Solving litter box Problems

Solving litter box Problems

Cats tend to have surface and location preferences for where, and on what, they like to eliminate. Most cats prefer a loose, sandy substance, which is why they will use a litter box. It's only when their preferences include the laundry basket, the bed or the Persian rug, that normal elimination behavior becomes a problem. With careful analysis of your cat's environment, specific factors that have contributed to the litter box problem can usually be identified and changed, so that your cat will again use the litter box for elimination.

Some common reasons why cats don't use the litter box: an aversion to the box, a preference for a surface not provided by the box, a preference for a location where there is no box or a combination of all three. You'll need to do some detective work to determine the reason your cat is house soiling. Sometimes, the reason the litter box problem initially started may not be the same reasoning it's continuing. For example, your cat may have stopped using the litter box because of a urinary tract infection, and has now developed a surface preference for carpet and a location preference for the bedroom closet. You would need 0 address all three of these factors to resolve the problem.

Cats don't stop using their litter boxes because they're mad or upset and are trying to get revenge for something that "offended" or "angered" them. Because humans act for these reasons, it's easy for us to assume that our pets do as well. Animals don't act of spite or revenge, so it won't help to give your cat special privileges in the hope that she'll start using the litter box again.

Medical Problems

It's common for cats to begin eliminating outside of their litter box when they have a medical problem. For example, a urinary tract infection or crystals in the urine can make urination very painful. Cats often associate this pain with the litter box and begin to avoid it. If your cat has a house-soiling problem, check with your veterinarian first to rule out any medical problems for the behavior. Cats don't always act sick, even when they are, and only a trip to the veterinarian for a thorough physical examination can rule out a medical problem.

Cleaning Soiled Areas

Because animals are highly motivated to continue soiling an area that smells like urine or feces, it's imperative that you thoroughly clean the soiled areas.

Aversion to the litter box

You cat may have decided that the litter box is an unpleasant place to eliminate if:

v  The box is not clean enough for her.

v  She has experienced painful urination or defecation in the box due to a medical problem.

v  She has been startled by a noise while using the box.

v  She has been "ambushed" while in the box either by another cat, a child, a dog, or by you, if you were attempting to catch her for some reason.

v  She associates the box with punishment (someone punished her for eliminating outside the box, and then placed her in the box).

What You Can Do

·         Keep the litter box extremely clean. Scoop at least once a day and change the litter completely every four to five days. If you use scoop able litter, you may not need to change the litter as frequently. This will vary per how many cats are in the household, how many litter boxes you have, and how large the cats are that are using the box or boxes. A good guideline is that if you can smell the box, then you can be sure it's offensive to your cat as well.

·         Add a new box in a different location than the old one and use a different type of litter in the new box. Because your cat has decided that her old litter box is unpleasant, you'll want to make the new one different enough that she doesn't simply add the old, negative associations to the new box.

·         Make sure that the litter box isn't near an appliance that makes noise or in an area of the house that your cat doesn't frequent.

Surface Preferences

All animals develop preferences for a surface on which they like to eliminate. These preferences may be established early in life, but they may also change overnight for reasons that we don't always understand. Your cat may have a surface preference if:

v  She consistently eliminates on a texture. For example, soft-textured surfaces, such as carpet, bedding or clothing, or slick-textured surfaces, such as tile, cement, bathtubs or sinks.

v  She frequently scratches on this same texture after elimination, even if she eliminates in the litter box.

v  She is or was previously an outdoor cat and prefers to eliminate on grass or soil.

What You Can Do

·         If your cat is eliminating on soft surfaces, try using a high quality, scoop able litter, and put a soft rug under the litter box.

·         If your cat is eliminating on slick-textured surfaces, try using a high quality, scoop able litter, and put a soft rug under the litter box.

·         If your cat has a history of being outdoors, add some soil or sod to the litter box.

·         Make the area where she has been eliminating aversive to her by covering it with an upside-down carpet runner or aluminum foil, or by placing citrus-scented cotton balls over the area.

