly die due to intoxication of the body.
Cystitis
So called inflammation of the bladder mucosa. The disease can occur due to damage to the mucous membrane by uroliths, sand, infection in the urinary tract. As in humans, often the cause of cystitis in cats is hypothermia. Symptoms of this disease look like this:
- depressed state;
- signs of anxiety;
- urinary incontinence;
- frequent urination;
- painful urination;
- heat;
- the presence of mucus and blood in the urine.
Such a disease is also not worth trying to treat on your own. The cause of the disease and the type of infection can only be correctly determined by a specialist.
Pyometer
A very dangerous disease, one of the varieties of purulent metritis. Most often, already grown animals suffer from it. The main reason is hormonal imbalance. They can provoke an ailment and accidental mating, improper management of childbirth, mating with sick manufacturers. In this case, inflammation develops in the uterine cavity of the animal. In addition to the usual loss of appetite and increased thirst in such cases, the animal may experience the following symptoms:
- frequent urination;
- tight and painful stomach;
- fever;
- purulent discharge from the uterine cavity.
It is very important not to postpone the visit to the doctor. It happens that the disease develops so rapidly that the treatment does not even have time to act.
Problems with the tray itself
And why does a cat shit anywhere, if it is completely healthy? The reason is quite commonplace. For example, she does not like the tray itself or the unusual filler. Similar products are produced by many companies. And not all of them care about the quality of the raw materials used. The new tray is made of cheap base plastic and, as a result, the cat shits anywhere. What to do in this case?
Well, firstly, change the tray. It is better to purchase a model more expensive, but from a trusted manufacturer. Secondly, you should carefully consider the choice of filler. You may have to go through several options until you find one that suits the animal.
You can’t understand why the cat shits anywhere? Look in the tray. When was the last time you cleaned there? Cats are clean animals. They will not write where it is dirty. Some pets force owners to clean the tray after each visit.
Or maybe you, on the contrary, are too zealous for cleaning a cat's toilet and are abusing detergents? Many smells of household chemicals just scare away animals. If you recently changed your disinfectant, this may also be the reason that explains why the cat began to shit anywhere.
The size of the cat's toilet can also become a source of the problem. Perhaps your favorite just grew up and in the old tray he became cramped. It will be enough to replace the tank with a more spacious one, and everything will work out.
The location of the tray may also be a problem. A cat will never do its work in full view of a large crowd of people, or, for example, in a draft. The tray is best placed in a secluded place, away from the front door or passage. You can put it in the toilet or in the bathroom, but you must make sure that the door there is always open. The cat will not go to the toilet where it eats. Therefore, remove the cat's toilet away from bowls of food and water.
The most shy animals will use a closed toilet in the form of a house.
Territory marking
You can’t understand why the cat shits anywhere? Look out the window. It is likely that March has come and the cat walked corny. Despite the fact that a person has long domesticated a cat, it still remains a wild creature. Therefore, they continue to communicate with the opposite sex in the bestial way, through smells.
During estrus, a cat can begin to spoil in the corners, unconsciously trying to attract cats with its smell. Male individuals also mark the territory, thereby showing the boundaries of their possessions.
There are several ways to solve the problem:
- Give the animal what it wants - to find a mating partner.
- Use hormonal drugs to reduce sexual desire. They must be selected by a specialist.
- Once and for all solve the problem by castration (sterilization) of the animal. This does not guarantee that the cat will stop spoiling in the corners, but it will not mark the territory.
Feline psychology
It is likely that the subtle psychology of cats is to blame for poor behavior . Why are they shitting wherever animals that have always behaved "decently" and used a strictly defined place to send their natural needs?
Think, maybe you offended your furry pet with something? For example, they scolded him strongly, began to pay less attention, rarely to stroke or come home from work late. Maybe they hit the cat for prank or treated him rudely? In this case, it is likely that your pet is just taking revenge. No matter how trite it sounds, but you have to apologize and establish relationships.
Often the reason for inappropriate behavior is moving to a new apartment. The lack of familiar smells and favorite places can be a big stress for the animal. In this case, the owners need to show maximum patience and help the pet get comfortable in a new place. Pay attention to him more often, play familiar games, build a new cozy couch or several shelves. Looking at the world from top to bottom, pussy will feel more confident.
You can help fluffy "window" a new room. Take a dry, clean cloth and wipe it thoroughly with a cat. Now with the same cloth, wipe the furniture, walls, doors, windowsills and floor wherever you can get it. So you will transfer the smell of animals to objects, and they will no longer seem to him such strangers and dangerous.
Claw removal
Another reason why cats begin to shit anywhere, in some cases, becomes a oniectomy - the removal of claws. Caring for the safety of carpets, wallpaper and upholstered furniture, some owners surgically rid the animal of claws. Feet become tender and unprotected.
Pussy simply pains to dig in hard filler, so she is looking for places where this will not have to. And, of course, the animal has the right to take offense at the owners for such an execution and to take revenge on it.
What to do? Do not touch the claws. And if this happened, then use the softest and most gentle sand or special diapers for the tray.
The struggle for the territory and the attention of the owners
If a new animal suddenly appears in the apartment, this will be a real stress for the cat. There is no wonder that the cat is spoiling anywhere. What to do? Try to make friends with them, but you need to do this wisely. You should never scream or beat a cat if it aggressively perceives a “newcomer”. The animal protects its rights, its territory. It is best to breed pets in different rooms and accustom to communication gradually.
