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Field assessment in single housed cats of litterbox type (covered/uncovered) preferences for defecation
Abstract
Cats living without any outdoor access have to use litter boxes to eliminate. A lack of cleanliness is one of the main reasons for which cat owners consult their veterinarian. What has been identified as one of the major causes for this problem is an inappropriate spot for elimination which does not fit the cats' needs. The following measures are generally agreed about litter boxes: easily accessible in a quiet spot, appropriate size, sufficient number for the size of the home, and the number of cats. The choice of the litter box is mainly influenced by cat owners themselves as much as by commercial availability, rather than by scientific recommendation. The purpose of the present study was to assess which litter box type would be chosen by single-housed cats: a covered (closed) or an uncovered (open) litter box. A field test has been set up to analyze the cats' preferences, and two 4-week studies were conducted. During the first study, which included 13 cats, both litter boxes had the same surface area, whereas in the second study, which included 12 cats, the covered litter boxes had a surface area which was 17% larger than the uncovered ones. The cat's preference was assessed by daily counting of the feces in the boxes. When the surface area was the same, a tendency was in favor of the covered litter boxes with a significant difference at 10% threshold (P = 0.085) but not at a 5% threshold. This difference becomes significant at a 5% threshold (P = 0.011) in the second study in which the 17% difference in surface area clearly favored the covered litter boxes. Cats may prefer commercially available covered litter boxes as opposed to uncovered ones, if they have a larger surface area.
... One cat from cohort 2 (female spayed, 3 years of age, domestic short hair) did not exhibit any cover or dig behaviour during the entire study duration, regardless of stage of litter transition, which suggests that this individual cat may have been under more stress than in the other cats [10]. The circular litter box arrangement could have been a potential stressor for the individual cats as well, as the most favoured position for cats to eliminate is against a wall, presumably to safely eliminate while observing their surroundings [35]. With only one litter box closest to the wall, this may have been an issue for a more environmentally sensitive cat. ...
Simple Summary
Environmental changes in the home, specifically around litter box management, can be stressful for cats, and resulting behavioural changes, such as house soiling, are one of the leading causes of owner frustration. Current guidelines recommend a 6-day litter transition; however, these recommendations are based largely on anecdotal reports. Our objectives were therefore to determine whether any behavioural changes occurred during a litter transition from clay-based to plant-based litter when following current transition guidelines and to identify behaviours that might signify a successful transition. Results presented in this study suggest that transitioning an adult cat from one litter product to another over 6 days is sufficient for maintaining normal litter box behaviours, but exposure to the new litter prior to replacement of the old litter should be recognized as a potential transition aid and warrants further investigation. Cats generally demonstrated increased interest and exhibited investigative behaviour (e.g., sniffing) towards the new litter during transition without showing behaviours that would indicate fear or aversion to the new litter product. The authors do want to recognize, though, that individual cat behaviour and potential stressors in the home environment must be taken into account when considering how to approach a litter substrate change.
Abstract
Current guidelines recommend transitioning cats from one litter product to another over 6 days to minimize stress. The study objective was therefore to test these guidelines using 16 adult domestic cats (2 cohorts of 8) by observing behavioural changes associated with elimination throughout the litter transition. Cats were transitioned from a clay-based litter (CLAY) to a plant-based litter product (PLANT) over 6 days (period 1) via an incremental replacement of CLAY with PLANT. All cats then remained on PLANT for 8 days (period 2). This same transition process was executed for both cohorts, and litter box behaviours were observed via remote recording. Urination, defecation, cover, and dig behaviours were not different between periods 1 and 2 (p > 0.05). Sniffing frequency was greater in period 2 than period 1 (p < 0.05); however, during the litter transition (period 1), cats sniffed the litter boxes being transitioned from CLAY to PLANT more often and for longer than they did for the boxes consisting of only PLANT (p < 0.05). These data suggest that 6 days may be an adequate amount of time to transition a cat to a new litter, although successful transition may also be specific to the types of litters investigated.
... This also could have potentially led to variations in cat elimination behaviour due to aggressor cats guarding the litter box area [29]. We also observed that the cats had a positional preference for litter boxes, with the most favoured position being against a wall so that they can watch their surroundings at the same time as using the litter box [30]. Litter box frequency use was ranked by the cats' preferences for litter box locations in the acclimation and transition phases and alternated to reduce cat preference bias. ...