Location Preferences

Your cat may have a location preference if:

v  She always eliminates in quiet, protected places, such as under a desk downstairs or in a closet.

v  She eliminates in an area where the litter box was previously kept or where there are urine odors.

v  She eliminates on a different level of the house from where the litter box is located.

What You Can Do

·         Put it least one litter box on every level of your house.

·         Make the area where she has been eliminating aversive to her by covering it with upside down carpet runner or aluminum foil, or by placing citrus-scented cotton balls over the area.

Or

·         Put a litter box in the location where your cat has been eliminating. When she has consistently used this box for at least one month, you may gradually move it to a more convenient location at a rate of an inch per day.

Oops!

If you catch your cat in the act of eliminating in the house, do something to interrupt her like making a startling noise, but be careful not to scare her. Immediately take her to the where the litter box is located and set her on the floor. If she wanders over to the litter box, wait and praise her after she eliminates in the box. If she takes off in another direction, she may want privacy, so watch from afar until she goes back to the litter box and eliminates, then praise her when she does.

Don't ever punish your cat for eliminating outside of the litter box. If you find a soiled area, it's too late to administer a correction. Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your eat's nose in it, taking her to the spot and scolding her, or any other type of punishment, will only make her afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. Animals don't understand punishment after the fact, even if it's only seconds later. Punishment will do more harm than good.

Other Types of House soiling Problems

v  Fears or Phobias: When animals become frightened, they may lose control of their bladder and/or bowels. If your cat is afraid of loud noises, strangers, or other animals, she may house soil when she is exposed to these stimuli.

Your Talkative Cat

Your Talkative Cat

Vocalizing is one way for your cat to communicate with you and with other animals. Some cats "talk" more than others, but most cats do make noise some of the time. We're all familiar with the meaning of hissing and growling, but there are also many other sounds that your cat is capable of, and a variety of reasons for vocalizing.

Medical Reasons

If your cat's behavior changes suddenly, the first thing you should do is take her to your veterinarian for a thorough health examination. Cats often hide symptoms of illness until they're seriously ill. Any change in behavior may be an early indication of a medical problem. A new vocalizing behavior may indicate physical discomfort stemming from an urgent need for medical attention.

Breed Tendency

Oriental breeds, such as the Siamese, are known to be very vocal. If your cat has a pointed face and a long, lean body, chances are she has some oriental heritage, so "talking" may be a part of her character. Avoid giving her any attention when she is vocal because this will only encourage the vocal behavior. Instead, giver her attention when she is quiet.

Attention-Seeking Behavior

Some cats "talk" because they know they'll get a reaction. People may talk back, feed her, yell at her, pick her up and lock her in another room, or pick her up and soother her. These responses will encourage an attention-seeking cat. To discourage this behavior, simply ignore your cat when she does this, and when she is quiet, pour on the love, feed her or give her some treats. This will teach your cat which behaviors you would like her to continue.

Your Cat Wants to Go Outside

If your cat was previously an outdoor cat and you plan to keep her inside, then good for you! Following are some suggestions to help make that transition easier on both of you.

·        Spay or Neuter: Spaying or neutering will rid your cat of those hormonal urges to go out and seek a mate. This will result in a calmer, friendlier cat.

·        Play Schedule: Schedule play times during the times your cat would normally be outside. This will distract her from her normal routines and establish another, safer routine.

·      Window Seat: Be sure your cat has a view of the outdoors and a sunny place to lie. Cats like to watch birds, so putting a bird feeder outside this window is likely to make it a favorite spot for your cat.

·         Scavenger Hunt: Give your cat a game to play by hiding bits of dry food around the house. Hide the food in paper bags, boxes or behind open doors. This will give her exercise and keep her busy so she doesn't think of going outside. This is especially good to do right before the family leaves the house for the day.

·         Attention: Try to give your cat extra love and attention during this difficult transition.

·         Aversive: If your cat still won' give up meowing by the door, try an aversive. Leave strong citrus scents by the door or hide behind a wall and shake a pop can filled with coins to interrupt the behavior. When she is quiet, walk out and give her a food treat and encourage her to play or cuddle.

