House Soiling Failure to use the litter box, or house soiling, is the most common behavior problem of cats. It may be litter aversion, a scent-marking activity, or a medical problem. Litter box aversion results from association with painful urination or an urgency to urinate. Scent marking or spraying is performed as the cat stands facing away from its target, quivering its tail. The target is usually a vertical object such as a window, cabinet or stereo.
Uncastrated males mark their territories by urine spraying.
Unspayed females may spray when they are in heat. Neutering will solve most spraying problems. However, cats of either sex may spray if there are too many cats in the household. If reducing the number of cats in the household is not possible, treatment with a psycho-active medication may be necessary. Inappropriate defecation or nonspraying urination may have the same motivations.