Simple Summary
The global feline population has been rising steadily, with approximately 96.5 million cats in the United States, 8.8 million in Canada, and 102 million in Europe. In addition to a growing population, the complex behaviour of cats results in many being surrendered to animal shelters, especially for urinating and/or defecating outside of the litter box area. The objective of this study was to determine whether cats would demonstrate a preference for a plant-based clumping litter with an added attractant (ATTRACT) over a control plant-based clumping litter (PLANT). A secondary objective was to evaluate whether male and female cats would express different litterbox behaviours as a function of the litter type. Based on video-recorded and live behavioural observations, cats used the ATTRACT litters more often to urinate than the PLANT litter, and males urinated longer and sniffed the litter more than females did (p < 0.05). These findings provide preliminary insights into how cat litter-box usage might be increased and gender dimorphisms in litterbox behaviours.
Abstract
Urination and/or defecation outside a designated location has been reported as the most common behavioural reason for surrendering a cat and comprises approximately 30% of cat intakes to shelters. The objective of this study was to determine whether cats would increase in-box elimination when provided a plant-based litter product with attractant (ATTRACT) compared to the same plant-based litter product without attractant (PLANT). Sixteen cats were split into two equal cohorts based on availability from the shelter and group-housed in an enriched room with eight identical litter boxes arranged in a circular pattern equidistant from each other. Following a two-week room acclimation and transition period from clay litter to PLANT litter, boxes were designated either PLANT or ATTRACT litter, balancing for cats’ prior box location preferences. For 14 days following litter allocation, cat behaviours such as sniffing, digging, covering, urinating, and defecating were video recorded for 12 h daily. The cats urinated more often in the ATTRACT litter, suggesting that they preferred the ATTRACT litter for urination more than the PLANT litter (p < 0.05). The most significant differences observed were between genders, with males spending significantly more time sniffing and performing urination behaviours (p < 0.05). These results suggest that litter with an attractant may be more effective in eliciting usage for urination, as compared to a litter without the additive.
... This also could have potentially led to variations in cat elimination behaviour due to aggressor cats guarding the litter box area [29]. We also observed that the cats had a positional preference for litter boxes, with the most favoured position being against a wall so that they can watch their surroundings at the same time as using the litter box [30]. Litter box frequency use was ranked by the cats' preferences for litter box locations in the acclimation and transition phases and alternated to reduce cat preference bias. ...
Urination and/or defecation outside a designated location, or inappropriate elimination, is reported as the most common behaviour reason for surrendering a cat. Despite proper litter box maintenance, some cats inappropriately eliminate, leading to owner and cat frustration. The objective of this study was to determine whether cats increase in-box elimination when provided a newly innovated plant/herb-based litter product with attractant (ATTRACT) compared to a regular plant/herb-based litter product without attractant (PLANT). Sixteen cats (7 neutered males, 9 spayed females; 1–5 years; mean = 2.25 ± 0.36) were used. Cats were split into two equal cohorts based on availability from the shelter. Cohort 1 included 3 males and 5 females, and Cohort 2 an even split between sexes. Cats were group-housed in an enriched room with eight identical litter boxes arranged in a circular pattern equidistant from each other. Following a two-week acclimation, the cats were gradually transitioned over six days from clay-based litter to PLANT litter. On Day 6, all litter boxes contained PLANT litter. On Day 15, all litter boxes were cleaned fully and ranked from most to least used based on analyses of video-recordings of usage. Boxes were then designated either PLANT or ATTRACT litter based on cats’ prior preferences. For 14 d following litter allocation, cat behaviour was video-recorded for 12 h a day (08:00 h – 21:00 h). Behaviours, including duration and frequency of sniffing litter, as well as urinating and defecating in litter boxes, were recorded. Cats urinated and defecated more frequently in the ATTRACT litter compared to the PLANT litter (P < 0.05). These results provide preliminary indication of the efficacy of the attractant. Future studies should investigate the impacts of adding the attractant to plant-based litter to increase litter usage and decrease incidence of inappropriate elimination in cats.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of healthy housebound domestic cats to the simultaneous provision of 2 litterboxes of differing sizes by recording the average daily frequency of urination and defecation in each box. Forty-three households with 74 privately owned cats were each provided with 2 different-sized plastic containers, with the larger box being 86 cm in length, exceeding the size of commercially available litterboxes. Owners were also provided with an unlimited supply of clumping cat litter and a logbook to record daily urine and fecal deposits in the boxes as they were scooped over a 4-week period. The 2 litterboxes were initially placed at opposite sides of the same room in the owner's home. After 2 weeks, the boxes were emptied completely, refilled with clean clumping litter, and replaced in the opposite location. Results were recorded as simple counts of urine and fecal deposits for each day and each household. Over the 28-day period, there were a total of 5031 urine and fecal deposits in the larger boxes and 3239 urine and fecal deposits in the regular boxes. The effects of phase (days 1-14 vs. 15-28) and box size (regular vs. large) on the number of deposits per cat were evaluated using a linear mixed model. In addition to evaluating phase and box size, the effects of number of cats in the house, their average age, and gender were also evaluated. Urine deposits were significantly more frequent than fecal deposits. Large boxes were preferentially selected over regular boxes in both phases, but this difference was greater in phase 1 than phase 2. Further analysis indicated that there was a location preference during the first 2 days in phase 2, and this effect decreased as the study progressed. Results indicate that most cats show a definite preference for a larger litterbox than is typically available to them in homes and that other factors such as box cleanliness and location may have a compounding influence on this choice.
