Uncleanliness in cats: reasons and solutions

Is your cat unclean and you don’t know what to do? Here are some tips to help you solve this problem.

First of all, before trying to fix anything, it is important to know why your cat has become unclean. There is always an explanation, the trick is to get in the paws of your feline friend in order to understand what is wrong with him or in his environment.

1. The first reason: a health problem.

In most cases, the reason for a cat’s uncleanliness is medical. This could be due to a bladder stone or a urinary tract infection, for example. Your cat experiences pain when urinating or defecating and, inevitably, he ends up associating his pain with the place where he does his business.

The first thing to do is to contact your veterinarian for a health examination . In this way, the cause of uncleanliness will be effectively confirmed or ruled out. If your cat has nothing medically problematic, then we can turn to other possible causes.

2. An ill-adapted environment

It seems trivial to us, but for a cat, the number of litter boxes and their location is essential:

• Number of boxes : Ideally, you should have one more litter box than the number of cats. So if you have one cat, have two litter boxes, if you have two, have three, etc.
• Location : If you have several bins, you should not put them next to each other because the effect of the choice becomes less interesting. Each one should be in a room of the house, preferably in quiet places, away from doors and passageways. If your room is large, you can put two bins on either side of the room.
• Type of bin : remember that it should be able to easily turn over on itself. So, a bin one and a half times its length, with fairly high edges, is perfect. And above all: without a lid!

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3. Litter and hygiene

• Cleanliness of the litter box : we all know that when everything is going well, cats are very clean animals. So it is natural to think about removing the droppings and clumped pee balls every day . If your litter is of good quality, there is no need to empty and wash the entire litter box too often. Cats like to find their smell again, so a general wash once a month is quite sufficient. Little tip: use a little bleach diluted in water then rinse. The smell will attract your cat to do its business in its litter box.
• Litter style : Don’t hesitate to pay the price for a well-clumping material, without perfume and with as little dust as possible.

4. Other possible reasons

• New cohabitation : You may have a new animal at home or even a baby who has just arrived. Cohabitation can be difficult for your cat, especially if you have not made a gradual introduction beforehand. Your cat needs to find its place at home and feel confident. The best thing to do here is to contact a feline behavior expert who can help you identify the details and set up a behavioral work process.
• Sudden stress : You may have gone on a trip or moved recently. A sudden change in your cat’s daily life can cause him significant stress. Here, the best thing is to get back to your usual routine right away and be patient. An alternative is to temporarily reduce his space (in a closed room with all his things), while he calms down and gets back into his cleanliness habits.
• Territoriality : If your cat is not sterilized and neighborhood cats are a little too present in your yard, your kitty may be marking his territory (horizontal or jet peeing). The best thing to do here is to sterilize him and prevent him from seeing the other cats outside by having a curtain or other blackout support.

Also, remember to thoroughly clean the soiled areas with dish soap and water . It is even possible that some items, such as a mattress or a couch, are so soaked with urine that you will need to change it. But it is best to start from scratch so that the problem does not recur.

If despite these tips nothing changes, do not hesitate to contact a feline behavior expert who can help you further with a program adapted to your situation.

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