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There are two main categories of causes for a cat litter box problem: physical problems or behavioral issues. If your cat is experiencing difficulty, the first thing you should do is have your veterinarian rule out physical causes. As you read this, keep in mind that your cat will form an association with her experiences, either good or bad. So, if your cat has a bad experience in the litter box, she may associate negative feelings with it. If those feelings are strong enough, perhaps due to repeated bad experiences, she may refuse to use the box at some point. Here are four physical reasons why your cat can't or won't use the box properly. 1. Urination Pain - if your cat has a physical problem causing her pain when she urinates, she'll learn to hate the box. When she absolutely can't hold it anymore, she'll go on your bedroom carpet. Remember that cats often return to the same spot again and again until you remove the odor! 2. Pain During Bowel Movements - if, for example, your cat is painfully constipated she will associate pain with the litter box. When she is finally able to go, it may be on the kitchen floor, instead of in the box. 3. Joint or Muscle Pain - in order to use the litter box, cats have to be agile enough to get in and out of the box. They also have to be able to squat comfortably. Arthritis, an injury, or any problem with your cat's joints or muscles may cause your cat too much pain. The litter box becomes associated with pain, and your cat doesn't use it. 4. Limited Mobility - in addition to the above, it's possible that your cat may have difficulty getting around well enough to climb into the litter box. If your cat is older, or has an injury or disease, she may be limited in her movement. She simply can't get into the box to use it. Judging from some of the email I get, many readers think about litter box problems as being behavioral. This is simply not true. Your vet will help you determine if a physical cause is your problem. For painful urination, bowel movements, or joint or muscle pain, proper treatment will have to be sought out in consultation with your vet. Once the pain is gone, some retraining will probably be required and a large amount of patience on your part to help your cat through it. If your cat has a limited mobility problem, there may be some things you can do to help that, in addition to veterinary care. In any case, make it as easy on your cat as possible. A low litter box that your cat doesn't have to step too high into is a good start. A large box that your cat can easily move around in is another idea. Remember, a cat litter box problem that has a physical cause is usually fixable, once the cause is identified by your vet. Anything that causes your cat to associate an unpleasant experience with the box needs to be addressed right away. If you catch these problems early on, they are much easier to handle.
Article Source: http://www.phalenes.org/articles
Kurt Schmitt publishes Cat Lovers Only as a reference for pet owners. See the site for the behavioral causes of a cat litter box problem and a longer version of this article. Feel free to grab a unique version of this article from the cat litter box problem Articles Submission Service
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