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Behavior Jacqui Neilson, DVM, DACVB Portland, Oregon Unruly and Annoying Behaviors While some behavior problems can seriously threaten the welfare of the animal or people, many behavior problems are just annoying or upsetting to the owner. Although these behavior problems are not momentous, they can weaken the human-animal bond. They often can be dealt with efficiently during an office exam, therefore creating an opportunity to integrate behavioral therapy into your practice. Jumping up: Dogs are social animals and often jump up on people when they are greeting them. This behavior may have originated from wolves as they will lick each other on the face in greeting. Although often considered "cute" as a puppy, this behavior can become more annoying as the puppy grows or when the pet has muddy feet. The behavior persists in our pet dogs because people reinforce the behavior by interacting with the dog when it jumps up. The interaction may be something positive such as petting the dog or may be negative such as pushing the dog down and saying Ano.@ In either case, the dog achieves its goal of getting the person=s attention. To control the behavior, the dog should be given an alternative, acceptable behavior to perform such as sitting during greetings. When the dog sits, reward with praise. It can be helpful to have a leash and head collar on the dog so that you can correct the jumping behavior - a slight pull up on the head collar will actually encourage the dog to sit down. It is important to remove any rewards for the jumping behavior. People should be advised to turn away if the dog jumps up on them. Then the command for the appropriate behavior can be given and the dog greeted. Play biting: Puppies use their mouths for social interactions, including play. It is important let a puppy know when that biting hands is not acceptable because a bite, even if given in play, may lead to injury. When a puppy starts to bite at hands, interaction with the puppy should cease. Find an appropriate object for the puppy to mouth and offer this to the puppy. A sharp Ayip@ emitted by the person at the time of the bite may stop the puppy from biting, allowing the person to withdraw from play for a few minutes. Exercise in the form of walks and games such as fetching objects can also lower the desire to bite at the hands. Owners should not engage in forms of play that encourage biting/mouthing of the human. Interactive punishment for play biting in the form of yelling or hitting the puppy should not be performed as these methods may serve to make the puppy frightened of people, specifically hands reaching towards the face. If a kitten engages in biting, interaction should cease and then play should be redirected to an appropriate object (e.g. fishing rod type toy). Pulling: Dogs pulling on their leashes during walks can be very unpleasant for the handler and sometimes can be painful or dangerous. The consequence may be decreased exercise for the dog, often exacerbating other behavioral issues. A collar does little to discourage pulling and in fact may encourage the dog to resist and pull more when it feels the pressure on the front of the neck. A body harness is a device designed to allow a dog to pull heavy loads, therefore it doesn't inhibit the pulling behavior. An accessible and successful tool to manage pulling is the head collar. There are several brands of head collars (Gentle Leader, Halti, Snoot Loop, etc.) and each clinic should investigate and decide which collar works best in their hands. Proper fitting of head collars is important and although not difficult, it does require some attention. Obedience training the dog to heel via positive reinforcement is advised. A dog that heels well on command is a pleasure to walk. Barking: Barking usually starts between 2-4 weeks of age and persists throughout the life of the dog. Dogs bark for many different reasons including greetings, play, solicitation, herding, defense, distress and alarm. Dogs will use different tones of barks in different situations. For example, a play bark is usually higher in tone than a bark to defend the territory. If a dog is barking excessively you first need to determine what is the motivation behind the vocalization and then steps can be taken to control the underlying motivation.
Bark collar work on the premise that they will deliver a form of punishment when barking occurs. Bark collars should not be used on dogs that are engaging in anxiety related barking. The citronella bark collar (Gentle Spray, Premier Pet Products) that releases a harmless but disagreeable spray of citronella may be used in conjunction with other treatments for non-anxiety related barking. A study conducted by Moffat and Landsberg evaluated the efficacy of the citronella bark collar on barking in the veterinary hospital setting. Seventy-eight percent of the dogs were controlled or improved in their barking when wearing the collar. Electronic bark collars can be helpful in some non-anxiety related barking situations but should be used with supervision and caution. Digging: There can be different motivations for digging including regulation of body temperature, play and exploration, hunting, escape behaviors and burying food items. To control unwanted digging, you must first determine the motivation for the digging. If the pet is trying to control body temperature, offer the pet other cool locations on hot days or heated areas on cool days. Providing the pet with plenty of exercise and attention can decrease digging for exercise and exploration. If the digging appears to be due to anxiety, a diagnosis and treatment plan should be developed for the specific anxiety. If prey is the motivation for digging, the prey must be removed from the environment. Sometimes, especially for those dogs engaged in recreational digging, it can be helpful to provide them with an acceptable digging area. Encourage use of a special area by providing soft, loosely packed dirt and burying things that a dog may like to dig up. Make other unacceptable digging areas unattractive by placing booby-traps such as motion activated sprinklers or rocks in those sites. Limiting unsupervised access to attractive digging sites by kenneling the dog or keeping the dog inside can also control the problem. Chewing: Chewing is a normal form of exploration and activity for pets. They learn information about their environment when they sniff, taste and chew on objects. Other reasons for chewing behavior include teething (3-6 months of age), attention-seeking behavior (owner gives attention or treats for chewing), anxiety, escape behaviors and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. When dealing with this problem, you first need to identify the underlying cause for the chewing. If the pet is young and is chewing a variety of objects in the household, puppy/kitten exploration and play/teething are the most likely reasons for the behavior. To correct this problem, you first must provide acceptable objects for the puppy/kitten to chew. Puppies and kittens then need to be supervised so that chewing behavior can be redirected to acceptable objects. If caught in the act of chewing on an unacceptable target, a startling noise (can with some pennies, clap) or a water squirt can be used to interrupt the behavior. The pet should then be encouraged to chew on an appropriate toy. When supervision of the pet is not possible, it should be confined to a safe area. If there are certain objects that are particularly harmful for the puppy or kitten to chew, for example electrical cords, these can also be coasted with an unpleasant material such as a bitter apple spray to discourage chewing. Alternatively, home improvement stores sell protective sheaths for electrical cords. If you determine that the pet only chews on items when an audience is present, the pet may be chewing to get attention. Similar to the jumping up behavior, the pet often gets a reaction, although it is often negative, when it is caught chewing on unacceptable items. Providing this pet with structure and exercise may help with the problem. Also, the owners should be counseled to give the pet attention when it is being well-behaved. However, the owner must also stop giving the pet the "reward" of attention for the unacceptable chewing. Either ignoring the pet or using a remote punishment to interrupt the unwanted chewing should curtail attention-seeking chewing. When anxiety is the motivation behind the chewing, a trigger for the unacceptable chewing should be identifiable. For example, loud noises or separation from the owner may consistently elicit the chewing behavior. With anxiety related chewing the target item is often something with an owner's scent or may be directed towards exit points. Treatment for anxiety related chewing involves identification of the anxiety provoking stimulus and successful management of that problem. Some cats will present with the complaint of sucking or ingestion of fabric. Oriental breeds are more likely to present with this complaint, Neville and Bradshaw reported 55% of fabric-eating cats were Siamese and 28% were Burmese in a study of 152 cats with the disorder. There does not appear to be an identifiable nutritional deficiency in these cats, although this should always be investigated. The behavior appears to involve stereotypic oral movements. Over 93% of cats with this disorder started with wool as the target in the Neville and Bradshaw study thus resulting in the name Awool-sucking@. However, many of these cats generalized to other fabrics including cotton (64%) and synthetics (54%). Some cats will target non-fabric (i.e. plastic). Sex and reproductive status do not appear to be correlated with incidence of the behavior. The role that early weaning plays in the development of this behavior is not clear. While early weaned kittens appear to be over-represented in this population of fabric-sucking/consumption cats, a causative relationship has not been substantiated in studies. Cats that actually ingest the material are at much greater risk of