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Applied Animal Behavior > Feline Unacceptable Elimination > Flashcards

Feline Unacceptable Elimination Flashcards

1
Q

House-Soiling

A
  • Catch-all term
  • includes unacceptable toileting and marking
  • Stool (perichezia) or urine (periuria) deposited in unacceptable location
  • May/may not be reltd to medical problem
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2
Q

Unacceptable toileting (non-marking)

A
  • Discontinuing (at least partially) litterbox use for urne and/or stool
  • Urine-generally squat, normal volume onto a horizontal surface
  • May void next to the box or in hidden areas (especially soft substrates)
  • males and females are equal in frequency
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3
Q

Marking

A
  • Scratching
  • Rubbing
  • Urine spraying
  • Fecal marking (middening)
  • Normal cat behavior
    • some deemed unacceptable
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4
Q

Urine Spraying or Middening

A
  • Also use litterbox for urination/defecation
  • advertising (not hidden)
    • Sexual- urine spraying may convey desire to breed
    • Reactional/Territorial/Cofident cats or Anxious cats
  • Usually Standing, sniffing, tail up, treading with back feet with a vacant look while backed up against object
    • Normal or smaller amounts of wast
    • Urine spray on vertical surfaces usually
      • may target new or heat emitting objects, owner’s possessions, laundry
      • Socially significant area
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5
Q

How doe declawing affect uncceptable urination

A
  • Increases aggression, barbering, and unacceptable toileting
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6
Q

How common is unnaceptable toileting?

A
  • 10% of cats have house soiled in their lifetime
  • # 1 reson for shelter reliquishment
  • # 1 behavioral reason for shelter feline euthanasia
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7
Q

Reducing Urine Spraying

A
  • Neutering eliminated the behavior in 90% of subjects
  • Spaying eliminated the behavior in 96% of subjects
  • Neutered males spray more often than spayed females
    • Age of Spay/Neuter not related to likelihood of adult-onset urine spraying
  • It is more common in multiple cat households
  • Cleaning urine marks daily, scooping litterbox daily, changing litterbox weekly decreased urine spraying by 50%
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8
Q

What History do we need for cases?

A
  • Do we have the right cat?
  • Is the box still being used?
  • Interaction with housemates
  • If Unacceptable urination:
    • Volume
    • Witnesses
    • Verticle/horizontal
  • Location
    • Windows or exterior doors (outside problem)
    • Stairwell, hallway, etc (inside problem)
    • Hidden
  • How long has it been going on
  • What has been tried so far
  • Description of Litterboxes?:
    • size
    • location
    • covered/uncovered
    • liner/unlined
    • scooping frequency
    • cleaning method and frequency
    • location of play and feeding areas
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9
Q

Examining a cat accused of inappropriate urination

A
  • Include Orthopedic and Neurological exams
  • Urine Spraying:
    • Check male for penile barbs
    • History of estrous in female
  • Unacceptable toileting with stool
    • Sedated rectal
      • rectal stricture
      • impacted aal sacs
      • conformtional abnormalities
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10
Q

Etiology of Unacceptable Urination

A
  • Lower Urinary Tract Disease (interstitial cystitis, UTI, stones)
  • Diabetes melitus
  • Kidney disease
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11
Q

Etiology of Unacceptable Defecation

A
  • Constipation
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • GI disease (inflammatory bowel disease, parasitism, neoplasia, etc.)
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12
Q

Mobility Altered Toileting

A
  • Digit surgery (acute/chronic)
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Obesity
  • Neurologic disease (musculoskeletal)
    • Vision, olfactory, or cognitive changes can alter toileting as well
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13
Q

Diagnostic Testing for House Soiling

A
  • CBC
  • Chemistry Profile
  • Fecal (unacceptable stool)
  • Urinalysis via cytocentess
    • culture if house soiling with urine
  • +/- Thyroid testing
  • +/- Diagnostic imagin
  • +/- Further testing or hormone testing
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14
Q

5 Environmental Pillars

A
  1. Safe
  2. Resources
  3. Play and Predation
  4. Human Intreaction
  5. Odor Control
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15
Q

5 Pillars: SAFE

A
  • Lots of vertical and horizontal space
  • Reduce stress
    • Eliminate roaming cats
      • Don’t feed, cover windows, motion activated sprinklers
    • Avoid negative litter box experiences
      • Don’t medicate or punish cat in box
      • Avoid children/dogs or aversive cats in area
      • Resolve pain cat could associate with box as possible
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16
Q

