Читать книгу Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff - Группа авторов - Страница 125

There are a variety of medical causes that may contribute to housesoiling in the cat, and housesoiling is likely one of the more common reasons for cats to be relinquished to shelters. If cats are placed in a cage in a shelter, they are likely to begin using the litterbox due to the lack of other preferable surfaces. However, some cats develop preferences for soft, absorbent substrates, so they may choose to eliminate on any bedding that is placed in their cages. If the cat has an aversion to the litterbox or the substrate offered in the box, it may eliminate on newspaper or other surfaces in the cage.

Cats housed in groups in rooms within the shelter may be more likely to eliminate outside the litterbox, and due to the presence of multiple cats, it may be challenging to determine which cat is not using the box. Fear or stress associated with interactions with unfamiliar cats may lead to urine‐marking behavior and possibly even feline interstitial cystitis, also known as feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). If other cats block access to boxes (either overtly or covertly), or a cat is simply too afraid to approach a box out of fear that it may be ambushed by another cat, elimination outside the box may occur. However, any elimination outside the box should prompt exploration for an underlying medical condition first, before making the determination that it is purely a behavioral problem. Any medical condition resulting in polyuria, polydipsia, incontinence, constipation, diarrhea, pain associated with elimination, increased frequency and/or urgency to eliminate, orthopedic disease making it difficult or painful to climb into a box, and declining sensory capabilities making it difficult to locate the box can all lead to elimination outside the box. Caretakers should also be aware that an aversion to the litterbox may still exist long after the medical condition that promoted it is treated and eliminated.

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a relatively common syndrome in the cat and often leads to the deposition of urine outside the box. FLUTD refers to disorders affecting the urethra and/or urinary bladder. Stranguria, dysuria, pollakiuria, hematuria, and urination outside the box are all signs that are consistent with FLUTD, but numerous underlying etiologies are possible. Common etiologies include UTI, uroliths, urethral plugs, idiopathic cystitis, bladder neoplasia, malformations, trauma, and urinary incontinence.

UTIs should first be ruled out with a urinalysis, preferably using urine collected by cystocentesis. One study demonstrated that clinical signs are, in fact, a poor predictor of UTI in cats and recommended urine culture as the best method for confirming the presence or absence of bacterial infections (Martinez‐Rustafa et al. 2012). The same study found that the best predictive factor for the presence of UTI was urinary incontinence (Martinez‐ Rustafa et al. 2012). UTIs are often associated with other underlying medical conditions and are rarely a primary disorder in cats. Good antibiotic stewardship requires that we avoid treating cats presumptively with antibiotics since the likelihood of infection in young cats is small.

FIC has been shown to be the most common cause of signs of FLUTD in the cat (Lekcharoensuk et al. 2001; Gerber et al. 2005; Saevik et al. 2011). However, FIC is a diagnosis of exclusion. FIC describes recurring cystitis when no underlying cause for signs can be identified; a variety of different causative factors are suspected. Cats with FIC appear to have altered bladder permeability, and several studies have documented its association with stress (Buffington et al. 2002; Westropp et al. 2006; Stella et al. 2013). Cats with FIC appear to have increased sympathetic activity (Buffington and Pacak 2001; Buffington et al. 2002), to be more sensitive to environmental stress, and to have a decreased ability to cope with changes in their environment. Research continues to support the hypothesis that stress is associated with the development of FIC. One study, published by Cameron et al. (2004), found that cats with FIC were more likely to live in multi‐cat households and to experience conflict with another cat in the household. Clearly, a shelter environment has the potential to negatively affect the welfare of cats that are prone to FIC, and appropriate treatment will involve the treatment of symptoms as well as an attempt to identify and reduce the stressors that may be affecting the cat.

Several different treatments for FIC have been investigated, and no single medication has been found to be consistently effective at treating the signs. Since FIC is likely a condition with a multifactorial etiology, it is likely that treatment will be multifactorial as well. One study that evaluated multi‐modal environmental modification (MEMO) in the management of cats with interstitial cystitis found that with MEMO there was a significant reduction in lower urinary tract signs, fearfulness, and nervousness (Buffington et al. 2006). MEMO was defined as changing the cat’s environment to decrease stress. Examples of these changes included avoidance of punishment, diet changes, techniques for increasing water consumption, changing to unscented clumping litter, improved litterbox management, provision of more structures for climbing and perches for resting and viewing, scratching posts, audio and visual stimuli when the owner was absent, increased client interactions with the cat, and identification and resolution of inter‐cat conflict in the household. See Chapters 16 and 17 for more information on feline housing and enrichment.