serious complications, specifically intestinal blockage or owner relinquishment. Treatment for wool-sucking includes providing a high fiber diet; providing items to chew such as grass, rawhide, microwaved chicken bone; removing target items from the environment, if possible; applying aversive materials to targets or remote punishment for engaging in behavior; increasing interactive play; identifying and decreasing environmental stressors; and drug therapy for refractory cases. Drugs used to treat wool-sucking include fluoxetine (0.5-1.0 mg/kg PO q 24 hours); clomipramine (0.5 mg/kg q 24 hours); amitriptyline (5-10 mg/cat PO q 12-24 hours) or paroxetine (2.5-5 mg/cat q 24-48 hours). Corprophagia Corprophagia, the ingestion of feces, is a form of pica. Some dogs consume their own feces and others eat the feces of other dogs or other species. There are different theories as to why this behavior occurs, including exploratory behavior, establishing intestinal microflora or compensating for a nutritional deficiency. Young dogs are most likely to engage in corprophagia but it can be seen at any age. Puppies will often outgrow the behavior without specific intervention. The behavior is inherently self-rewarding and therefore may become a habit that is difficult to eradicate. A careful history should be collected, focusing on past gastrointestinal disturbances. A medical examination should be performed to rule out any underlying nutritional deficiencies/diseases. Laboratory evaluation should include fecal analysis, CBC, chemistry panel and serum folate, cobalamin, and trypsin-like immunoreactivity. Additional tests may include serum bile acids, fecal alpha1 protease inhibitor, and lactulose absorption. If no medical problems are discovered then a behavioral treatment approach can be implemented. Consider changing diet to alter the characteristics of the stool. Addition of monosodium glutamate (Adolph's meat tenderizer, Forbid) to the food can make the feces less attractive. Ensure that the animal has plenty of outlets for exercise and play. Finally, denying access to feces is usually the most successful treatment plan. Eating house plants: Cats will often ingest house plants. This may be associated with play and exploration or may satisfy some nutritional craving for fiber. A complete physical exam, including oral exam should be performed to rule out any underlying problems. Since many houseplants are toxic if ingested, this can be a serious problem. The treatment includes removing plants from cat=s access, providing the cat with safe plants to consume (e.g. cat grass); providing daily interactive play time with appropriate toys; and remote punishment for chewing on unacceptable plants (e.g. motion detectors, water squirt). Getting on countertops: Many cat owners want their cats to stay off the kitchen countertops and dining tables. This can be a challenging goal, considering cats like to perch on high spots. Owners usually try verbal reprimands, squirting the cat with water or physically removing the cat from the location when they catch the cat on that "off-limit" surface. While some cats will learn and respect the fact that the owners don't want then to be on those surfaces, many cats will just avoid that surface while the owner is present. This is because the cat has been conditioned to expect a negative consequence if it gets on the surface with the owner present. To truly condition the cat to avoid a surface, the cat will have to be provided with alternative attractive perches and perhaps receive a negative consequence of getting on the surface regardless of owner presence. Some tools that deliver a negative consequence include ScatMat (www.scatmat.com), Invisible Fencing, double sided tape, upside down mousetraps place under newspaper. Obviously this can become a high-tech, challenging endeavor. A more reasonable solution may be to wash down the counters prior to food preparation and consistently use a remote punishment such as a squirt bottle to discourage the behavior in the owners' presence. Scratching: Cats tend to inflict the most property damage by scratching. In a survey of cats not presenting for behavioral problems, owners reported 60% of the cats scratched furniture. Scratching is a normal behavior that serves a variety of purposes including scent marking, visual marking, stretching of muscles and grooming of claws. In studies of free-living cats it was noted that scratching behavior increased when other cats were present as compared to when the cat was alone. The social implications of scratching should be explored if scratching is a problem. Cats may have a preference for material and orientation for scratching. A study by Hart and Hart identified fabrics with a longitudinally oriented thread were preferred over tightly woven knubby fabric for scratching. Some cats prefer to scratch on horizontal surfaces while others like vertical surfaces. Observing individual cats will identify their personal preferences. Cats often target prominent locations for scratching and areas near their resting spots. Cats must be given and taught appropriate places to engage in this behavior. If a cat is scratching inappropriate items, it should be provided appropriate sturdy scratching posts in prominent locations (near areas of rest or previously scratched targets). Proper use of post should be praised. Encouragement to scratch on the post may be aided by placing treats on the post, playing with toys near/on the post or placing catnip on the post. A well worn/used post should be retained instead of replaced. Inappropriate scratching surfaces should be made unavailable or aversive (e.g. double stick tape, foil). Placing a bell on cat=s collar to track cat=s location in house and scratching activity can help with the appropriate delivery of remote punishment (water squirt) for scratching behavior. Remote punishment is often unsuccessful at curtailing this problem since owners are often inconsistent with its delivery. Nails should be trimmed regularly as this may decrease the damage inflicted upon targets. Soft Paws are another treatment option; these pliable nail caps are glued onto the nail and prevent destruction. Finally, onychectomy (declaw surgery) is a treatment option. The practice of declawing is controversial and in some countries is illegal. Declawing involves amputation of the third phalanx. It is an invasive surgical procedure that may have complications associated with the procedure. That said, most cats that undergo the procedure have no obvious long term negative effects. Appropriate surgical technique and pain medications can minimize complications. There have been unsupported claims about the consequences of declawing that include an increase in biting behavior, an increase in house-soiling problems, resolution of predatory behavior. Studies that have been done on cats counter these myths. Declawed cats are no more likely to bite than non-declawed cats. There is also no difference in the incidence of house-soiling between the two groups. Cats that are declawed have been observed to still climb trees and capture prey. Conclusion Addressing the concerns of pet owners regarding these annoying but manageable behavioral issues can greatly improve the human-animal bond. It also may bond an owner to your practice, when they realize that you care about their pet's welfare, well-being and behavioral health. Feline Elimination Problems Introduction: Feline elimination problems are the leading behavioral complaint of feline owners to referral behavioral practices. As with any presenting problem, it is important to first arrive at a diagnosis before implementing treatment. When presented with a feline elimination problem there are three main diagnostic categories: medical problems, marking or toileting problems. Elimination in Cats and Kittens: The queen stimulates the kittens to eliminate by licking the perineum until about 5-6 weeks of age. (Beaver, 1992) Then kittens naturally seek out sand-like material for elimination purposes. An adult cat without elimination problems will use the litterbox on average 5 times per day (Crowell-Davis and Sung 2000). Urine marking is considered a normal communication behavior in both male and female cats. Sexual sterilization drastically reduces the incidence of urine marking (Hart and Barrett, 1973). Diagnostics: It is important to first perform diagnostic tests to rule out and/or address underlying medical issues. Medical problems that could be involved in an elimination encompass include a wide range of diseases including pathology of the bladder, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system and musculo-skeletal system. All feline housesoiling patients should initially receive a comprehensive physical examination. If the cat is urinating inappropriately, the diagnostic work-up should include:
A complete history is essential for the proper diagnosis and treatment of feline elimination problems. The history should include the information about: the frequency and pattern of elimination or marking (e.g., number of episodes per week; only when owner goes out of town); locations (e.g., cat only sprays near one window); substrates (e.g., cat only eliminates on carpet); elimination behaviors (e.g., whether the cat digs prior to elimination, tries to cover elimination); litterbox history (e.g., type of litter, any changes in litter, type of box, location of box); corrections and cat's response to corrections (e.g., the owner yells at the cat and the cat hides under the bed); social environment and history (e.g., a new cat in the neighborhood; a new baby in the family); cleaning strategies; diet history (e.g., type of food, feeding schedule and any dietary changes) and a medical history. All of the historical information is valuable and important, however, it is extremely important to ask questions about litterbox cleanliness and social interactions. In addition to asking the client how often they scoop the litterbox, the client should be specifically asked how often they dump, wash and replace the litterbox with new litter. Social interactions between cats can often be one of the precipitating factors for urine marking or toilteing problems. A cat may avoid the litterbox because he gets attacked when he attempts to use the litterbox or is trapped after using the box. This cat may just develop a safer elimination area (toileting problem). Alternatively, a cat that lives in a hostile environment may start urine marking secondary to territorial issues/anxiety. The client should be carefully questioned regarding relationships between animals and for signs of covert tension such as staring and overt tension such as hissing, growling and fighting. Since social tension between cats may be very subtle and therefore missed by owners, first-hand observation of the cats or detailed questioning may be necessary to properly assess the social atmosphere in multi-cat households. Behavioral Diagnosis: When the elimination problem persists after a medical problem has either been ruled out or remedied, a behavioral diagnosis should be obtained. The primary distinction that must be made in a behavioral diagnosis is whether the cat is engaging in marking behavior or selecting a spot other than the litterbox for elimination (a toileting problem).  The motivation for urine marking may be due to territorial behavior or anxiety/stress (reactionary marking). Urine marking is a normal behavior that is considered unacceptable in our homes. About 10% of prepubertally castrated male cats and 5% of prepubertally spayed female cats show problem urine marking (Hart and Cooper, 1984). Territorial marking behavior may be stimulated by multiple cats sharing a common living area, breeding season or the arrival of new cats into a territory. Situations that evoke anxiety or stress in a cat such as the addition of a new family member or a dramatic change in work schedules, may also lead to urine marking. Toileting problems are often triggered by medical causes, aversions, preferences or anxiety. Any disease that causes polyuria may result in a cat urinating outside the litterbox because of the frequency or urgency associated with elimination. Geriatric cats with arthritis may have problems associated with access to the litterbox. For example, the arthritic cat may have trouble climbing over the edge of a high-sided litterbox. Litterbox aversion is a common cause of inappropriate toileting. Cats are known for their fastidious nature. Therefore if the litterbox is dirty, cats will often choose another, cleaner, spot to eliminate. Each cat will tolerate a different level of litterbox cleanliness. However, in a cat whom you suspect litterbox aversion, the litterbox should be kept scrupulously clean. In addition to litterbox cleanliness, other aspects of the litterbox environment can result in litterbox aversion including the location of the box, the style of the box and the brand of litter. Preferences may involve substrate preferences and location preferences. When a cat develops a substrate preference it is selecting a substrate (e.g. carpet) that is more pleasing to the cat than the substrate that the owner is providing in the litterbox. If the historical information suggests that the cat is always choosing a certain substrate for elimination then this possible cause should be explored more carefully. Finally, anxiety is sometimes the cause of inappropriate elimination. Cats that have been ambushed by another household pet when previously using the box may be nervous about placing themselves in that situation again. A cat that is uncomfortable with the presence of a new boyfriend or infant in the house may be too anxious to walk past those new family members to access the box. In both of these examples, the cat has developed a litterbox aversion due to social anxiety. To discern between the two main behavioral diagnosis of urine marking and toileting problems there are several diagnostic criteria. Marking is a communication tool that often involves urine sprayed on vertical surfaces or small puddles of urine deposited on horizontal surfaces with special social significance. One tends not to see a particular pattern of substrate use, in fact the urine is often found in areas with different substrates underfoot. Inappropriate defecation is rarely involved. The cat continues to use the litterbox for both urination and defecation and there is no evidence of litterbox avoidance. Social problems between cats are often present with urine marking. In contrast, the cat with a toileting problem usually deposits significant quantities of urine and/or feces on horizontal surfaces. A substrate-use pattern is often identified. For example, the cat always targets a certain type of carpet. The cat shows avoidance of the litterbox and decreased or absent usage of the litterbox. Historical collection may reveal a pattern of inappropriate litterbox cleaning, box type, litter type or box placement. Treatment for Urine Marking: In some situations where the culprit is unknown, you may need to identify the culprit(s) so that the treatment is targeted at the correct cat. Confinement may help to identify the guilty cat. Alternatively, the fluorescein dye test can be used. In the literature, it is advised to place six large (9 mg fluorescein/strip) fluorescein dye strips in a gelatin capsule and give orally to cat. The cat will eliminate bright yellow-green fluorescent urine for 24 hours after administration when viewed with a fluorescent black light (Hart and Leedy, 1982). Since untreated urine will also fluoresce, the owner must become familiar with normal fluorescence so they can appreciate the enhanced fluorescence. In recent trials conducted by the author, variability in results between cats given fluorescein doses ranging from 5-40 mg/cat was present. Since the fluorescent qualities of sodium fluorescein vary with solution pH, this may significantly impact fluorescence. Be aware that the fluorescein treated urine may be visible to the naked eye on certain fabrics. To identify the culprit of inappropriate defecation, shavings of different colored non-toxic crayons can be added to the food of each cat. For example, in a two-cat household, Cat A can be given purple crayon shavings and Cat B green crayon shavings. If the feces deposited on the carpet has green crayon shavings in it, Cat B is a confirmed participant. Marking animals should be neutered. Ninety percent of intact males show a significant decrease in marking behavior after castration (Hart and Barrett, 1973). Since estrus female cats show an increase in urine marking, ovariohysterectomy will minimize this marking. To treat urine marking the clinician should be trying to reduce conflict and stress in the environment. Stray cats and neighborhood cats should be discouraged from entering the territory of the resident cat. For example, if the owner feeds stray animals in the yard, this should be discontinued. The owner may need to block the view from windows if their cat is aroused by the presence of other cats outside the home. If there is tension between cats in a household, the cats may need to be separated for time periods during the day or one cat may need to wear a bell so that the other cat can avoid interactions. An "environment of plenty" should be created in multiple cat households. This involves creating multiple feeding areas, multiple elimination areas and multiple single cat sleeping perches at different vertical heights throughout the home. Positive interaction time (e.g. playing with a feather, grooming) should be spent with each cat on a daily basis. Adequate environmental management of soiled areas and litterboxes may help to reduce marking. The UC Davis Behavior Service examined the effects of environmental management on the frequency of urine marking (Pryor, 2001). Forty-seven cats exhibiting vertical urine marking were enrolled in the study. Owners collected baseline frequency of urine marking for two weeks without making any changes in home management. Owners were then given instructions to clean urine marked spots with an enzymatic cleanser (Anti-Icky-PooTM, Mister Max Quality Products 1-800-745-1671) for 2 weeks. Additional instructions included providing one litterbox per cat plus one additional, scooping the box daily and changing the box weekly. The number of urine marks recorded during the baseline phase (11.7 +/- 1 marks) was significantly higher than the number of urine marks recorded during the environmental management phase (9.7 +/- 1.3 marks). This indicates that environmental management should be implemented as part of the treatment for feline urine marking. If there are only a few target spots then the owner can attempt to make those areas aversive by covering them with aluminum foil, placing upside down contact paper (sticky side up), placing vinyl carpet runner (nub side up) or potpourri at the sites. Alternatively, the cats' food and water can be placed at the soiled site after proper cleaning. The owner should be cautioned that making the areas aversive may just result in the cat choosing another location to mark. Other forms of marking such as bunting (facial marking) and scratch marking should be encouraged. To encourage scratch marking, scratching posts and/or pads should be placed around the home, with the highest concentration in areas where the marking is occurring. To encourage facial marking, there is a product available called Feliway. Feliway is a synthetic analog of the feline facial pheromone. Pageat, the veterinarian that developed Feliway, has proposed that there are three principal functions of facial pheromone: 1)spatial organization 2)relationships with other cats and 3)emotional stabilization. He also maintains that cats will not urine mark in locations where they have previously performed facial marking. It is proposed that by increasing emotional stabilization Feliway results in the resolution or decrease of urine marking. Treatment is performed by spraying the facial pheromone directly on places soiled by the cat and also any prominent locations in the environment. A daily application is necessary until the cat is noted to exhibit facial rubbing on the site. If the cat does not