5 Pillars: RESOURCES

A
  • Don’t force interaction
    • Collar with bell for assertive cat (avoid box ambush)
    • Separate problem cats temporarily or permanently
    • Plentiful food/water stations
    • Plentiful & acceptable litter boxes
    • Add scratching, play, & rest areas in socially significant spaces
    • Make sure all access areas have more than 1 entry/exit to box
17
Q

5 Pillars: Play and Predation

A
  • Food puzzle toys
  • Motion activated or interactive toys
  • Reward-based training
18
Q

5 Pillars: Human Interaction

A
  • Positive, Consistent, and Predictable
  • Interaction & play as determined by the cat
19
Q

5 Pillars: Odor Control

A
  • Disinfect soiled areas
  • Litter box desing and hygiene
20
Q

Litter Box Buffet

A
  • Fine-grain clumping and uncended is preferred usually
    • can do a litter trial to determine substrate preference
  • Un-used box preferred
    • doesn’t matter if dirty box is from self or from another cat
  • Large: at least 1.5x length of cat (nose to tail base)
  • Private & well-lit area
  • Avoid high tracfic area or noisy appliances
  • Avoid food or water near box
  • Provide 360 view + greater than 1 exit
  • n+1 = one litter box per cat +1
  • Keep toe hair shorter
  • Minimum 1 litter box per level of home in seperate locations
  • Replace malodorous boxes
  • May need low entry boxes (elderly, kittens)
  • Black light to identify accidents
    • enzymatic cleaner to disinfect
  • Block or cover problem areas
  • Place box in area of inapproprate elimination
    • inch to desire location after 2 weeks of consistent use
  • Consider cat preferance for Covered/uncovered
  • Avoid liners and deodorizers
  • Scoop 1-2 times daily
  • at least 3cm of litter
  • Dump and disinfect with hot, soapy water every 1-4 weeks
    • NO bleach
    • NO ammonia
  • Place lid behind box to collect wall marking if urine spraying
21
Q

Long-Acting Anxiolytic Tips

A
  • 4-6 weeks to achieve full benefit
    • only in conjuction with environmental management
  • Avoid combining serotonin enhancing drugs
  • No FDA approved long or short acting anxiolytic in cats
    • obtain written & verbal owner consent and discuss side effects
  • Abrut withdawal often results in recurrent urine markting
    • tapering is recommended if discontinuing
  • Initial lab testing, 1 month later, and every 6 months
22
Q

Fluoxetine (Prozac, Reconcile) for Inappropriate urination

A
  • SSRI
  • 1mg/kg daily
    • decreased uring spraying vs placebo at 8 weeks
      • 90%reduction at 6 weeks
  • May see GI upset, inappetence, irritability, anxiety, lethargy, decreased grooming, urine, an fecal retention
  • Paroxetine and Sertraline had anecdotal evidence
    • other SSRIs
23
Q

Clomipramine (Clomicalm)

A
  • 0.25 - 0.5 mg/kg daily
  • Decreased urine marking vs. placebo by 83% at 4 weeks
    • more lasting effects when used >8 weeks
  • Efficacy equal to fluoxetine at 8 weeks
  • May see GI upset, stool and urine retention, pro-arrythmia, depression, inappetence, sedation, lowered seizure threshold
24
Q

Gabapentin

A
  • Mechanism of effect not fully understood
  • May use for acute anxiety
    • anecdotal use
25
Q

Benzodiazepines

A
  • Facilitate GABA activity
  • reduce maring only while taking medications
  • acute axiety treatment
  • NO oral diazepam (hepatotoxicity in cats)
26
Q

Buspirone

A
  • Serotonergic and mildly dopaminergic
  • about 55% of cats have favorable response
    • drug discontinued at 2 months
    • up to 1 month to see effects
    • bravery drug - may see more assertive/friendly & social cat
27
Q

Progestins (Megestrol Acetate)

A
  • Not Recommended
  • Only alternative to euthanasia in neutered male refractory to all strategies
    • risk of mammary adenocarcinoma, diabetes melitus, liver toxicity
28
Q

Alternative Anxiolytic Therapies

A
  • Pheromones:
    • Feliway Classic
      • decreased urine marking compared to placebo
      • with environmental changes decreased uring marking
      • Cats appeared calmer in new environments
    • Feliway Multicat
      • diminished intercat aggression
  • Nutraceuticals
29
Q

Veterinarian Role in Controlling Unacceptable Elimination

A
  • Ask yearly about litterbox habits
    • Early recognition and appropriate management of house soiling = better prognosis
  • Guide and Support
    • Initially every 2 weeks
    • Monitoring
      • blacklight, cameras
    • Punishing worsens or creates more anxiety

Applied Animal Behavior (13 decks)

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