Cats are usually fastidious in their toilet habits. By nature, they'll seek a place with a loose, fine-textured, sand-like substrate for their toilet area.

Cats have a highly developed sense of touch in the pads of their feet. They are quite sensitive to the texture of cat litter. They also have an excellent sense of smell. Therefore, they may reject litter that is not kept scrupulously clean or is perfumed.

Cats go outside their sandbox for many reasons. The cat may not like the feel or odor of the litter. The litter box may be in an inconvenient location, or the box may be too close to the food dish. The litter box may be too small for the cat, or litter may not be clean enough. Another pet may be guarding the box or harassing the cat when he is in the box.

If there is a cover over the box, it could be retaining odors that are unacceptable to the cat. The cover may make it difficult for the cat to move around in the litter box.

Illness, such as diarrhea or urinary tract disease, can make cats go outside the box. Both intestinal and urinary tract diseases can make cats feel a frequent urgency to go. They may not be able to make it to the litter box.

If you have just moved or added new animals or humans to your household, your cat will experience stress. He may start urinating or defecating outside the litter box to mark his territory. One cat may guard the litter box. A new dog may chase or harass the cat and not let it near the litter box.

To prevent litter box problems, use a litter your cat likes. Avoid perfumed litter. Keep the litter box very clean, and avoid litter box covers. Use one litter box per cat, plus one extra. Keep the boxes in separate rooms or areas. Otherwise, one cat could guard the entrance to the litter box room and not let the other cats near it.

Don't put the litter box near food. Don't keep it so far away from the cat's favorite areas that it will refuse to go to the box. Be sure the cat has her own quiet area. If you do find accidents, don't react or punish the cat. Animals do not understand any punishment that comes after the fact. Simply clean the areas thoroughly with enzyme-based products designed to eliminate cat urine and feces odor.

If your cat starts going outside the litter box, take him to your veterinarian immediately. A urinary tract infection in a male cat can quickly turn into a blocked bladder and become life-threatening. Your veterinarian can help determine if the problem is related to a disease or some other factor. A treatment program can be tailored to fit your need.

For more information on preventing and treating cat litter box problems, call the University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital, at (612) 625-8787.

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