Stroke the cat more often, talk to her. Show that you did not love her less. Get your own bowl, tray and stove bench for the new family member. Do not let him occupy the places where the "old" cat liked to lie. Gradually, the animals will get used to each other, and it will be possible to remove the established barriers.
Often a huge shock for a cat becomes a birth in the baby's family. This “newcomer” destroys everything that is used to and that the cat loved. The owners change the daily routine, devote less time to the animal. New previously unknown odors appear, and restrictions on freedom of movement are often introduced.
To defend their rights and regain lost attention, the cat, who previously walked properly in the tray, begins to shit in the slippers or on the owners' favorite carpet. What to do in this case? You need to teach your pet to children gradually. You can invite friends with your kids to visit. The attention paid to the pet is best distributed among all households. The cat should not "go in cycles" exclusively on the future mother.
With the birth of a baby, a cat needs to be given the opportunity to get to know him. Let the animal sniff the baby’s things, do not scold for breaking new boundaries. If the pussy gets into the crib to the baby, arrange her a bed next to her. She will be happy to watch such an unusual “kitten”, and often guard it.
Age
The sad, but fairly common reason that an adult cat shits anywhere is its age. Often this happens with very old animals. It is already difficult for them to get into the old tray with high sides and they follow the path of least resistance. If your cat is old and his paws hurt, buy him a new tray, lower or just lay a diaper in place of the old toilet.
Little kittens can also be a lot of trouble. But here the owners have to endure, encourage and gradually accustom the baby to the desired behavior. It is very important during this period to choose the right tray and filler. Both should like a kitten and be comfortable.
How to discourage a cat to spoil anywhere?
First of all, you need to correctly determine the cause of bad behavior and be patient. Cruel methods will not only fail, but, on the contrary, can aggravate everything. Here is a list of what you should never do when dealing with animals:
- shout;
- watering;
- poke your nose into a newly made puddle;
- drag by force to the tray and sit there;
- hit with a hand, rag, newspaper, slipper or any other items.
All these actions only anger the animal, and the pet will begin to take revenge on you with tripled strength. It will be much more useful to quickly take the cat to the tray if you see that it is attached to the toilet in the wrong place. After you must definitely reward the animal for the correct behavior.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind that “toilet things” do not go outside the tray:
- Watch out for cat nutrition. She should not be hungry or thirsty.
- Check your pet for worms and regularly give appropriate medications for prevention.
- At the slightest suspicion of a health problem, show the pet to the veterinarian.
- Place the animal’s tray in a quiet, secluded place and provide it with unhindered access there.
- Clean the tray as often as possible, best after each visit.
- To wash a cat's “pot”, use only mild soap-based products that do not have sharp unpleasant odors.
- If you decide to change the brand of filler, do it gradually. Mix a little new and old mix. Give your cat time to get used to the innovations.
Special preparations
To wean an animal to shit in the wrong place, you can use special tools that are in any pet store.
Here is a list of the most popular products that have received positive user feedback:
- "Shit?" Not!".
- Innotek SSSCat.
- Stop-it Cat.
- "Antigadin Antipakostin."
- TX-2928 Trixie Fernhaltespray.
- "Antigadin".
- Hartz Stay OFF spray.
- Stop spray.
- Beaphar Katzen Fernhalte Zerstauber.
- Gimpet.
There is another category of drugs. They have the exact opposite effect and attract cats. If your pussy "forgot" where to go to the toilet, spray it in the tray, and after a while everything will work out. The most popular are:
- "Accurate cat."
- "My place? Yes!".
- Ms. Kiss "Teaches to the tray."
- "Cat toilet training."
- Mr. Fresh
Opinions, tips and special tools
There are folk remedies that allow you to discourage the cat's desire to relieve the need in the wrong place. For these purposes, such substances are excellent:
- garlic, onion;
- alcohol, iodine;
- cloves, cinnamon;
- cayenne or plain black pepper;
- lavender;
- thyme;
- lemongrass;
- root;
- vinegar essence.
Cats have a special dislike for citrus fruits. In places chosen by cats for their "affairs", you can spread the peel of lemons or oranges. According to the opinions of the owners of the animals, some are helped by spraying tinctures based on wormwood, garlic and onion husks. The tool is collected in a spray bottle and sprayed in the corners, under the sofas and behind the cabinets.
Some recommend treating problem areas with bleach. Should not be doing that. Firstly, the unpleasant odor quickly disappears, and secondly, many animals simply adore it. If your cat is one of these, it will only triple its efforts. There are several other, much more effective ways to adjust the behavior of the animal:
- Keep the cat “in custody” - close it in a small room, where with it put a tray and your favorite toys. Release kitty only during feeding. After she begins to use the tray for its intended purpose, you can begin to briefly release the cat in other rooms.
- Praise the animal after each visit to the tray. If this is a small kitten, you can play with it right on the scene.
- Paste the selected places for the wrong affairs with double-sided tape. When the cat’s butt sticks to it, the animal will not like it very much.
- Thoroughly wash the dirt and place small bowls of food there. Usually cats do not spoil where they eat.
- Wet a napkin in a cat-made puddle, and then place it in the tray. This will make it easier for the animal to find the “right” place.
There are a lot of options for weaning a cat out of a bad habit. The main thing is to act systematically, with love and in no case be cruel.