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<\/a>So many beautiful cats are brought to shelters for poor litter box habits. By understanding their\u00a0nutritional, health, and behavioral needs, having to resort to such drastic measures could be eliminated.<\/p><\/div>\n
Hill\u2019s\u00ae Science Diet\u00ae and Food, Shelter & Love\u00ae Program<\/a> recognizes the frustration pet guardians feel when cats are exhibiting bad litter habits and is dedicated to finding ways to keeping cats healthy and out of shelters. One of these ways is with good nutrition and to that end\u00a0they have introduced a new Adult Urinary & Hairball Control<\/a> formula and Adult Urinary & Hairball Control Canned Chicken Entree<\/a> to their extensive lineup of products, because a healthy bladders starts with the right balance of vital nutrients.<\/p>\n As someone who has had to witness firsthand the frightening ordeal of a cat that developed microscopic crystals in their urine, I know just how important a proper diet is. These crystals, which are like very fine grains of sand, irritate the bladder, and in male cats in particular, the crystals may plug the urethra, possibly becoming a life threatening situation. While the Urinary & Hairball<\/a> control does not prevent or treat a lower urinary tract infection or treat crystals, it is a preventative diet formulated with optimal levels of magnesium to keep the bladder and kidneys healthy.<\/p>\n Many years ago – long before I knew about the different nutritional requirements for cats, my male cat, Friday, had urinary blockage, requiring emergency surgery. Thankfully he was okay and I quickly switched him to a special diet recommended by my veterinarian to keep him healthy.<\/p><\/div>\n Please keep in mind, however, while diet is extremely important, if your cat is exhibiting ANY<\/strong>\u00a0unusual litter box habits (both inside and outside of the litter box), your trusted veterinarian is who you should consult FIRST<\/strong> to find out if your cat has any medical issues that need attention. Pee or poop outside of the box is an easy indication that something is amiss, but if your cat is using the litter box\u00a0more frequently, or is straining to\u00a0go, or has\u00a0blood in their pee or stool – these are\u00a0immediate causes for concern.<\/p>\n If there are no medical issues, the problem is probably behavioral and will require you to identify what is triggering the inappropriate litter habits. Start with the basics – perhaps you might need to add more litter boxes to your household, or change the location of where you keep the litter box, or change the type of litter you are using, or even change the litter box itself. Not all litter boxes are created equal, so it can be trial and error to find one that works best for your cat’s needs.<\/p>\n In my multi-cat home, I find that having several large, uncovered litter boxes that are scooped throughout the day and night so that they are always clean is helpful. Cats are fastidious by nature and don\u2019t like a messy box. Litter issues can also spring out of territorial issues, so making sure your cats are spayed and neutered can help reduce potential problems.<\/p>\n In our household, a large and roomy litter box with high sides works the best. We keep the boxes in a private area in our bathrooms and make sure that they can easily get in and out of them.<\/p><\/div>\n If it\u2019s more complicated, it\u2019s a bit like being a detective \u2013 has something changed in your environment to cause stress? What is nothing to us, can be everything to a cat and despite how it might seem on the surface, cats do not urinate or poop outside of the litter box to spite us. Having company, moving, changing furniture around, changes in your own personal life or routine, seeing other cats outside the house \u2013 all of this and so much more can cause a cat to react to the dynamic\u00a0in a negative manner \u2013 their way of communicating to us they are unhappy with the current status quo.<\/p>\n Something as simple as seeing a neighborhood cat in the front walkway can cause cats tension and anxiety.<\/p><\/div>\n Some of it is the age of the cat too. As a cat nears stages of end of life, using the litter box can become extremely difficult for them. It is important to keep the litter box accessible as possible for a cat in those circumstances – a litter box with high sides in a room far away might now need to be a litter box with low sides, placed closer to the cat who might have difficulty walking with ease. At this point, it’s not so much worrying about why kitty is peeing or pooping outside of the box, but making sure kitty is comfortable. In cases like that, carefully placed pee pads around the house is often the kindest\u00a0solution.<\/p>\n As Jazz neared the end of his life, not only did we have to change his nutritional needs, but we had to change litter arrangements to accommodate his difficulty to walk with ease.<\/p><\/div>\n The ultimate goal for me and the Hill\u2019s Science Diet and Food, Shelter & Love Program is simple \u2013 we want more cats adopted from shelters and when they are, we\u00a0want to keep them safe, happy, healthy, and nutritionally fit. No one wants to see a cat back in a shelter for litter box issues. With some trial and error, patience, good nutrition, and guidance from your veterinarian, every kitty should be able to have a happy and healthy forever home for a long, long time.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>