Veterinary Medicine - March 2009 - (Page 140) CE PEER-REVIEWED The latest scoop on litter Clumping vs. nonclumping. Nonscented vs. scented. Activated carbon vs. sodium bicarbonate. With so many choices, it may be difficult for cat owners to know what to use. This behaviorist highlights recent research on cats’ litter and litter box preferences, so you can give clients evidence-based advice. Jacqueline C. Neilson, DVM, DACVB hile cats are the most popular pet in the United States,1 their most common behavioral problem for which owners seek W Jacqueline C. Neilson, DVM, DACVB Animal Behavior Clinic 809 S.E. Powell Road Portland, OR 97202 assistance, housesoiling, is unpopular with their owners. In fact, housesoiling can lead to a cat’s outdoor banishment, relinquishment, or euthanasia. Studies support this regrettable outcome, with behavioral problems—primarily housesoiling—being a leading cause of cats’ relinquishment to shelters.2 In one study, more than 23% of cats relinquished to a shelter had daily or weekly housesoiling incidents. 3 A recent study found that the most common problem identi ed after the adoption of a cat from a shelter was housesoiling, with 9% of the cats in the study exhibiting this behavior within three months of adoption.4 The study also identi ed housesoiling as a risk factor for returning the adopted cat to the shelter.4 There are three main causes of housesoiling in cats: underlying medical problems (e.g. feline lower urinary tract disease [FLUTD]), urine marking Glenn Reid 140 March 2009 VETERINARY MEDICINE
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