FAQ
Why is my cat urinating outside of the litterbox?
What is the black gunk on my cat’s chin?
What did my veterinarian do to cause my cat’s swingy belly?
What should I avoid feeding my cat?
How can I get my cat to stop scratching the furniture?
Is my cat coughing from hairballs?
Where can I look for information about cats?
Q: Why is my cat urinating outside of the litterbox?
A: There are myriad reasons, but spitefulness is not among them. The causes fall into various categories: medical, environmental, and behavioral, and combinations of the
three. The medical causes are usually easy to diagnose with bloodwork and a urinalysis, but may also require radiographs or an abdominal ultrasound. Hyperthyroidism, for example, is a medical condition that sometimes causes behavior changes, among them litterbox avoidance. Diabetes is a medical condition that has an environmental component: A cat may stop using the box because the box is overloaded with urine, due to the diabetes. Urinary tract infection or inflammation cause discomfort and urgency that often make the cat
miss the box, or avoid it because the location is associated with the discomfort.
Environmental reasons are common causes of lack of litterbox use. Sometimes the box is not appealing to the cat. A covered litterbox, for example, traps the ammonia odors and can "gas" the cat when he uses it. Urine (unlike stool) continues to have the bad odor, and actually seems to get worse with time. Some cats do not like some litters. The litter may have an unpleasant smell or an unpleasant texture (the latter is particularly critical for cats who dig prior to defecation). Keep in mind that what smells good to us does not necessarily smell good to the cat. The location of the box can also be a problem. If you have an arthritic cat, can he get down the stairs to the basement? Is the box next to a furnace that makes
occasional noises, and may scare the cat when he is using it? Or next to a washing machine? Can the cat always get to the box? It is a good idea, if there is an issue with litterbox avoidance, to have one litterbox per floor of the house, and one more litterbox than cats in the house. But the environmental reasons are not merely issues with the box itself; sometimes the "alternate" location has been chosen for a particular reason: For example, the cat is spraying basement walls that have mold on them, or is urinating on a latex-backed bathroom mat (which also tends to be mildewy). The odor of mold and mildew is interpreted by the cats as other animal urine, and they will often mark over it. (Leather seems to be similarly misinterpreted.) Of course, if another animal has urinated in a location in your house, that will also compel most cats to mark over the scent. There are a variety of enzymatic products that can eliminate the urine odor, but they can only be used if other cleaners have not yet been used on them. (CIVA has a product called urineaway, I think, which can be used if other cleaners have already been tried.)
Behavioral reasons are harder to diagnose, unless an obvious correlation is found. New arrivals (babies, dogs, other cats) can cause a cat who was using the box to start urinating "everywhere." Marking is usually a behavioral issue, except as noted in the prior paragraph. Stress can cause a cat to stop using the box. A behaviorist I worked with long ago referred to the bladder as a "stress target." (Incidentally, here is where behavioral problems and medical ones overlap, because sometimes the stress causes inflammation of the bladder.) Behavioral
problems also may have an environmental component, if a cat is not using the box because another cat is blocking his access. Some cats will urinate or defecate on the center of the bed when their owner is away; this is a behavioral issue, but not usually a standard stress problem. The cats are marking the territory so that the owner will know where home is. (Because, obviously, the owner is lost and needs the cats' assistance to find his way home.)
Q: What is the black gunk on my cat's chin?
A: This is probably chin acne (oily material in the fur). Sometimes the cat will get
pustules or scabs from bad acne. Avoiding using plastic bowls is always
recommended for cats who get acne. Some cats may need a topical product to clean
the skin, such as stridex pads. Do not use more than 2.5 % benzoyl peroxide on a
cat's chin, and do not use benzoyl peroxide more than once daily. (Usually the
benzoyl peroxide is not necessary to clear up the problem.) On occasion, oral
antibiotics may be needed, but only rarely.
Q: What did my veterinarian do during my cat's spay to cause her swingy belly?
A: It isn't due to poor surgical technique. The spay removed the ovaries, which removes the sex hormones, and the cat's metabolism slowed down. This is true of the males as well, when they are neutered. The swingy belly is not loose muscle; it's fat that deposits in that location. Cats who are extremely heavy have fat elsewhere also, but this is where cats accumulate fat first.
Q: What should I avoid feeding my cat?
