Probably the main problem that cat owners face is soiling and cats spraying in various places, even if a litter box is around.
It is very difficult to maintain a clean house if you have more than two cats soiling the place.
Floors, carpets, furniture, and even your shoes are fair game.
This can be a behavioral problem or an indication that the cat is sick and might need medical attention.
But surely, there are solutions to these problems.
The first thing you need to do is to identify the myths and misconceptions surrounding soiling.
It is not true that cats do not use litter boxes because they are upset.
Many people think that cats refusing to use litter boxes is their way of getting back at their owners, a form of revenge for something that their owners did to offend them.
Not true.
Cats are not like humans, who act out just on spite.
Cats do not have a moral sense of revenge.
Rather, they do not use litter boxes because they are stressed.
Remember, punishment is not a way to modify the behavior of your pet.
Hurting it whenever it soils an area outside its litter box will not guarantee a change of behavior.
If litter box problems occur, check with your cat's veterinarian.
Your pet may be suffering from stomach issues.
A thorough physical exam will help you understand why this problem is occurring.
The Spraying Issue If your cat is spraying, apart from the fact that it does not use its litter box, this is an indication of a behavior issue.
Spraying is a behavior shown to mark territories.
Marking is triggered because of the presence of other cats.
It may be because some neighbor cats are lurking around and your cat is threatened.
There may also be conflicts between your own pets and this could be causing one of them to urine spray.
There are ways to drastically reduce spraying issues: 1.
Spay or neutering.
When cats are neutered or altered, there is less production of hormones that drive territorial behavior.
As such, they are not likely to be territorial and this will help reduce spraying behavior.
2.
Presence of other cats.
If you discourage the presence of other cats - especially neighbor cats - your pet will not feel threatened and will stop spraying because her territory is not being compromised.
You can do this by closing windows where your pet can see other cats from the neighborhood.
3.
Relationship.
If you have multiple cats, you need to ensure that they receive the same treatment and that they get along well.
If they are not fed well enough, they start fighting for interests such as food and territory.
You need to be able to provide adequate space for all your pets and there should also be enough litter boxes to use.
Ideally, the ratio should be two litter boxes for each cat.
Always remember that there are scientifically proven solutions to litter box problems.
You should not base your solutions to myths and you should never hurt your cats just because they upset you.
Hurting your pets will only cause more problems in the future.