exhibit facial rubbing, then daily application to the environment should be continued for one month. Pageat reports 96.7% efficacy in eliminating recent onset (less than 3 months duration) urine marking with Feliway treatment in a clinical trial involving 61 cats (29 castrated males, 22 spayed females, 9 intact females and 1 intact male). Environmental treatment with Feliway was done for 28 days and the cats were monitored for an additional 21 days after treatment had ceased for signs of relapse. It was noted that most cats had significant decreases in urine marking after 7 days of treatment with Feliway (Pageat, 1996). White and Mills (1997) performed a similar study examining the effectiveness of Feliway in treating 57 cats with chronic (greater than 4 months duration) urine marking. After 35 days of treatment with Feliway the owners reported a decrease in urine marking in 91% of the cats. 57% of the cats had did not exhibit any urine marking during the last 7 days of the trial. Hunthausen (2000) reported the results of using Feliway in a open label fashion to treat urine marking. Fifty-seven households were included in the study. The mean number of urine marks per week prior to treatment with Feliway was 13.9. After 4 weeks of daily treatment with Feliway the mean # of urine marks 2.9/week, a significant decline in number of urine marks. Although the overall number of urine marks decreased, 2/3 of the households continued to experience some urine marking. Feliway has recently been released in another form, that of a plug-in diffuser. The Feliway diffuser is plugged into a standard electrical outlet and provides a constant slow diffusion of the pheromone into the environment. The plug-in should last for about a month and covers 500-650 square feet. A double-blinded, placebo controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the plug-in diffuser in the treatment of vertical urine marking in multi-cat households (Mills and Mills, 2001). Compared to a baseline week, the cats receiving the Feliway plug-in diffuser had a greater reduction in frequency of urine marking than did the cats in the placebo plug-in group. Drug therapy has been long used to help control urine marking (Table 1). However, to date, no drugs have been licensed by the FDA to treat urine marking in cats. Recent studies have furthered our knowledge about the most appropriate treatments. Lately, the concentration of experimental efforts has been using the serotonin enhancing drugs to manage urine marking. Prior to instituting drug therapy a physical examination, complete blood count, chemistry panel and urinalysis should be conducted on the cat. Although there is anecdotal information about the efficacy of amtriptyline, there are no published controlled studies documenting its efficacy. One limiting factor when using amitriptyline is the extremely bitter taste, making it difficult to orally administer the medication. Another drawback to treatment with amitriptyline is the significant sedative side effects. Owners are often unhappy with the "drugged" appearance of their pet while taking this medication. Clomipramine has received attention as a possible treatment for urine marking in several independent studies and the results have been promising. Although none of these studies have employed the "gold-standard" double-blind placebo controlled protocol, they make attempts to account for bias. Dehasse (1997) published a paper in investigating 23 vertical urine spraying cats. All cats were put on a placebo (5 days)-drug (7 days)-placebo (3 days) trial with the owner being blinded as to what phase of treatment the cats were receiving. During the drug phase (clomipramine 5 mg/cat once daily) the average number of urine marks per day dropped significantly from the first placebo stage (first placebo stage average number of urine marks = 2.16 marks /day; drug phase average number of urine marks = 0.49 marks/day). Eighty percent of the cats had a significant (>75% reduction in urine marking) during the drug treatment phase. Of those, 35% completely ceased urine marking during the treatment phase. A study by Landsberg (2001) examined the effects of clomipramine dosed at approximately 0.5 mg/kg once daily on vertical urine marking in cats. The treatment duration was one month. Twenty-one of twenty-five cats enrolled in the study had a significant (>75%) reduction in urine marking during treatment with the medication. The remaining four cats showed a 50-75% reduction in urine marking. Side effects reported included lethargy, decreased appetite, stool and urine retention and decreased affection. There were no changes in blood or urine parameters comparing pre-treatment to post-treatment samples. Kroll and Houpt (2001) performed a double blind crossover study in eighteen client-owned cats evaluating the comparative efficacy of clomipramine (5 mg/cat/day) versus cyproheptadine (2mg/cat/day) in the treatment of urine marking. Treatment with clomipramine was significantly more efficacious in reducing/resolving urine marking than was treatment with cyproheptadine. A double-blind placebo controlled study evaluating the efficacy of fluoxetine (1mg/kg/day) in the treatment of urine marking behavior in cats was presented by Pryor (2001). Seventeen cats completed the study and there was a significant reduction in weekly number of vertical sprays in the drug group (8.6 marks per week pre-treatment to 1.4 marks per week while receiving drug) as compared to the placebo group (no change in average number of urine marks between pre-treatment and treatment phase). A recent prospective double-blind, positive control trial using either fluoxetine or clomipramine to treat urine marking in cats showed no difference in efficacy between the two drugs in the first 8 weeks of treatment (Tynes, et. al. 2002). At 16 weeks of treatment the cats receiving the fluoxetine showed significantly greater reduction in urine marking than cats receiving clomipramine. The recommended route of administration for the medications discussed above is oral. Since most of these medications are quite bitter and you expect the owners to dose daily for several months, it is important to provide with them with instruction and tools to aid in medicating. Dispensing size no. 5 empty gelatin caps to insert the pill into prior to pilling can help eliminate problems with bitter pills. Getting the medication compounded into a fish flavored liquid and having the owners mix it with canned cat food will sometimes work with the less bitter meds (fluoxetine). Although transdermal gels are gaining popularity for ease of administration, little is known about actual absorption rates of medications given by this delivery method. If a medication is effective at controlling the urine marking, it should be continued for 2-4 months. Then one can attempt to wean the cat off the medication over 2-4 weeks via dose reduction or reduction in frequency of dosing. If there is a relapse in marking during the weaning process, return to the lowest effective dose and maintain treatment for another 2-4 months before attempting to wean the cat again. Some cats require long-term treatment to control the problem behavior and they should receive regular (every 6-12 months) physical exams and laboratory evaluations. Treatment of Toileting Problems: The treatment for toileting problems should focus on providing a very attractive litterbox while reducing the attractiveness or accessibility of inappropriate target spots. The soiled areas should be cleansed with an enzymatic cleanser. Sometimes the cat will have to be confined away from areas in the house where s/he has chosen to eliminate. Alternatively, those soiled areas can be made aversive with plastic, upside down contact paper, aluminum foil, food, etc. If the cat has chosen one or two areas in the house to eliminate, the new attractive litterbox should be placed at those locations. If the cat uses the box, it can gradually (1 inch per day) be moved to a more appropriate location, if necessary. If anxiety is associated with the inappropriate elimination, anxiolytic drug therapy may be instituted. However, in most cases of toileting problems, drugs are not necessary or indicated for successful treatment. Educating clients about proper litterbox cleanliness is imperative. Boxes should be scooped at least once daily, preferably twice daily. The frequency of complete litterbox changing (dump, wash with soap and water, fill with new litter) depends on the type of litter, the number of cats and the individual cat(s). However, a minimum cleaning schedule involves changing clay litters weekly and scoopable litters once every other week. The minimum number of litterboxes in a home should equal the number of cats plus one. The litterboxes should be the correct size. For example, a 16 lb. cat will need a jumbo- sized litterbox. Uncovered litterboxes are preferable to covered boxes because "out of sight is out of mind" and owners will often forget to clean the covered boxes. The litterboxes should be placed in easily accessible locations around the home. It may be beneficial to identify the favorite litter by conducting litter trials. Cats are offered a choice of litters and the litter that is preferentially chosen is then used in the boxes. One study (Borchelt, 1991) showed that unscented, finely particulate matter ("clumping" or "scoopable") litter is preferred by most cats. To help determine the attractiveness of the new silica ("pearl") litters a preference study was conducted on shelter cats (Neilson, 2001). Fifty-four shelter cats were given two novel litter options (clumping and pearl) for a 12-hour overnight period and usage was recorded. A total of 74 uses were recorded, 58 (36 urination/22 defecation) were in clumping litter, 13 (11 urination/2 defecation) were in pearl litter and 3 (1 urination/2 defecation) were out of the litterbox. These results suggest that most cats prefer a clumping type litter compared to pearl litters for elimination. Identification of a favored location or box style can also be determined by giving the cat multiple options. Uncovered boxes are recommended. Finally, owners should be cautioned against disturbing the cat when it is using the litterbox. Owners should not attempt to give medications when the cat is using the litterbox. Children and other pets should not be allowed to harass the cat when it is using the litterbox. With both marking and inappropriate elimination, the owner should avoid punishing the cat when soiled areas are discovered. If the animal is caught during the event, the owner can use a startle technique to stop the behavior, but realize that this will not solve the problem. Conclusion Although getting the cat back into the litterbox is challenging, it is possible. The cat should have a complete historical evaluation and physical examination. After a diagnosis is made, a rational therapeutic plan can be pursued. Veterinarians should be providing preventative educational information to clients during the initial kitten visits to help avoid the development of these problem behaviors.