Cats are a popular companion animal in the United States, the United Kingdom and most of western Europe. While a few studies on cat behaviour and interactions between cats and humans have been conducted in the home setting, most refer to cats housed in laboratories, catteries and shelters. Nevertheless, the findings from these studies can be extrapolated to the home environment. The Five Freedoms were developed as minimal standards of welfare for farm animals; it is proposed that five provisions, based on the Freedoms, can be used to assess the welfare of cats in the home. The provision of a suitable environment, with opportunities to express most normal behaviours and with protection from conditions likely to lead to fear and distress, requires the application of environmental enrichment techniques. Examples of physical, social, sensory, occupational and nutritional approaches to enrichment of the cat's home are presented. The majority of pet cats in the United Kingdom are allowed outdoors but in the United States between 50 and 60% are housed indoors. The advantages and disadvantages of allowing cats outdoor access or confining them indoors are discussed.
Feline inappropriate elimination (periuria and/or perichezia) remains a very common behavioral complaint of cat owners. Treatment recommendations often include improving the attractiveness of the litter boxes available to the cat. One frequent recommendation is to avoid covered litter boxes, although this has not previously been tested experimentally. The goal of this study was to assess whether, all else being equal, cats preferentially used uncovered litter boxes over covered litter boxes. Twenty-eight cats were enrolled in the study and offered the choice of a covered or uncovered box. Waste was scooped daily from each box, and the weight of waste in the different box styles was compared and evaluated using paired t-tests and χ(2) analyses. Overall, there was no significant difference between use of the two box styles. Eight individual cats did exhibit a preference (four for covered, four for uncovered), but individual preference results are not evenly distributed, with more cats than expected showing no preference between litter box types. We postulate that, if boxes are kept sufficiently clean (ie, once daily minimum cleaning), most cats will not show a preference for either box type. The observation that a minority of cats in the study exhibited a preference supports the recommendation of providing individual cats a 'cafeteria' of litter box styles, including a covered box, to determine whether such a preference exists. These findings add to existing literature on the topic of feline inappropriate elimination and provide additional information for clinicians providing treatment recommendations for cats exhibiting this behavior.
Cats living inside a home without any possibility of outdoor access have to defecate in a litter box. In order to suit the cats' needs, several recommendations seem to be agreed upon. The litter box has to be clean and in a calm spot easily accessible to the cat. It has to be a size that fits the cat. The number of litter boxes has to be correlated with the number of cats present at home as well as the size of the household. The box should contain a substrate that allows the cat to comfortably dig in it. The box should be of a size and the litter of a style that the cat can defecate without soiling itself in the process. The litter should be sufficiently absorbent, and manage odor.
Facing a great range of commercial possibilities, cat owners have to make a choice. There is no standard recommendation about substrate.. The study sought to identify preferences of cats regarding a specific type of substrate by comparing clay granules, silica in micro-granules, silica granules and wood pellets. The study was divided in two phases. Eighteen cats were selected for the first phase that lasted 4 weeks. Three strictly identical and uncovered litter boxes were presented to the cats. Each box contained one of the substrates (i.e., clay granules, silica in micro-granules, wood pellets). The cats demonstrated a significant preference for the clay or silicate substrates (no significant difference between them) as opposed to the wood pellets. In the second phase, 12 cats were observed during 2 weeks in order to compare their reaction to clay and silicate. Here, the same grain texture (i.e., granules) was used. The cats showed a significant inclination to defecate into the clay substrate, instead of the silica substrate.
