Elimination Behaviour Flashcards
What are the two categories of house soiling?
Marking (with urine or faeces) Latrine behavior ( urine or faeces)
What causes marking behaviour?
Physical stress
Social stress
High arousal
What causes latrine behaviour?
Something in the “toilet” environment that is not acceptable to the cat.
What is middening?
Non-spray marking
What is the difference in location of marking and latrines?
In the natural cat the latrines tend to be at the periphery of the territory in a quiet secluded area and with different areas for urination and defecation (soft rakeable surfaces are preferred)
This is in contract to areas for marking which tend to be areas of prominence and spate to the latrine area
How can we identify which cat in a multi cat household?
Direct observation, fluorescein dye which will make the urine glow or feeding food colouring to one cat
How can you clean off the smell of marking urine?
When cleaning the area use a biological/enzymatic cleaner and rinse it off with water and then follow up with surgical spirit
Do NOT use bleaches or ammonia based detergents
How do we treat cats that are spray marking?
Desensitise to stressor or use a feliway
Clean the environment and use L shaped litter boxes
What can cause latrine behaviour?
Medical disorder
Latrine aversion (pain, substrate, location)
Substrate preference
Lack of house training
How do we treat latrine behaviour?
Ensure resources are readily available to all cats
Recognise possible role of stress in the problem
Make the latrine an attractive place to be
How does separation anxiety present in cats?
Urination- on the bed is common in females
Excessive vocalisation
Destructiveness
Psychogenic grooming
When do dogs develop a substrate preference? What is the danger in this?
Develop substrate preference for elimination between 7.5 and 8.5 weeks of age
Danger of overdependence on puppy pads
How do you develop a house training routine for a dog?
- Take outside to eliminate first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening.
- Take outside 15 minutes after eating a meal (gastro-colic reflex).
- Develop a time schedule during which it is appropriate to take the dog out
How do you encourage a dog to eliminate in a certain place?
To encourage dog to eliminate in specific area, leave faeces there for dog to smell
How do you reward a dog for eliminating outside?
The dog should be rewarded immediately after eliminating (while still outside) AND then given the opportunity to go for a walk or play a game while outside