*partial list of potential side effects Table 1: Drug therapies for urine marking References: Beaver BV. Feline Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, p. 203, 1980, 1992. Borchelt PL: Cat elimination behavior problems. Vet Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 21: pp.257-264, 1991. Borchelt PL, Voith VL Aggressive behavior in cats. Comp Contin Edu Pract Vet 9 pp. 49-56, 1987 Crowell-Davis SL, Sung W. Advances in Understanding Feline Elimination Behavior Problems in AVMA Convention Notes, Boston, 2000. Dehasse J. Feline Urine Spraying. Applied Animal Behavior Science 52: pp. 365-371, 1997. Hart BL, Barrett RE: Effects of castration on fighting, roaming and urine spraying in adult male cats. JAVMA 163: pp.290-292, 1973. Hart BL, Cooper LC: Factors relating to urine spraying and fighting in pre-pubertally gonadectomized cats. JAVMA 184: pp. 1255-1258, 1984. Hart BL, Leedy N: Identification of source of urine stains in multi-cat households. JAVMA 180: pp. 77-78, 1982. Hunthausen, W. Evaluating a feline facial pheromone analogue to control urine spraying. Veterinary Medicine, pp. 151-156, February 2000. Halip JW, Vaillancourt JP, Luescher UA. A descriptive study of 189 cats engaging in inappropriate elimination behaviors. Feline Practice; 26(4):18-21, 1988. Kroll T, Houpt KA. A comparison of cyproheptadine and clomipramine for the treatment of spraying cats. Proceedings of the Third International Congress on Veterinary Behavioural Medicine. Eds. Overall KA, Mills DS, Heath SE and Horwitz D. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Herts, UK. pp. 184-5, 2001. Landsberg GM Effects of clomipramine on cats presented for urine marking. Proceedings of the Third International Congress on Veterinary Behavioural Medicine. Eds. Overall KA, Mills DS, Heath SE and Horwitz D. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Herts, UK. pp. 186-189, 2001. Mills DS and Mills CB, Evaluation of a novel method of delivering a synthetic analogue of feline facial pheromone to control urine spraying by cats. The Veterinary Record, vol. 149, no.7, pp. 197-199, August 18, 2001. Neilson JC. Pearl vs. Clumping: Litter preference in a population of shelter cats. Abstracts from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Boston, p 14, 2001 Pryor PA, Hart BL, Bain, MJ, Cliff KD. Causes of urine marking in cats and effects of environmental management on frequency of marking. JAVMA ; 219 (12): pp. 1709-1713, 2001 Pryor PA, Hart, BL, Cliff KD et al. Effects of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor on urine spraying behavior in cats. JAVMA; 219: pp. 1557-1561. 2001 Pageat, P Functions and use of the facial phermones in the treatment of urine marking in a cat, interest of a structural analogue. Proc. 21st Congress World Small Animal Vet. Asoc. Jerusalem, Israel pp.197-198, 1996 Tynes V, Hart BL, Cliff KD, Bain M. Treatment of urine marking in cats: a comparison of fluoxetine and clomipramine. Proceedings American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, Nashville, p. 29, July 14, 2002 White and Mills. Efficacy of synthetic feline facial pheromone analogue(Feliway) for the treatment of chronic non-sexual urine spraying by the domestic cat. Proc. 1st Int. conf. Vet. Behav. Med., Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Potters Bar, Great Britain, p. 242, 1997. Other Feline Behavioral Issues As the saying reads "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". This holds true in many disciplines of veterinary medicine, including veterinary behavior. Providing good behavioral advice in an appropriate forum is part of a healthy and prosperous veterinary practice. Kitten Kindy: During the initial kitten appointments there is an abundance of information that must be relayed to the new kitten owner including information about vaccinations and parasite control. Providing a separate forum to discuss behavioral issues is suggested to demonstrate the importance of the information and maximize retention of information. Kitten Kindy is a model program developed by Australian veterinarian and behaviorist, Dr. Kersti Seksel. She advocates 2 hour-long classes given a week apart. Kittens should be no more than 14 weeks of age when they finish the class. Ideally kittens would be enrolled at their first vaccination appointment. Class size should be between 3-8 kittens with 6 kittens being the optimal number. The kitten class should be organized with definite topics and goals to consider at both meetings. After a quick check to ensure that none of the kittens are suffering from signs of upper respiratory disease, the owners can be welcomed and introductions made. Then the kittens can be released from their cages for 15-20 minutes of exploration and play. During this time one instructor needs to be supervising the kittens to ensure that no kittens are being frightened or bullied. During this initial period, demonstrations can be given regarding proper play with toys and cat communication can be discussed. Then a demonstration of training the kitten to come via positive reinforcement should be performed. Litter issues should be discussed at this first meeting. Ten minutes should then be spent on handling techniques with kittens, including nail trimming and medicating. Environmental enrichment for cats should be reviewed with owners. Finally, advising owners to avoid interactive punishment with their cat should be stressed and alternative remote corrections should be discussed. The second meeting should start with another play and exploration opportunity. Then information from the last meeting should be reviewed and questions answered. Discussions about neutering, vaccinations and other medical care issues should be given when the kittens are playing. Advanced training should then be implemented including the sit command, the high five command, walking on a lead. Another handling session should be performed perhaps adding some handling procedures such as ear check and dental check. Then common problem behaviors such as scratching, marking and hunting should be reviewed. The kittens receive a certificate for successful completion of the course. Sensitive Periods and Human Attachment: Although socialization of puppies receives quite a lot of attention, the same is not necessarily true of kittens. With cats surpassing dogs as the most popular pet in the United States, more attention may focus on feline early development. Another reason it is important to examine this issue is that with successful spay and neuter programs for owned cats and an increasing public awareness and involvement in feral cat colonies, feral kittens are being placed in pet homes. In some areas of the United Kingdom, reproduction by owned cats is not sustaining the demand for kittens and feral kittens are meeting these demands. Knowledge about kitten socialization can help to improve the chances of a successful placement of kittens, especially those born in a feral environment. The sensitive socialization period is defined as a time period in an animal's life when they are sensitive to and develop social interactions with others. From a human-animal bond perspective, it is desirable that kittens develop social attachments to their human owners. Studies by Karsh and Turner defined the sensitive socialization period of kittens towards humans to be between 2-7 weeks of age. To summarize their experiments, they exposed the kittens to different durations of human handling at different stages of their lives. The kittens were then tested on their approachability to humans, time willingly spent on human laps and other affiliative behaviors toward humans (flank rubbing, chin rubbing, vocalizations). They found that kittens handled between 2-7 weeks of age were "friendlier" to humans. Other studies have found that one hour of human handling per day provides the maximum beneficial human-socialization effect, beyond that hour there is little additional benefit. If handled by one person exclusively that kitten tends to develop a special relationship with that person but they appear to still be able to generalize this human socialization to other people. A study testing single handler kittens vs. multiple handlers kittens found no difference in holding scores. A study performed in the United Kingdom by Lowe and Bradshaw examined the effects of socialization on feral kittens. They examined 70 kittens of feral origin (kitten born outside of human habitation to an unowned queen) and 28 domestic kittens (kitten born in a home or shelter to an owned or recently owned queen). The kittens were exposed to different levels of handling and social contact with humans at different periods in their lives. The kittens were tested in their response to holding and object play up to one year of age. The owners also were questioned as to their satisfaction with their pet and to report any problem behaviors that they experienced with their kitten such as houseoiling, scratching furniture, fear of people etc. There were 23 feral kittens that had received no handling or human contact prior to 7 weeks of age. Eleven of those twenty-three kittens could not