Even after the above steps have been taken, some cats may still require retraining to the litter box. Cats are strongly inhibited from elimination in confined areas because they do not like to soil their sleeping quarters. Once the cat begins to use the litter box consistently again, it may be allowed access to increasingly larger areas of the house. Placing the litter box on top of a favorite elimination site, and then slowly moving it to a more desirable location, has been advocated. A different approach involves retraining cats in a manner similar t that used for house-training dogs after feeding, cats are brought to the litter box and praised for using it.
Punishment can produce a negative response.
Physical or harsh vocal punishment can result in a cat's avoidance to its owner. Occasionally, spraying the cat with water or making a loud noise when the cat is caught n the act of soiling has helped to discourage use of a specific spot. If a cat is spraying, it is particularly important first to resolve the initiating causes, such as overcrowding or exposure to unaltered tomcats. Because a cat first sniffs an area before actually spraying it, use of an odoriferous repellent may discourage the cat from moistening a wall or drape. However, this may result only to the cat's selecting a new location.