A: There are a lot of poisonous plants, although many just cause stomach upset. Lilies can cause acute renal failure, even in small doses. So can raisins or grapes (and before you say, why would anyone feed a cat raisins, let me tell you that I used to give them to one of my cats, long before this problem was discovered. He was fine, incidentally.). Any amount of Tylenol is toxic to cats. Most other foods that are on the toxic list are toxic in quantities (onions, chocolate) so if a cat eats a bit of stew, it's not going to be a problem. However, if you feed your cat non-cat-food items, make sure that they do not comprise more than 10%
of his caloric intake, to avoid malnutrition. Also, watch the toys. While small amounts of odd items can usually pass through, if a cat eats enough of something weird, it may cause an obstruction. Sewing string is a particular danger, although I also knew one cat who made his own string from a bit he worked off of the back of the couch. String can easily get stuck in the intestines and cause the intestines to gather around it, leading to a functional obstruction (and poorly vascularized intestines).
Q: How can I get my cat to stop scratching the furniture?
A: You can certainly teach your cat that you don't want him to scratch the furniture, but if you want him not to do it, you've got to make him not want to do it. The best method is to make the furniture less appealing to scratch. Some people use double sided sticky tape on couch arms. I have had great success with soft velvet furniture covers. Cats love the plush to sleep on, but it doesn't have a good texture to scratch. If you can trim your cat's nails, you can apply softpaws, which are fake nails that have dull edges. (These tend to require frequent reapplication; while most of them might stay on for a month, some will probably fall off in a day or so.)
Q: Is my cat coughing from hairballs?
A: Not likely. (Unless a bit of hair got down the trachea.) A cat will vomit from hairballs,
and the movement and sounds are very similar, but if he is vomiting, something should come out, if only a little foamy fluid. Coughing is a respiratory problem, not a gastrointestinal one. It could be caused by a variety of problems (irritant, viral, allergic, parasitic, cancerous and noncancerous masses) but the most frequent -- unless several cats are affected from an infected newcomer -- is asthma. Cats and people are the only species that develop asthma.
Q: Where can I look for information about cats?
A: One good website is the Cornell Feline Health Center's: www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources. You'll find information on a variety of topics.
Why is my cat urinating outside of the litterbox?
What is the black gunk on my cat’s chin?
What did my veterinarian do to cause my cat’s swingy belly?
What should I avoid feeding my cat?
How can I get my cat to stop scratching the furniture?
Is my cat coughing from hairballs?
Where can I look for information about cats?
Q: Why is my cat urinating outside of the litterbox?
A: There are myriad reasons, but spitefulness is not among them. The causes fall into various categories: medical, environmental, and behavioral, and combinations of the
three. The medical causes are usually easy to diagnose with bloodwork and a urinalysis, but may also require radiographs or an abdominal ultrasound. Hyperthyroidism, for example, is a medical condition that sometimes causes behavior changes, among them litterbox avoidance. Diabetes is a medical condition that has an environmental component: A cat may stop using the box because the box is overloaded with urine, due to the diabetes. Urinary tract infection or inflammation cause discomfort and urgency that often make the cat
miss the box, or avoid it because the location is associated with the discomfort.
Environmental reasons are common causes of lack of litterbox use. Sometimes the box is not appealing to the cat. A covered litterbox, for example, traps the ammonia odors and can "gas" the cat when he uses it. Urine (unlike stool) continues to have the bad odor, and actually seems to get worse with time. Some cats do not like some litters. The litter may have an unpleasant smell or an unpleasant texture (the latter is particularly critical for cats who dig prior to defecation). Keep in mind that what smells good to us does not necessarily smell good to the cat. The location of the box can also be a problem. If you have an arthritic cat, can he get down the stairs to the basement? Is the box next to a furnace that makes
occasional noises, and may scare the cat when he is using it? Or next to a washing machine? Can the cat always get to the box? It is a good idea, if there is an issue with litterbox avoidance, to have one litterbox per floor of the house, and one more litterbox than cats in the house. But the environmental reasons are not merely issues with the box itself; sometimes the "alternate" location has been chosen for a particular reason: For example, the cat is spraying basement walls that have mold on them, or is urinating on a latex-backed bathroom mat (which also tends to be mildewy). The odor of mold and mildew is interpreted by the cats as other animal urine, and they will often mark over it. (Leather seems to be similarly misinterpreted.) Of course, if another animal has urinated in a location in your house, that will also compel most cats to mark over the scent. There are a variety of enzymatic products that can eliminate the urine odor, but they can only be used if other cleaners have not yet been used on them. (CIVA has a product called urineaway, I think, which can be used if other cleaners have already been tried.)
