Litterbox and Spraying problems can be discouraging, but there is help. Understanding what triggers the behavior is the first step. Whether it's caused by a urinary tract infection, a cat outside that may be triggering a territorial response, a new home, a new baby, discomfort associated with the litterbox, type of litter, depth of litter, covered versus uncovered boxes, location and number of boxes, or the addition of a new household pet, there is help for you and your cat. Please understand that punishment is not the answer, and may in fact may the situation worse.

Your FIRST step when confronted with a cat that is peeing outside the litterbox should ALWAYS be a vet trip to rule out a urinary tract infection, which is the most common cause of a cat failing to use the litterbox. The burning and discomfort can be so intense the cat can't make it to the box in time, or it has come to associate the litterbox with pain if the condition has been left untreated for some time. Antibiotics will generally clear it up.

The links below will give you important information on diagnosing the cause and several solutions. Other options such as medication, Feliway, Rescue Remedy and Hormone Therapy may be prescribed by your vet in addition to Behavior modification.

Always consult your veterinarian for help in dealing with these problems.

Cat Attract Litter - This new formulated litter has a 100% guarantee that the cat will use the litterbox. We've used it in our household, and it WORKS! We get it at PetSmart. This is a MUST TRY for cats that fail to use the litterbox.

Planet Urine - This is the definitive Encyclo-Pee-dia! This site covers almost any litterbox problem including litter aversion, covered vs not covered, location and surface preferences.
Urinating Outside the Litter Box - Dr. Holly Frisby, DVM
Solving Feline House Soiling (Part One) - by Susan Little DVM, Dipl ABVP (Feline)
Solving Feline House Soiling (Part Two) - by Susan Little DVM, Dipl ABVP (Feline)
Everywhere But The Litterbox!
Litterbox Problems - Dr. Mike Richards, DVM
Litter pan or Elimination Problems - Dr. Mike Richards, DVM
Litterbox Problem Explanations & Solutions - from an Animal Behavioralist
Litterbox Problem Solutions from the Denver Animal League
Litterbox Problems in Multi-Cat Households - From Cat Fanciers Association
Caring For Cats With Litter Box Problems
Inappropriate Elimination - Dr. Newman, DVM
Litterbox Avoidance
Inappropriate Elimination
When Good Cats Do Bad Things - From MarVista Veterinary Clinic
Inappropriate Elimination in Cats VetMedCenter
Spraying & Soiling Indoors - The Feline Advisory Bureau of the UK
Solving Litterbox Problems - From PAWS
Kitty Litter Preferences - From Washington State College of Veterinary Medicine
Inappropriate Elimination Behavior - Veterinary Information Network
Inappropriate Elimination - Suite 101
House Soiling - Dr. Dawn Reuban
The Top 8 Reasons Why Your Kitty Won’t Use the Litter Box - From The Pet Place
Housesoiling - From Cats International
House Training & House Soiling Problems - From Perfect Paws behavioral specialist
FAQ's on Inappropriate Elimination - From Perfect Paws behavioral specialist

Spraying

Spraying is a territorial response. If your cat hasn't been neutered and is spraying your first step should be to get him neutered immediately before the spraying becomes a habit. It can take as long as 6 weeks for the hormone level to flush out of the system so be prepared that the spraying won't stop overnight, but the urge to mark territory will gradually disappear.

If your cat is neutered and suddenly begins to spray it may be caused by the presence or smell of a free roaming cat outdoors which is triggering a territorial response. Even visual contact with an outside intruder may trigger territorial spraying in some cats. Close the blinds for a few days to prevent visual contact and get some cat repellant from your pet store or nursery to put down around the perimeter of your home to deter the intruder. Feliway and Rescue Remedy can also calm an anxious cat and help prevent further spraying.

Cats will overmark their own scent so it is important to locate and eliminate every single stain, and I do mean every single one. Ordinary housecleaners won't eliminate the smell to a cat's nose, even if humans can't smell it. You will need to use a specific enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution. Follow directions carefully, saturate the area and allow to air dry. The stain will smell noticeably worse when it's damp, but as it dries out the enzymes "eat" the odor. If the stains have ocurred on carpet you will need to saturate the area right down to the floor padding.

You may also need to get a flourescent blacklight to find all the urine stains. Pee glows under a blacklight in a darkened room making it easier to find every stain. A lot of other things will glow too, and my motto is when in doubt - spray it with Nature's Miracle!