Although most cat owners believe that cats have a need to roam outdoors and that this activity benefits their welfare, roaming also carries welfare risks for the cat. On the other hand, most cats have not been selectively bred to be “house cats” that live indoors 24 hours a day. Until recently, most domestic cats were allowed to roam freely, and they contributed to the large population of stray and feral cats. In turn many pet cats come from the stray and shelter population. A large proportion of domestic cats have not been selected for easy adaptation to live in confinement and in close contact with people, and socialization to people may also not have been complete in these cats. However, cats are adaptable to a wide range of environments and are generally not known to show clear behavioral signs of problems, such as stereotypic behavior. Problem behaviors of cats are often not abnormal behaviors per se but natural behaviors that need to be redirected to appropriate substrates. The most frequent behavior problems cited by cat owners are: inappropriate elimination, scratching, aggression, anxiety, eating problems, vocalizations, and excessive activity. Despite the frequent reporting of these behaviors, most cats will generally adapt to indoor housing provided there is sufficient space and that they are accustomed to these conditions from an early age. The Five Freedoms, developed to assess the welfare of farm animals in intensive systems, can be modified to assess the welfare of cats housed in confinement. Specific features of the environment that can enhance the welfare of cats in confinement are discussed.
Feline inappropriate elimination is the number one behavioral reason for relinquishment of cats to shelters and has historically been the most commonly reported feline problem addressed by behavior professionals. Veterinarians are hence challenged to uncover the underlying motivation for this behavior so that an accurate diagnosis can be made and an effective treatment plan implemented. Before a behavioral diagnosis can be made, underlying medical disease must be addressed, making a comprehensive physical evaluation imperative. After all medical issues have been addressed, a behavior diagnoses list is made based on detailed historical information obtained from the cat owner. A distinction is first established between marking and inappropriate toileting, according to elimination postures described by the owner and the social relevance of the sites of inappropriate eliminations. Next, inadequacies of the litter box management are identified and subsequent aversions and preferences, including litter box aversion, substrate aversion, location aversion, substrate preference, and location preference, can be diagnosed. The practitioner should be cognizant of the fact that anxiety from the environment and social conflict may play a major role in both marking and inappropriate toileting behaviors. Once both the medical and behavioral diagnoses are established, a treatment plan catered to the individual cat, owner, and household environment can be formulated. This should include acceptable forms of marking when indicated, appropriate litter box management and hygiene, reduction of environmental stressors, including resolution of social conflict in multicat households, proper treatment and restricted access to soiled areas, pheromone application, and, when indicated, anxiolytic drug therapy.
Feline handling in the veterinary hospital is important to protect both people and cats. Restraint has been used to enable us to perform our duties as veterinarians. With increased knowledge of feline behavior and how cats react to fear, newer information provides us with safer handling techniques. With safer and more respectful handling based on understanding the nature of cats and their communication, we can improve feline health care in our hospitals, the human-animal-veterinarian bond, and the welfare of both cats and people. This article explains important aspects of feline communication and how our actions affect cats. By understanding the cat, we can improve our handling techniques to prevent fear and pain for our feline patients, and thus make our veterinary practices more feline friendly and safer for our clients, their cats, and veterinary staff.
To investigate the relationship of litter box location as it relates to cats' use of space in the house, elimination problems, and certain behaviors associated with elimination.
40 cats in single-cat house-holds with or without elimination behavior problems (20 cats/group).
Camcorders were used to record the cats' behaviors at the litter box and other areas in which they eliminated during a 72-hour period. Use of space in the house was recorded by direct observation during 400 minutes of the 72-hour period. Elimination behaviors and other cat- and litter box-associated variables were compared between groups; litter box location with respect to inappropriate elimination was assessed.
Litter box location did not differ between cats with and without elimination behavior problems. An inverse correlation was found between time spent sniffing and the distance of the litter box from the central core area. Cats with elimination problems spent significantly less time digging at the litter box than cats without elimination problems. There was no significant difference in the time spent pawing in litter box, sniffing, or covering excreta after elimination between the 2 groups of cats.
Times spent digging in litter boxes by cats with and without elimination problems have been determined, and data suggest that actual digging times could be used as a means to test for litter preference and litter aversion. This information may also be used to identify cats with litter aversion prior to the development of an elimination problem.
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