be held for one minute by their owner when tested at 1 year of age. The twelve feral kittens that could be held for 1 minute or longer tended to be less active and purred more than their domestic counterparts. Both the feral and domestic cats played with the object toy, showing no differences between the groups. However, those feral kittens that were raised indoors only were faster to play with the toy than those raised in an outdoor pen. In this study, multiplicity of handlers improved scores on the holding test and readiness to play. There were no significant differences between kittens of domestic origin and feral origin in common problem behaviors reported by owners. There was also no difference in owner total satisfaction of their pet comparing domestic origin and feral origin kittens. This study supports the data found in earlier studies that the sensitive socialization period in kittens appears to end at about 7 weeks of age. It also suggests that feral kittens can make acceptable pets especially if handled prior to 7 weeks of age. Studies have shown that kittens of outgoing/confident fathers tend to interact with humans more than kittens of shy fathers. This study implies that the paternal personality as it relates to human interaction has a greater impact on the kitten than does the maternal personality. Therefore an owner that desires a very outgoing cat with people should look for a kitten fathered by an outgoing cat. In most cases, the paternity of a kitten is unknown, limiting the application of this information. Orphaned Kittens: Orphaned kittens and bottle-raised kittens are often thought to be more "mouthy" or aggressive. These observations have not been substantiated by clinical studies however it is understandable how a cat that is bottle raised and had no negative feedback for biting too hard may develop abnormal mouthing behaviors. It has been determined that the behavioral development of the kitten is impacted if it has no contact with the queen in the first four weeks of life. Isolated kittens tend to be hyperactive, anti-social, fearful and slow learners. While human handling can help in kitten development the best option for an orphaned kitten is to be placed with a surrogate queen. Since queens readily foster non-related kittens this should be attempted whenever possible. Introduction of New Family Members: A cat should be gradually introduced to novel situations, including the introduction of a new person or pet into the household. Safety should be a priority, therefore measures should be taken so that no one is hurt. This may include netting over a baby's crib so that the cat doesn't inadvertently hurt the infant by sleeping on top of the infant. Or nail caps can be applied prior to the arrival of an elderly visitor that may be particularly susceptible to scratches from the cat/kitten. Setting up a safe zone for the kitten/cat is advised so that problems with elimination, anorexia, etc. are avoided. The cat/kitten should have lots of escape routes, making sure to utilize vertical spaces in the house. Then gradually introduce the cat to the new individual, using distance gradients and positive correlations (e.g. food, play). Patience is important since progress may be gradual and relapses may occur. However if negative situations are avoided, the cat should eventually accept new family members. Kitten Behavioral Challenges Jumping On Counters: Although young kittens may not be able to successfully complete high vertical jumps their acrobatic abilities grow exponentially in the first few months and any owner is soon to find their kitten perched in the most unusual and perhaps undesirable places. It is normal behavior for a cat to explore its environment and to perch on these high surfaces. By using the vertical space, the cat can increase the relative size of the home environment and survey the activity. From an owners perspective, there are often acceptable and non-acceptable vertical perches. Often times owners want to teach the kitten to say off the kitchen counters and dining room table. To maximize success in this endeavor, first the owners must provide acceptable vertical perches for the kitten. A commercial scratching post or shelving placed near off-limit surfaces can provide the cat with an acceptable alternative to the counters/tables. The kitten should be encouraged to use these perches by playing on/near them, feeding treats on them and praising the kitten when they are used. Then one can make the unacceptable surface undesirable to the kitten. It is best to have something that does not require owner activation. If the owner is required to activate the negative consequence (e.g. squirt of water) unless the owner is very covert in delivery, the kitten may just learn not to jump on that surface when the owner is watching. Whatever technique is used to discourage use of a surface, it must be humane and safe. By placing double stick tape, a motion detector type alarm, Scat Mat (pad that delivers a small electrical shock when touched) or other non-owner activated device, the negative consequence will be delivered regardless of owner presence. The kitten should learn to avoid these surfaces with negative consequences and use the attractive perches. Owners should be careful not to tempt the kitten onto the counters/tables by leaving very attractive items on them such as food, flowers, plants, etc. While reasonable efforts can be made to prevent the use of counter tops and tables, some cats are very determined and will continue to use these surfaces despite owner efforts to deter them. If this is the case, sometimes it is necessary to admit defeat and recognize that we need to accept species normal behavior. The Nighttime Circus Perhaps the most universal complaint of new kitten owners is the burst of nighttime activity that awakens the soundest of sleepers. Cats are not nocturnal animals, they exhibit a crepuscular pattern of activity, that is heightened activity at dawn and dusk. If they aren't nocturnal animals, why do they exhibit all of this nighttime activity? This nighttime activity can be attributed in part to the energetic and curious personality of most kittens. But there are other factors at work. When one examines the daily routine of the kitten we may find that the kitten doesn't get a great deal of exercise/activity during the day. While the humans are out working, most kittens spend the day sleeping. In the evening, owners may enjoy curling up on the sofa with their new companion. Then all of that kitten energy explodes in the wee hours of the morning. To manage this problem, the owners need to channel that kitten energy into activities when they are awake. A kitten that is kept awake all evening with games, chasing toys, etc. is much less likely to get into mischief in the middle of the night. Another motivation for the nighttime pouncer is the attention that the activity receives. An owner that screams, shrieks or bellows is giving the kitten attention. Toss in a chase and the kitten probably thinks it is great fun. Owners have to be careful to remove any reward that they may be giving when the kitten engages in unwanted nighttime activity. If they can't ignore the behavior, then a remote punishment (e.g. squirt of water) could be delivered. Of course, closing the bedroom door or slipping in some ear plugs may help to ensure a full nights slumber. Finally, many owners respond to a nighttime disturbance by getting up and feeding the kitten, suspecting that it may be hungry. These kittens quickly learn that awakening the owner reaps great benefits and when the owner first tries to stop this behavior, the kitten will often become more persistent! Consistent disregard on the part of the owner will eventually extinguish this type of behavior. Destruction Although they may weigh less than 5 pounds, kittens can inflict a lot of property damage in a relatively short amount of time. Their main weapon of destruction is the front claws, although some kittens will also chew items. The act of scratching is normal and provides multiple benefits to the cat, it: stretches their muscles, leaves a scent mark, leaves a visual mark and grooms the nail bed. Cats are going to scratch, the key for successful management is to have the scratching targeted at acceptable items. Kittens should be provided with acceptable scratching areas in prominent locations. These scratching areas should be sturdy, in the preferred orientation (horizontal or vertical) and made of preferred materials. To figure out what the preferred orientation and scratching material for a particular kitten, owners can offer a variety of choices and/or mimic the characteristics of unacceptable chosen targets. Unacceptable targets should be made aversive (double stick tape, aluminum foil, etc.) or unavailable. Material that provides no purchase for the claws (e.g. suede) may be the best furniture upholstery choice for a household with cats. The kitten should receive weekly nail trims to keep the nails blunt. For difficult to control cases consider Soft Paws (soft rubber nail caps that are applied monthly) or declawing. Although it is less common, some kittens will chew household items, especially string-like objects or plants. Just as one would child-proof a house, one should also kitten proof a home. Cords should be unplugged/paced out of reach and plants should be placed out of reach. A protective covering for cords that can't be removed from the environment can be found at home improvement stores. A remote punishment may be effective - consider coating target items with an unpleasant material (commercial deterrent spray or bittering agent) or attaching a motion alarm. It is important to provide these kittens with acceptable items to chew - a small pot of wheat grass or a rawhide chew bone may help. Playing with fishing pole type toys will tire the kitten and provide an outlet for oral activity. Play aggression Cats, especially kittens, need appropriate outlets for play. If these needs aren't being met sometimes cats will use their owners as play targets. If the cat becomes too excited or aroused they