Presentation Details
Environmental Preferences and Social Context in Feline Undesired Elimination  

Kate Mornement.

Pets Behaving Badly, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Abstract


Undesired elimination is a leading cause of cat relinquishment. Research demonstrates that cats show substrate, litter box, and location preferences, are sensitive to social stressors, and respond strongly to olfactory cues. This case study describes an adult Exotic Persian cat with chronic undesired elimination in a multi-cat household. Medical causes were excluded. Functional assessment suggested that elimination outside the provided trays was maintained by substrate and location preferences, avoidance of socially salient trays recently used by a conspecific, and reinforcement from residual odour cues that increased site salience. Intervention targeted environmental restructuring (increased litter tray size, number and spatial distribution, substrate optimisation, rigorous odour neutralisation) and positive reinforcement training using high value treats for litter box use. Elimination outside the tray markedly decreased. Findings illustrate how environmental preferences, social context, and olfactory prominence can interact to maintain undesired elimination and underscore the importance of function-based assessment in successful resolution of feline undesired elimination.

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