Feline Obessive Compulsive Disorders - World Animal Congress, 2001
Indoor Spraying Problems from the Feline Advisory Board - What is the difference between spraying and urinating, and how do you deal with it?
Differentiating Between Spraying & Inappropriate Elimination
Why Cats Spray & Mark
Urine Spraying & How To Control It - Drs. Foster & Smith
Urine Spraying
Territorial Marking - From Dr. Mike Richards, DVM
Spraying or Squatting? What's the Difference? - From PAWS. Identifying litterbox problems and how to solve them
Solving Spraying & Marking Behavior
Preventing Spraying - Veterinary Information Network
What is Territorial Spraying?
Territorial Spraying: A Case History
Territorial Marking - Dr. Dan
How to Control Urine Spraying
Feline Marking Behaviors - An excellent article that explains why cats mark, the different kinds of marking patterns (spraying versus peeing) and how to correct the problem.
Defining The Litterbox Problem - Distinguishing from marking territory and inappropriate elimination
Why Do Cats Spray - From The Pet Place
Feline Urine Marking - The Pet Place
Spraying Problems Can Be Solved! - Cats International

Blacklights

Flourescent blacklights are great for finding pee and spray stains (&odors) you didn't even know were there.

Where Do I Get A Blacklight?
I'm always asked this question. The link above is to on-line ordering from Happy Tails PetsMart. It has a good photo of the blacklight and a urine stain highlight. You can also check with your local pet store. The black light must be flourescent.
How To Use a Blacklight - Another on-line source for blacklights, with a good illustration of how to use them.

Rescue Remedy

Rescue Remedy- A good link to understanding Rescue Remedy and the Bach Flower Essences. Rescue Remedy can be obtained at any Health Food Store. Use 4-8 drops twice a day mixed in food, food gravy, water or squirted directly into the mouth. This is homeopathic, so you can't overdose. Adjust upwards or down as necessary. It works well on anxious parents too! *grin*
Rescue Remedy - Dr. Jean Hovfre, DVM
Purchase Rescue Remedy On Line - from Drs. Foster & Smith

Feliway

Pheromonatherapy - Great article on Feliway therapy for spraying
Feliway: A New Method to Discourage Spraying - A new product available from your vet. We've used it, and it really does seem to work. It lowers their anxiety level. I also spray some on a washcloth and put it inside the cat carrier when we go to the vet. It's available from this link or through your vet (about $34/bottle), but it's cheaper from Valley Vet Supply ($20/bottle)at 1-800-360-4838.
What Is Feliway? What it does, and how to use it. You can also order on-line through this site.
Purchase Feliway On-Line - from Drs. Foster & Smith. $19.99 a bottle
Feliway FAQ's - Good article from Catfaeries On Line
Lisaviolet's Comments on Feliway

Prescription Options

Tally's Note: I have removed links referring to Buspar, Elavil & Depo Provera. I believe, based on personal experience and the findings of Dr. Nicholas Dodman of the Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine, that Prozac is the first and hopefully last stop to managing territorial spraying.

The first 3 links below are scans of an article published in August, 2002 in the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine Newsletter. They are very memory intensive and I recommend you open each page in a new window and allow several seconds to load.

How to Solve Urine Marking - Page 1 - Tufts Veterinary article on Prozac - WARNING! Memory intensive. Open in new window.
How to Solve Urine Marking - Page 2 - Tufts Veterinary article on Prozac - WARNING! Memory intensive. Open in new window.
How to Solve Urine Marking - Page 3 - Tufts Veterinary article on Prozac - WARNING! Memory intensive. Open in new window.

Use of Prozac in Animals for Selected Dermatological and Behavioral Conditions - By Steven A. Melman, VMD

Feline Urine Marking - "The most effective medication is fluoxetine (Prozac®), which resolves the problem in some 90 percent of cases. The next most effective medication is a trycyclic antidepressant, clomipramine (Clomicalm®) (80 percent effective), then buspirone (BuSpar®), with a 50 or 60 percent efficacy rate, and finally, the trycyclic antidepressant, amitriptyline (Elavil®), which is also sometimes effective."

Recent Advances in Controlling Feline Urine Marking - Meagan Thomas
Behavioral Modification Medications - From The Pet Place
Prozac - From The Pet Place
Prozac - Treatment section from Vetcentric
Prozac Study in Treatment of Urine Spraying in Cats - Scroll down the page