Grief

Sometimes after the death or departure of a person or animal in your eat's life, she will vocalize to express her grief. This can be a normal part of the grieving process. The best thin you can do for her is keep her schedule the same (or as close as possible) and spend some extra cuddle and playtime with her. With time, this problem should take care of itself.

Transition

If your cat is new to your home or has just gone through a change (move, new person/animal in the household, person moved out) and has just started her talkative behavior, be patient. This may be happening due to the transition and will stop on its own if the behavior is not encouraged. Remember, even scolding can be perceived by your cat as attention, and thus encourage the behavior.

Ethics Problem: Did Medical Personnel Kill Patients in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?

10/21/2014

            If we are able to make choices that concern our body why shouldn't we be able to make the decision for us to pass away when we want? Yes. I believe in mercy deaths, where we should be able to have the option to end our lives ourselves or ask for help, or not. It is unethical terminating someone else’s life based off of an assumption, not involving the patient’s permission or request is basically the definition of mercy killing.

            In all honesty mercy deaths, including physician-assisted suicide, in my opinion, should be left up to the choice of the individual. Although I do strongly believe restrictions should be in place first. For example you should be an adult (i.e. you have had a ‘good, long life’ not being too young and emotional to make that decision) and in very poor health (i.e. life support, paralyzed, etc) or can prove that you have thought about it thoroughly and rationally (i.e. by discussing it with a therapist). After those are met you should then be given the green light to end your own or receive help in ending your own life.

On the subject of the medical personnel in the aftermath of hurricane katrina at New Orleans Memorial Medical Center, however, it seems that these were cases of mercy killings rather than mercy deaths. Due to the fact that, beforehand, no one claimed that any patient (determined to have a “mysterious death”) requested or mentioned that they no longer want to live gives way to these circumstances being mercy death situations.

Additionally, concerning forced abandonment, I still believe you should have the power to decide whether to end your own life or not. However this did not seem to be the case at this hospital. While it may have seemed like all hope was lost or that emergency officials gave up on rescuing them there was no official statement saying that they had given up. Consequently when the assumption that they had given up had proven to be false when they were rescued, the nurses now, unfortunately, would have to suffer the consequences of decisions made in a difficult situation.

More importantly there should also be a few cases to be considered an exception. If there was a patient with no way of communicating, starving, thirsty and help did not seem like it would be arriving soon then the medical professionals should have some leeway, the ability to make a call based off of the situation (like surgeons do). Even though the only obligations doctors and nurses have to patients is to do their very best to help their patients become healthy again and I believe the only person with the authority to kill you should be you and you alone, I do think there will always be some situations that should be considered an exception to my rules.

All-in-all, with the given information, it seems that, unless the patients were unable to communicate, the doctors and nurses made bad calls. They did not make any claims that the patients were unable to communicate or requested to be put to death thus making it a mercy killing, not mercy death.

Medical Anthropology: The Doctor's White Coat

In the middle of the 19th century they were unable to come up with better and effective remedies which nearly destroyed the reputation of medicine becoming known as quackery. However based on the facts that scientist’s changed the people’s night into day, you could send instantaneous messages and revolutionized transportation  they came up with the idea to begin representing doctors as scientists. It seemed as if science was validated the practice of medicine, rapidly consolidating into a scientific enterprise. Thus shortly after the field and context of medicine changed; they rewrote textbooks and became more of a laboratory science. Although it was the diagnoses of new illnesses and resources that could not be readily taken to patient’s homes that pushed the change of the hospital being viewed as a place where social outcasts died to a place where to took sick people to be healed or, in other words, their view changed from death to life. That, then, urged the changed of uniforms of the staff from the regular black religious ones to the, now, well-known white uniforms signifying life.

In the 19th century a campaign urged people to get physical examinations, which included the rectal and pelvis, in the hope of improving an individual’s health. In order to overcome the cultural dangers and fears of physical contact they needed something that could protect both the doctor and the patient. As we know, the doctor has his white coat which symbolizes bilateral protection, goodness, purity and so on but in order to perform the pelvic and rectal exam the patient would need to be naked which, eventually, resulted in the creation of the patient examination gown. That is part of the reason why today the patient-physician relationship is more a partnership instead of the doctor being an authoritarian figure.