may injure the person. Over exuberant play behavior toward another pet in the household may also result in problems. Within the play sequence the owner may notice components of predatory behavior. When playing with other kittens, if one kitten bites too hard, the playmate may either stop playing or react with defensive aggression, thus relaying a message that the play aggression was too rough. Kittens that grow up without isolated from other kittens (i.e. hand-raised) may miss out on these early lessons and have less inhibition when mature. Cats that exhibit play related aggression need to have appropriate daily interactive play using remote toys. Any play that results in owners' body being the target of the play should be avoided. The owner should initiate play periods and can try to anticipate and redirect the "attack" onto a toy (e.g. carry a ball to toss). The owner should avoid giving any type of reward for the play aggression - running and screaming may only encourage the behavior. The owner should not deliver any direct interactive punishment (e.g. hit the cat) for the behavior as it may induce fear or defensive aggression. The owners can interrupt inappropriate play behavior with remote punishment (squirt bottle, alarm) or exit the room if cat instigates inappropriate play. Adding another cat of a similar age and energy level is a treatment option. Litterbox training One of the joys of owning a kitten as opposed to a puppy is that feline house-training is usually much easier. Most kittens will naturally be attracted to a litter box for elimination, choosing the commercial litter material as the preferred and desirable elimination substrate. Problems tend to arise when the litterbox isn't accessible, clean or attractive. Or sometimes the kitten discovers alternative equally attractive elimination spots such as the dirt in a potted plant. It is easier to avoid a litterbox problem than to fix it. Most cats prefer finely particulate material for elimination substrate and clumping type litters provide this type of substrate. Unscented litters are generally preferred by cats in comparison to scented litters. A litterbox cannot be too clean - daily scooping and routine washing with soap and water are mandatory. Uncovered boxes are recommended as opposed to covered boxes. Covered boxes tend to trap odor and owners may scoop less often since they cannot see readily see the deposits. In a multi-cat household, there should be multiple litterboxes, a general rule is that there should be one more box than there are cats. Therefore in a household with 3 cats, there should be 4 boxes. Social relationships between other living beings in the home may cause box access problems. For example, the kitten may be unwilling to cross the path of a household dog or another cat to get to the box. Or perhaps a young child finds an opportunity to grab the kitten while it is engaged in box usage, thereby making the kitten reluctant to use the box again. These social situations should be identified and addressed. The litterbox should be placed near the core living area of the kitten so it can easily access the box. Expecting a young kitten to crawl down two flights of stairs to reach the litterbox may be setting the kitten up for failure. Along the same lines, a small kitten should not be expected to scale a high sided box - make sure the kitten fits the box. And as the kitten grows, make sure that the litterbox reflects this need for more space. Some kittens need to be restricted to a smaller area with a litterbox until usage patterns are successfully established. Of course, if a kitten has a medical problem that causes increased urgency or frequency of elimination, the medical problem needs to be successfully managed. References: Turner DC and Bateson P, eds. The Domestic Cat the biology of its behavior. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Landsberg G, Hunthausen W, and Ackerman, L. Handbook of Behaviour Problems of the Cat and the Dog. Butterworth, Heinemann, Oxford, 1997. Beaver, B. Feline Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians. W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1992. Ackerman L., Landsberg G, Hunthausen W. eds. Cat Behavior and Training Veterinary Advice for Owners. T.F.H. Publications, New Jersey, 1996. Reconsidering the "Dominant" Dog Dominance aggression is frequently diagnosed in the canine population, ranging between 20-59% of behavioral caseloads. In cases of dominance aggression, family members are usually the targets of the aggression. The dog is described as having a superior position in the social hierarchy and the dog uses aggression to manage situations where his/her status is threatened. The dominant animal in a group setting is usually a very confident animal. However when cases of "dominance" aggression in dogs are examined, these dogs are often fearful or submissive. Owners report signs that are ambivalent or submissive surrounding attacks. Many owners describe these dogs as "trying to make-up" just after an attack. This behavior is in conflict with a truly dominant/confident personality. If the dog is not dominant, then what is occurring? Perhaps a better term to describe the behavior is "conflict" aggression. The dog is put in a confrontational situation or feels as though it can't predict the owner's response due to past inconsistencies in the owner's behavior. This results in motivational conflict/anxiety and the dog uses aggression to get himself out of the uncomfortable situation. Since aggression is often very successful at terminating the uncomfortable situation, the dog learns that aggression is a good way to manage situations of conflict. If the motivation behind the aggression is anxiety and not an overly confident/dominant dog, then the treatment plan must reflect this. Domination techniques (e.g. alpha roll over) in response to conflict aggression is contraindicated, as they would only serve to increase the anxiety of the dog. Many owners report an escalation in the aggression when they attempt these domination techniques and this is understandable if the dog is truly in a state of anxiety/fear. Employing these techniques will only serve to escalate the fear/anxiety and subsequently escalate the aggression. Important treatment principles for the dog with conflict aggression include: avoiding confrontation, having a safe way to handle the dog and establishing consistent dog-owner interactions. If there is a specific trigger situation, desensitization to that trigger can be implemented. Many owners are concerned that if they avoid confrontations, they are letting the pet "win." However, this is not the case. Any animal in a highly aroused emotional state is not a good candidate for learning. The dog will be taught acceptable behavior when he is calm and relaxed. The owners also want to avoid being placed in situations where the dog's aggression is successful, thereby reinforcing the unwanted aggressive behavior. By avoiding triggers for aggression, this unwanted learning will not occur. To avoid aggressive situations, sometimes the owners will have to modify their behavior (e.g. don't get near the dog when he is eating) or modify the environment (e.g. if the dog has been aggressive with toys, remove them from environment). Having a safe way to remotely control the dog is important. A head collar with a drag line attached is very helpful in many cases. The owners can pick up the line at a distance from the dog and direct the dog into a more appropriate behavior when necessary. To establish consistent dog-owner interactions, it is often necessary to terminate all casual interactions between the dog and the owner. Predictable, structured interactions can become the mainstay of owner-dog interactions. Generally, owners are instructed to give the dog a command prior to all interactions. If the dog responds appropriately to the command, the interaction can proceed. If the dog does not respond, the owner should ignore the dog. In addition to these lifestyle interaction changes, the dog and owner should practice obedience training that rewards obedient relaxed behavior in the dog. Obedience provides a structured, predictable interaction where the dog is reinforced for relaxed, obedient behavior. If a specific trigger for the aggression is identified, a gradual desensitization to that trigger can be implemented. For example, if the dog is aggressive when disturbed when resting, the owner can use a light ball to roll and gently tap the resting dog. When tapped by the ball, the owner can call the dog and ask him to sit, rewarding non-aggressive, obedient behavior with a treat and praise. The intensity of the tap can be gradually increased by selecting slightly heavier balls to roll at the dog until the dog is no longer anxious about being disturbed when resting. It is important for clinicians to consider the fact that most dogs presenting with aggression are not confident/dominant dogs since it has a huge impact upon the treatment plan. Kind, gentle and consistent handling will reap more rewards than harsh, challenging and threatening behaviors in these dogs in conflict. Canine Housesoiling and Urine Marking Introduction House-soiling problems in dogs can occur at any age but the young and elderly have an increased incidence of problems. The clinician must first gather historical information about the housesoiling problem. Onset, frequency, quantity, location and triggers should all be A wide variety of medical problems can contribute to canine house-soiling including diseases causing polyuria/polydypsia, diseases of the urinary tract, congenital malformations, neurological problems, arthritis or senility. A medical work up should include a thorough physical examination, a urinalysis via cystocentesis, fecal examination. If the presentation warrants, then a full CBC and chemistry panel as well as imaging studies should be performed. After medical problems have been ruled out or addressed the following behavioral problems should be considered. Anxiety related elimination Description When a dog experiences extreme fear, it may urinate, defecate