Behavioral reasons are harder to diagnose, unless an obvious correlation is found. New arrivals (babies, dogs, other cats) can cause a cat who was using the box to start urinating "everywhere." Marking is usually a behavioral issue, except as noted in the prior paragraph. Stress can cause a cat to stop using the box. A behaviorist I worked with long ago referred to the bladder as a "stress target." (Incidentally, here is where behavioral problems and medical ones overlap, because sometimes the stress causes inflammation of the bladder.) Behavioral
problems also may have an environmental component, if a cat is not using the box because another cat is blocking his access. Some cats will urinate or defecate on the center of the bed when their owner is away; this is a behavioral issue, but not usually a standard stress problem. The cats are marking the territory so that the owner will know where home is. (Because, obviously, the owner is lost and needs the cats' assistance to find his way home.)
Q: What is the black gunk on my cat's chin?
A: This is probably chin acne (oily material in the fur). Sometimes the cat will get
pustules or scabs from bad acne. Avoiding using plastic bowls is always
recommended for cats who get acne. Some cats may need a topical product to clean
the skin, such as stridex pads. Do not use more than 2.5 % benzoyl peroxide on a
cat's chin, and do not use benzoyl peroxide more than once daily. (Usually the
benzoyl peroxide is not necessary to clear up the problem.) On occasion, oral
antibiotics may be needed, but only rarely.
Q: What did my veterinarian do during my cat's spay to cause her swingy belly?
A: It isn't due to poor surgical technique. The spay removed the ovaries, which removes the sex hormones, and the cat's metabolism slowed down. This is true of the males as well, when they are neutered. The swingy belly is not loose muscle; it's fat that deposits in that location. Cats who are extremely heavy have fat elsewhere also, but this is where cats accumulate fat first.
Q: What should I avoid feeding my cat?
A: There are a lot of poisonous plants, although many just cause stomach upset. Lilies can cause acute renal failure, even in small doses. So can raisins or grapes (and before you say, why would anyone feed a cat raisins, let me tell you that I used to give them to one of my cats, long before this problem was discovered. He was fine, incidentally.). Any amount of Tylenol is toxic to cats. Most other foods that are on the toxic list are toxic in quantities (onions, chocolate) so if a cat eats a bit of stew, it's not going to be a problem. However, if you feed your cat non-cat-food items, make sure that they do not comprise more than 10%
of his caloric intake, to avoid malnutrition. Also, watch the toys. While small amounts of odd items can usually pass through, if a cat eats enough of something weird, it may cause an obstruction. Sewing string is a particular danger, although I also knew one cat who made his own string from a bit he worked off of the back of the couch. String can easily get stuck in the intestines and cause the intestines to gather around it, leading to a functional obstruction (and poorly vascularized intestines).
Q: How can I get my cat to stop scratching the furniture?
A: You can certainly teach your cat that you don't want him to scratch the furniture, but if you want him not to do it, you've got to make him not want to do it. The best method is to make the furniture less appealing to scratch. Some people use double sided sticky tape on couch arms. I have had great success with soft velvet furniture covers. Cats love the plush to sleep on, but it doesn't have a good texture to scratch. If you can trim your cat's nails, you can apply softpaws, which are fake nails that have dull edges. (These tend to require frequent reapplication; while most of them might stay on for a month, some will probably fall off in a day or so.)
Q: Is my cat coughing from hairballs?
A: Not likely. (Unless a bit of hair got down the trachea.) A cat will vomit from hairballs,
and the movement and sounds are very similar, but if he is vomiting, something should come out, if only a little foamy fluid. Coughing is a respiratory problem, not a gastrointestinal one. It could be caused by a variety of problems (irritant, viral, allergic, parasitic, cancerous and noncancerous masses) but the most frequent -- unless several cats are affected from an infected newcomer -- is asthma. Cats and people are the only species that develop asthma.
Q: Where can I look for information about cats?
A: One good website is the Cornell Feline Health Center's: www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources. You'll find information on a variety of topics.