You never know when your pet might become a toilet rebel. But what’s behind it, and what can you do? Deirdre Vine investigates.

1. pet plan.com.au http://www.petplan.com.au/blog/pet-insurance/what-to-do-about-pet-toileting-problems/
by Petplan Australia
What to do about pet toileting problems
You never know when your pet might become a toilet rebel. But what’s behind it, and what can
you do? Deirdre Vine investigates.
‘Inappropriate elimination’ – two sinister words that strike fear into every pet owner – can happen out
of the blue, even with the most domesticated, well-trained animals. It’s certainly not uncommon, but
it’s vital at the onset to rule out any underlying medical reason for the toileting dysfunction.
As any vet will tell you, much of their job seems to involve discussions about pee and poop. In a
career spanning 30 years, vet Peter Culpin has seen it all.
‘Many years ago, a client of mine couldn’t
understand why his newly acquired rescued
female dog couldn’t stop weeing indoors and
out,’ says Peter. ‘On examination, we found that
she had developed cystic calculi, or stones in
her bladder. This is usually the sequel to a long-
standing bladder infection and must have been
very painful for her. She underwent surgery to
remove them and we found she had more than
400 stones of various sizes in her bladder.’
He warns: ‘Aside from the obvious risk of getting
“caught short”, if your pet suddenly starts exhibiting unusual soiling behaviour, don’t just assume he
has forgotten his training.
There is usually a very good underlying reason and the most common is a urinary tract infection, so
get help early, otherwise your pet may end up with an even worse problem. If all medical reasons for
your pet’s inappropriate soiling have been ruled out, then it may be that the problem is a behavioural
one.’
MIND AND BODY
Stress plays a major part in behaviour changes in cats. However, we owners sometimes take an
overly humanised view of toilet malfunction.Abby Ward tells how when she went away for a few days
her partner discovered that their cat, Phoebe, had burrowed into a wardrobe and peed in Abby’s
best handbag. ‘I felt she was punishing me for leaving,’ says Abby.
Dr Claire Corridan, a vet with a special interest in behavioural medicine, sees the likely explanation
for such moggy misdemeanours very differently.
‘Cats have no comprehension of revenge or malice,’ she says. ‘Owners sometimes underestimate
the stressful effect they’re having on their animals. Depositing a substance containing their smell
and pheromones is a pet’s response to the stress of the situation.’
Claire says that whereas an odour is merely something humans consider pleasurable or offensive,
our pets’ world revolves around pongs – they’re motivated and driven by scent morning, noon and
night. ‘If an animal is feeling stressed for any reason, the one thing they’re going to do is make sure

2. they express their scent to try and override that.’
In addition, says Claire, we underestimate just how much the emotional and mental state of our
companion – whether it’s a cat, dog or rabbit – can affect their short- and long-term health, both
mental and physical. ‘Stress directly affects the part of the bladder that makes the animal feel
uncomfortable and can also affect the musculature, which increases the risk of incontinence, so you
have two different physiological mechanisms that are directly related to how the animal is feeling,’
she explains.
The majority of behavioural cases at Claire’s practice are related to the pets’ environment. ‘If we got
that right, we’d prevent a lot of the problems that we end up seeing,’ she says. ‘If their surroundings
are too restrictive, lacking in mental or social stimulation, or excessively social, a cat or a dog is
going to have difficulty coping with that.’
AVOIDANCE TACTICS
Soiling outside the litter tray is one of the most common reasons for a healthy cat to be given to a
shelter, yet in most cases it can be easily overcome.
Aside from it being caused by medical problems like blocked anal sacs or cystitis, litter tray aversion
can result from a recent domestic change, such as the introduction of another cat, a scrupulous
puss disliking the texture of a new type of litter, or the litter tray not being clean enough or having
the wrong kind of smell.
Using a non-ammonia-based cleaning product on the tray is recommended. ‘Never use a “deep litter”
system,’ advises Peter Culpin. ‘Scooping out the solid clumps of litter is not a satisfactory way of
managing your cat’s toilet.
‘Place a layer of paper or a liner in the tray and add about half an inch of litter. When it is soiled,
throw the whole lot away, clean the tray and replace the liner and add fresh litter.’
Cats, like us, appreciate privacy but a cat going to the loo outdoors also wants to feel secure.
Ipswich cat owner Jim Best reports how he noticed that a new moggy in the neighbourhood liked to
sit on the wall eyeing his cat flap, thus making his puss suddenly reluctant to toilet in the garden.
Cats, more than dogs, will soil one part of the house
over and over again. ‘Products such as Feliway are a
great help when cats begin to mark the house
through stress, as are special calming diets
containing amino acids such as L-Tryptophan and L-
Theanine,’ says Peter.
Karen Wild is a dog trainer, behaviourist and founder
of Intellidogs, which specialises in online advice. She
cites one commonly reported cause of inappropriate
elimination. ‘Dogs can sometimes be left alone for so
long that they need the toilet in the middle of the day
and no one’s there to let them out,’ she says. ‘They
eliminate in the house because they simply cannot hold it in.’ Separation anxiety may actually
compound the problem.
Moving house sometimes initiates toileting shenanigans and some remedial house training might be
needed following a move, in order to remind the dog of the desired place for them to go.

3. Beverley Cuddy, editor and publisher of Dogs Today, recalls one incident of ‘inappropriate elimination’
having an unusual payoff. Her beloved (late) Bearded Collie, Sally, used to go to work with her.
‘One evening, a colleague and I had a late meeting with an unpleasant character who owed us
money,’ she remembers. ‘We’d been trying to negotiate but the atmosphere became increasingly
tense. Then Sally intervened. She turned her back on him and sprayed diarrhoea in his direction. Sally
had created a diversion as only she could.’
Beverley adds that, in general, ‘Sally was a dog who had a lot of excuses. She’d been very ill, missed
all her socialisation and was very high maintenance. The slightest upset went to her bottom;
sometimes she’d poo so much she’d end up on a drip at the vet’s. If you can’t control the continence
of your dog it’s socially embarrassing and hard to live with.’
But thankfully for pets and owners, help is just a trip to the vet’s away.