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Lets take a look at inappropriate urination/defecation
in the house by an animal otherwise trained to know
where appropriate elimination is supposed to occur.
There are medical reasons for both dogs
and cats
that must be considered when this happens, so be sure
to rule these causes out by seeking veterinary attention.
Once behavior is determined to be the
cause of the inappropriate elimination, then becomes
the challenge of determining the cause of the inappropriate
behavior, and attempt to correct it.
Cats will urinate/spray their urine onto
objects in order to mark their territory. This
is a natural instinct, and one in which is normally
observed in wild cats. Domestic cats will be driven
by hormonal and behavioral reasons to do the same.
Those who are sexually intact will do so at a higher
frequency than those who are neutered or spayed.
Thus, the first recommendation is to have the pet spayed
(if female) or neutered (if male) to curb the behavior.
Often times however, the cat has been
spayed/neutered and will still urine mark their territory.
Usually these animals are driven by the instinct to
define their territory, and especially so if threatened
by another individual in the form of a new cat,
dog, or person entering their territory. Keep
in mind, that this individual does not necessarily have
to live with the cat, but can be living outside the
house and just be within view of the inside cat.
Multi-cat households require adequate
number of litter boxes (typically one box per 2 cats),
and will require frequent cleaning. Dirty litter
pans, or competition at the litter pan, can drive a
cat to urinate and defecate where he/she feels it is
clean and safe.
Hormone therapy utilizing pheromones
can also be tried as an alternative.
Finally, when all else fails, there are behavior modifying
medications that can be utilized to discourage inappropriate
urination/defecation behaviors in many affected individuals.
Although poorly understood as their mechanism of action,
these drugs can be very useful, often times temporary,
and most have minimal side effects. Check with
your veterinarian, or submit a post to
Questions for the Vet for more information.
Dogs will also mark their territory especially the
intact males. These dogs definitely need to be
neutered as a first line of treatment. Otherwise,
usually the dog remains well trained throughout most
of his/her life, and if inappropriate elimination behavior
occurs, have the dog checked for any medical
concerns.
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