Cats are by nature very clean animals. It is rare to have toileting issues with them. But when you do, it’s a very distressing problem.  Once you have eliminated a physical cause, only one cause remains – stress. So, if you have a cat that is peeing or pooing in the wrong places, what is causing it stress and how can you fix the problem?

 

To answer this question you have to think like a cat. Cats think in terms of territory. If there are problems with their territory, it causes them huge stress. Problems arise from another cat invading their territory, or some change to it (like a house move or someone visiting) that unsettles them.

 

If you try to force your cat to use its litter tray or “rub its nose in it” this will only make matters worse as it adds more stress. You can ask your vet for tranquillizers, but that only treats the symptoms, not the cause. You are better off taking them yourself while you try other alternatives!

 

If the problem is another cat threatening yours, then you need to make sure your cat can’t see, hear, or smell it. Sadly, if the other cat is also yours, that usually means having to re home one of them. If it’s a change to the environment that has triggered the problem, then drastically restrict your cat’s territory so it feels secure in a much smaller space – like one room. Once it has settled then you can slowly increase the size of its territory again, room by room.

 

A cat that is soiling in the house is a big worry, but I have successfully cured two problem cats using these simple methods. It’s all about territorial issues causing stress, and your cat signaling its unhappiness in the only way it knows.