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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. If your cat learns to link a bad experience with the litter box, she may start to resent the box. If this happens often enough, she may stop using the box altogether. You should be aware that the problem may have a physical cause at the root. Here are four physical reasons why your cat can't or won't use the box properly. 1. Painful Urination - any medical condition that causes a cat pain while urinating will create a bad association. Since your cat can't hold it forever, she's going to urinate somewhere other than the box at some point. Often, once cats go in a spot, they will return to that spot until you completely remove the odor and/or retrain the cat. 2. Pain During Bowel Movements - constipation and other conditions can cause pain during bowel movements. If this is your cat's problem, she will associate pain with the box. When she does go, it may be on the living room rug, instead of in the box. 3. Pain in Joints and Muscles - your cat has to be able to get in and out of the litter box without experiencing pain, as well as be able to squat. If there's an injury, arthritis, or some other problem with your cat's joints or muscles she may be in pain when using the box. After a few times of this, your cat doesn't use the box anymore. 4. Limited Range of Motion - it's possible that your cat may not be able to climb up into the litter box. If you have an older cat, or injury or disease has limited her movement, she won't be able to use the box. It's not true that your cat just doesn't want to use the box to annoy you, there is some reason, and it could be physical. Your vet will help you determine if a physical cause is your cat's problem. Once you determine the source of the problem is pain, then your vet can come up with a treatment plan. The treatments will vary for depending upon the underlying cause. Some retraining for your cat will probably be required. Just make sure to exercise a lot of patience while your cat readjusts. If a mobility problem is the culprit, there may be some things you can do. First, make it as easy on your cat as possible. Get a low litter box that your cat doesn't have to step too high into. Also, your cat would probably appreciate a large box to easily move around in. Depending upon your situation, your vet may have a remedy for your cat's mobility problem. 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.philvault.com
About the author: Kurt Schmitt, an experienced cat owner, publishes Cat Lovers Only as an aid to pet owners. See the site for more causes of a cat litter box problem and a longer version of this article. Click here for other unique cat litter box problem articles.
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