Thanks for the question XXXXXXX.

To be on the safe side the first thing you should do is to have your cat examined by your vet in case this is some sort of medical problem.

If this is not a medical problem then it must be a behavioural problem, this can be a difficult issue to resolve, you may well have tried some of my suggestions but here are a few ideas which I have given to my clients in the past, some of these have worked.

1. When you clean up after where she has been use one of the odour eliminator type solution you can get from the vet or pet store. These work as they have a biological action like a washing machine soap powder and digest organic matter. In fact a dilute solution of such a soap powder is a good thing to use as well. If you just use normal soap and water it will smell fine to you but to the cat it will still smell it afterwords, and if the place smells like a public toilet to a cat she may use it as such! Make sure you leave the cleaning agent to soak for a while.

2. Try moving the cat litterbox, thats often a good thing to do. Best advice is to keep the litter tray well away from food or water bowls because that could be reason she does not go. If she is defecating in just one spot try moving the litter box to that spot, sometimes providing another litter tray elsewhere in the house is a good idea as well.

3. Change your cat litter to another brand which is very different in colour and texture from the brand you are using now. Also consider using earth from the garden instead of cat litter, it is not quite so absorbent as cat litter in terms of smells etc. but it is much more natural for the cat and might bring her back into her litter tray.

4. Some cats start to be dirty in the house because they are marking out their territory in response to some anxiety, another cat in the neighborhood etc. Products such as Feliway can help here, some of my clients swear by Feliway. It is used a lot in the UK but hopefully it is available in your area, your vet will advise. I have put a link about Feliway below.

http://www.feliway.uk.com/feliway_uk.nsf/Page?OpenForm

5. Some cats respond to low level tranquilisers where anxiety is a factor but this is a last resort.

If I have not covered your question fully enough or you would like to ask more I will be online for the next hour or so and I will be at your disposal

Scott Nimmo BVMS MRCVS

Hello again,

1. This sort of problem can be tricky to resolve so you should leave no stone unturned, checking your cat's health should be carried out just in case.

2. Cats will urinate in the same place but that could be due to lingering smells which guide then there, hence the washing powder etc.

3.Feliway is a plug in which releases a substance which has been proved to calm cats down. This may work where a cat is marking territory due to anxiety.

As I say this can be a difficult problem but if you attack it on all fronts sometimes it can be solved.

Good luck,

Scott

Good luck,

Regards,

Scott