So what’s the bottom line? If your cat is relieving itself outside of the litter box something is wrong! Don’t assume the problem is behavioral and will go away. They may also want to do blood work to determine kidney function and overall health. Your vet will most likely do a test on the cat’s urine, called an urinalysis, which will look for abnormalities. Having your cat examined by a veterinarian will determine if there is a medical cause. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease and other illnesses can often lead to urinations outside the box. Inappropriate elimination could also be the result of a medical condition. The change in the home could be the introduction of a new pet or child, a change in household routines, the loss of a family member, etc. Inappropriate elimination may also be a sign your cat is upset by a change in the household and this is an effective “message”. Litter boxes should be placed in areas that allow the cat privacy but also allow it to watch for “intruders”. This is because some cats are territorial and will become aggressive toward other cats that use the litter box it considers is “mine”. Territorial Issues/Privacy: Animal behaviorist recommend that homes have a litter box for every cat plus one. Also, daily maintenance of the litter will help prevent smells. Cats have an acute sense of smell so use a mild detergent when washing the litter box. It is important to clean the litter box when changing the litter. Please do not punish your cat because cats by their nature are clean animals thus inappropriate elimination is an indication something is wrong.Ĭats sometimes urinate outside the litter box if the litter and the litter box are not kept clean. There are several possible reasons for inappropriate elimination but the causes are usually based in health problems or environmental problems. If your cat is especially polite and buries its poop then there will be almost no smell. When a cat leaves feces in the litter the silica gel pearls will wick the moisture from the feces and help trap the odor. Our Pearls also help control the odors associated with feces. Note: if your cat is a “digger” there will need to be more litter in the pan so that litter will be at least 1.5” deep at the bottom of your cat’s dugout area. We recommend a minimum of 1.5 inches deep of litter in the pan and up to 2 inches for optimum performance. To work properly, the litter needs to be deep enough to absorb the urine before it reaches the bottom of the litter box and it needs to be “turned” or raked daily to allow moisture to evaporate from the crystals of silica gel at the bottom of the litter pan. This allows the crystals to absorb over and over again for up to a month for one cat. The liquid moisture will then evaporate trapping the odor causing molecules inside the internal channels. The moisture from urine and related odors are locked inside, leaving the outer layer of the pearls dry to the touch. Upon contact with moisture, the crystals immediately begin absorbing the moisture much like a sponge. When ingested, the litter will expand and absorb moisture in the intestines preventing the absorption of nutrients as well as cause dehydration and blockages.Silica gel pearls or crystals appear solid but actually they are filled with a network of small hollow channels. If your cat ingests the silica while cleaning its paws, the silica may accumulate in your cat's intestines over a period of time causing health problems. In cats, inhaling the silica dust can cause respiratory infections. Prolonged exposure to crystalline silica dust has been associated with silicosis (a non-cancerous, sometimes fatal lung disease), bronchitis and tuberculosis in humans. Breathing in this silica dust may pose a health risk to you and your cat. Silica dust contains silica particles and is a known human carcinogen according to the International Agency on Cancer. This type of litter is quite popular due to it's ease of use. It works by absorbing your cats urine and "drying" it eliminating the smell and keeping the litter dry. Crystalline silica cat litter is one of the newest types of absorbent litter on the market.
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