Scientists have discovered which cats have the most trouble using the tray. Reported by the University of Helsinki.
A cat’s refusal to use just one tray as a toilet is one of the most common problems when keeping these animals. In some cases, this leads to rejection of the cat, and therefore the scientists decided to identify the risk factors and the most common problems that lead to this behavior.
To do this, the study’s authors analyzed data from a survey of 4,000 cat owners. The study examined associations between 34 variables such as indicators of cat health, their nature, as well as cleanliness of the litter box and house. It turns out that shy cats mostly avoid using the tray. The least problems were seen in cats that were neutered before four months of age, while the most problems were seen in non-neutered cats and male cats.
Older cats and those living in families with children were more selective about cleaning their litter boxes. “If we talk about different breeds, on average, Bengal cats had the most problems, while Siberian and Neva Masquerade cats had the least,” explains Hannes Lohi, one of the study’s authors.
Also, problems were less common in social cats (with other cats) than in introverts. Scientists attribute this to the fact that sociability points are awarded for the ability to get along with another cat in a household. As a result, such animals experienced less stress when kept together. At the same time, zoologists note that cats may find the toilet seat filler or the box itself uncomfortable. Additionally, the cat may have an association between a particular litter box and past pain from previously treated urinary tract conditions. In this case, it would be wise to change the tray or its location.