Feline elimination resources

What are feline elimination disorders?

Feline elimination disorders are when cats poop or pee outside the litterbox, including urine marking (urine spraying). They are one of the most common reasons why Austin-area cat parents seek our cat behavior services. Elimination concerns affect your cat’s emotional wellbeing and often represent an underlying medical issue. They also test the human-cat bond and can even lead to relinquishment or euthanasia.

You may have heard these concerns referred to as “feline inappropriate elimination” or “feline inappropriate urination”. However, these terms are falling out of favor in the veterinary behavior world because from the POV of the cat, their elimination location is often completely appropriate (e.g., urinating on the rug because it’s a cleaner location than their litterbox that gets scooped once a week). As frustrating and stressful as these concerns can be for cat parents, this shift also highlights how these disorders do not stem from spite, dominance, or a desire to somehow get back at the cat parent.

For these behavioral concerns in particular, we recommend that you work closely with a feline veterinarian like My Family Cat. If your cat has elimination issues, any contributing medical conditions need to be diagnosed and treated under guidance of a vet. If you are outside our housecall service area, you and your cat can still benefit from some of our favorite resources on this topic.