AAFP and ISFM Guidelines for Diagnosing and Solving House-Soiling Behavior in Cats

Abstract

Rationale: These Guidelines have been developed by the American Association of FelinePractitioners (AAFP) and the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) as a resource for veterinary practitioners who want to better understand and manage the important clinical condition of house-soiling in their feline patients. The Guidelines offer straightforward, practical solutions that, in most cases, will help veterinarians and cat owners prevent, manage or entirely remediate feline house-soiling behavior. Evidence base: The Guidelines include scientifically documented information when it is available. However, because research is often lacking, some recommendations reflect the accumulated clinical experience of the authors. PURPOSE OF THE GUIDELINESWe often hear the statistics: house-soiling is one of the most common feline behavior problems reported by cat owners and a major reason why owners relinquish cats to animal shelters.1 According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, shelters in the US euthanize 72% of relinquished cats, 2 many because of house-soiling behavior. If 4-9 million cats are euthanized every year, this could be more than 10,000 cats each day. Veterinarians can decrease this number by helping to correct this commonplace problem. With this goal in mind, we have developed the AAFP and ISFM Guidelines for Diagnosing and Solving House-Soiling Behavior in Cats (hereafter referred to as the Guidelines).The Guidelines provide clinicians with basic tools for educating cat owners about the prevention of house-soiling behavior. The Guidelines also apply the principles of the previously published AAFP and ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines, 3 which describe the physical setting where a cat can thrive. Importantly, these current Guidelines elaborate on elimination behavior, describe and illustrate the cat's ideal litter box (also known as a litter tray), and discuss how it should be managed. While prevention of house-soiling is ideal, practitioners see many cats with pre-existing house-soiling behavior. The Guidelines explain that, even though the pathophysiology and behavioral etiology of house-soiling is often multifactorial, a thorough chronological history and a systematic diagnostic approach to this problem can be the key to developing an effective treatment plan. CONTENTSThe Guidelines offer straightforward, practical solutions for practitioners and cat owners to implement, but are not intended to be a comprehensive treatise on feline behavior. The Guidelines' authors recognize that feline house-soiling can be a complex problem. Although many cases are straightforward, individual cases can be challenging, sometimes frustrating, and occasionally beyond the expertise or experience of the general, primary care practitioner. In cases where an acceptable response does not occur within a timeframe mutually agreed upon by the veterinarian and client, consultation with a qualified behaviorist or internist is advisable.In most cases, the Guidelines will help veterinarians and cat...

Owner personality and the wellbeing of their cats share parallels with the parent-child relationship

“…Focal cat health and wellbeing questions including: Whether the cat had an existing medical condition (yes/no with an open response option available).A series of questions rated on a 5-point Likert scale explored the cat’s coat condition and the frequency of stress-related sickness behaviours, including those related to cystitis, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation [108,125,126]. A series of questions rated on a 5-point Likert scale concerning the frequency of behaviours relating to house soiling including defecation and urination outside of the litter tray and spraying on vertical surfaces indoors [111]. A rating of the cat’s weight category (scored as normal, overweight, very overweight, underweight or very underweight).…”

“…A series of questions rated on a 5-point Likert scale concerning the frequency of behaviours relating to house soiling including defecation and urination outside of the litter tray and spraying on vertical surfaces indoors [111].…”

The environmental needs of many Australian pet cats are not being met

“…12,13 Sus ceptibility to FIC is thought to be influenced by a combination of genetic predisposition, early life experiences and environmental stressors. 8,12,14 Inappropriate elimination is one of the most commonly reported feline behavioural problems and reason for relinquishment to shelters. [14][15][16] Potential causes include medical disorders such as FIC, social and environmental stress, and factors related to toileting facilities such as litter tray location and size, litter preferences and frequency of cleaning.…”

Maternal-Neonatal Pheromone/Interomone Added to Cat Litter Improves Litter Box Use and Reduces Aggression in Pair-Housed Cats

“…Proper management of litter boxes can help make litter boxes more appealing to cats and reduce inappropriate soiling. Proper management includes providing one litter box per cat plus an additional litter box, scooping waste from the box daily, washing the box and changing the litter weekly, and using the type of litter cats find preferable (Carney et al, 2014;Chew & Buffington, 2007;Herron, 2010;Neilson, 2004). Even with careful precautions taken to alleviate these problems, it may not always be possible to prevent them entirely.…”

“…Inappropriate elimination use in cats housed indoors may be caused by medical or behavioral issues; this complex issue is known as Pandora syndrome (Buffington, Westropp, & Chew, 2014;Hart, Eckstein, Powell, & Dodman, 1993). Stressed or anxious cats may urine-mark to increase their own comfort level; on the other hand, confident cats may mark to establish territory and announce their presence (Carney et al, 2014;Neilson, 2004). Although communication between cats does occur by vocalization and body language, olfactory communication is important when cats are not in immediate spatial or temporal contact (Fox, 1975).…”