Training cats......hmmm

Well not to leave out our feline friends I am going to touch base on a few of the issues I have seen with cats.  One is going to the bathroom outside the litter box. Again you have to look at several options to rule out any health issues. Cats will do this behavior when they are not feeling well, to let you know. If they have always used the litter box and then one day you find urine in the sink or tub, you need to take them to the vet. They may have a urinary tract infection,fever, even allergic skin issues can be enough to offset their normal routine. If they have a clean bill of health from the vet there is an issue we call litter box aversion.  If you have changed the litter recently it can be something as simple as they don't like the texture or feel of the new litter on their feet.  Is the litter box big enough for the size cat or do you have enough litter boxes for the number of cats you have in the house. You may  need to  get acouple different litter samples and set out acouple boxes and see which they prefer. A multi cat household will need more than one litter box and if you have a 2-3 story house you may  need to have boxes at different levels of the house.
 Older cats can have issues climbing into larger boxes, or up onto raised areas. They also will need more boxes for quicker access.
 I cant stress the need to clean the boxes at least once a day, keeping that area as clean as possible will help deter any "bad" behavior from starting. Once they have started urinating inappropriately it is very hard to stop them. The scent in that area brings them back to urinate again. Don't use cleaners with ammonia in it as that can imitate the urine odor. Some people have used citrus scents sprayed in that spot as strong odors like that tend to repel cats.  They are very scent oriented. It can also be the introduction of a new cat to the household that starts the inappropriate behavior as well as a  stray cat outside that is  upsetting your house cat. A new addition to  your house such as a baby or house guest, moving to a new house or moving their litter box can also upset them. There are lots of factors to think about when they start inappropriate eliminating around the house, so you have to look at the environment as well as the cat to try to solve this one.
Any problems or questions with this issue click  on the comment link and send them to me.