and express its anal sacs. One of the common presenting clinical signs of separation anxiety is elimination when the owners are absent. Other anxieties can also present as elimination related problems including noise phobias, fear of people, fear of certain situations (e.g. veterinary clinic). If fear is the motivating factor for the inappropriate elimination, there should be other signs consistent with fearful behavior such as panting, pacing, avoidance behavior or vocalization. The clinician should try to identify the fear evoking stimuli so that a treatment plan can be established. Treatment The first step of treatment is to identify the anxiety-provoking trigger. Once identified, exposure will need to be avoided unless part of a systematic desensitization program. If the dog doesn't have basic obedience, then teaching sit/stay is the initial step in training. Once the sit/stay is mastered, the owner can work on having the dog sit/stay and pay attention to them with various distractions other than the anxiety-provoking trigger. Owner created distractions such as taking a few steps away from the dog, clapping the hands or doing jumping jacks can be incorporated easily into the sit/stay training in a gradient fashion. The dog is only rewarded for obedient, calm, relaxed behavior. Rewards should include praise and food treats. This foundation work, sans trigger, will help the dog to be successful when the trigger stimulus is introduced. The time spent on this foundation work varies upon dog's background obedience and response but most dogs spend 2-4 weeks on this phase before progressing to the actual trigger stimuli. While implementing this foundation work, it can be helpful to introduce a head collar to the dog. Head collars can help to relax the dog. The owner is also instructed to put the dog on a "nothing in life is free" program - simply asking the dog to do a command prior to giving it any rewards, including attention, treats, food, etc. The next step is to specifically desensitize the dog to the anxiety-provoking stimulus. This is done via systematic desensitization and counterconditioning. The stimulus is presented in a modified version so that the dog doesn't experience the anxiety. The dog is rewarded for remaining calm and relaxed in the presence of this modified stimulus. With success, the intensity of the stimulus is gradually increased until the dog no longer responds with anxiety even when the stimulus is at its full intensity. In some situations, it is impossible to avoid the full-strength stimulus. In these cases it is sometimes necessary to find other means of reducing the dog's anxiety including drug therapy or pheromone treatment. There are two categories of medication that are frequently used in behavior medicine to reduce anxiety: serotonin enhancing medications and benzodiazepine therapy. The serotonin enhancing medications often have a lag phase of 1-4 weeks until results are noted. These medications are usually continued on a daily basis for several months while the owners are implementing the behavioral modification. Examples of serotonin enhancing medications include fluoxetine (Prozac) canine dose 0.5-2.0 mg/kg SID; amitriptyline (Elavil) canine dose 2.2-4.4 mg/kg SID or split BID; clomipramine (Clomicalm) canine dose 1-3 mg/kg BID. The only serotonin enhancing medication licensed for use in the dog is Clomicalm, it is FDA approved to treat separation anxiety. The benzodiazepine drugs (e.g. diazepam, alprazolam) work quickly (30-90 minutes after administration) but are not ideal for long-term use. Often the benzodiazepine drugs are given at the start of the program to help manage severe anxiety until the serotonin enhancing medication has a chance to take effect. Pheromone therapy is available as a plug in diffuser called D.A.P. or ComfortZone. This pheromone is a synthetic analog of the pheromone released by the mammary gland of the lactating bitch when the pups nurse. It is supposed to have a calming effect on the dogs. Placement in the home may reduce anxiety in some dogs. Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome Description Loss of housetraining can be one of the clinical signs associated with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (senility). These dogs will urinate/defecate in the house, often in front of the owner after a recent outdoor elimination opportunity. Other signs of cognitive dysfunction syndrome include disorientation, change in sleep/wake cycle and a change in social interaction. Treatment Treatment for cognitive dysfunction involves returning to basic housetraining principles (see below). Dietary therapy (diets enriched with anti-oxidants) and drug therapy (Anipryl, 0.5-1.0 mg/kg SID in am) can also help reverse clinical signs and slow progression of this disease. Excitement Urination Description During times of high excitement, such as owners returning home or company entering home, the dog may dribble or squirt small amounts of urine. This behavior is more likely to occur in younger dogs and many outgrow the behavior. Treatment The first step in treating this program is decreasing the level of excitement so you can prevent the undesirable behavior from occurring. This may be something as simple as having the owners avoid emotional greetings. Then the dog can be desensitized to exciting events but exposing the dog in a gradient fashion to the event and rewarding calm/relaxed behavior. The dog is also taught to do an alternative behavior to perform that is incompatible with escalating excitement (e.g. sit, down). In very severe cases, drug therapy that increases urinary sphincter tone may be helpful. Lack or break in housetraining Description A dog that has a lack or a break in housetraining will urinate and/or defecate in the house often regardless of the presence or absence of the owner. Some dogs do learn to avoid eliminating directly in front of the owner due to previous punishment for this behavior. The dog may find the indoor location more readily available or attractive. They will often have a preferred substrate or location for the indoor elimination. Long periods without access to an appropriate elimination spot can contribute to this problem. Inclement weather can also contribute to the development of the problem. Treatment The first step in treatment is to prevent further indoor elimination from occurring. To do this, the owner should institute close supervision or when unable to supervise, the dog may be confined to a den-like area or an area where elimination is appropriate (outside in yard). The dog then needs to be accompanied outside frequently for outdoor elimination opportunities. Initially these may be as frequent as hourly outdoor opportunities. The dog is to be praised for outdoor elimination, if it occurs. With success the time intervals between owner-initiated outings can be gradually increased. When the dog has learned to hold elimination for a period that is typical of owner's longest departure, the owner can then start to relax supervision. When supervision is relaxed, owner initiated outings should be increased in frequency again. This vacillation between frequency of outdoor opportunities and intensity of supervision should continue until the dog can be free in home without soiling. Other treatment suggestions include having the dog on meal feedings and exercising the dog several times per day with a walk to stimulate outdoor elimination. If caught in the act of indoor elimination, the dog can be interrupted with a startling sound. However, if elimination is found after the fact, it should just be cleaned up and no punishment should be given. Submissive urination Description In an attempt to communicate a submissive status to a person, usually associated with a greeting or a reprimand, the dog may urinate. The dog exhibits other body postures that convey submission including ears back, avoidance of eye contact and cowering or rolling over. Submissive urination is more common in young female dogs. Most dogs outgrow this behavior by a year of age. Treatment Owners/people that trigger the behavior should be instructed in techniques to appear less threatening to the dog. This may include having them kneel down, avert gaze, pet under chest instead of overhead or they may need to ignore the dog for a few minutes upon arrival. Owners can engage dog in another activity incompatible with urinating when submissive urination is likely for example on greeting instead of petting the dog, toss a ball for the dog. If the dog only submissively urinates during a correction, toning down or completely avoiding the interactive correction should eradicate the behavior. Owners should be counseled that any type of correction given during the act of submissive urination is only likely to escalate the problem, not inhibit it. In cases that are resistant to behavioral modification, use of alpha-adrenergic medications that increase urinary sphincter tone may be helpful. Urine marking Description Urine marking involves small quantities of urine usually deposited vertically on socially significant targets. Urine marking occurs despite adequate access to the outdoors. Triggers for marking behaviors may include addition of another pet, female dog in estrous, new item or person in household. Sexually mature, non-castrated male dogs are most likely to engage in urine marking behavior. Treatment Neutering is the first treatment suggestion for urine marking dogs since 80-90% of dogs stop urine marking when neutered. If urine marking persists post -neutering, then owners must try to identify any stimuli that trigger urine marking and remove them from the environment of the dog. If interdog aggression or other behavioral problem is contributing to the marking, the underlying problem may need to be addressed in order to resolve the marking. Sometimes anxiolytic medication can reduce urine marking: fluoxetine (Prozac) canine dose 0.5-2.0 mg/kg SID; amitriptyline (Elavil) canine dose 2.2-4.4 mg/kg SID or split BID; clomipramine (Clomicalm) canine dose 1-3 mg/kg BID. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
