Why having the litterbox conversation matters

Are you having regular conversations with caregivers about patients’ litterbox habits? In an interview with dvm360 on her lecture “Litterbox Lessons: Keeping Cats in the Litterbox,” presented at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee this past weekend, Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, KPA-CTP, FFCP, stresses the importance of discussing appropriate litterbox setup with clients, especially when it comes to new kitten caregivers.

Still, these conversations should not be limited to kitten caregivers. In the video, Kucera explains how just a few open-ended questions can help identify potential pain or underlying health issues in cats. She also talks about how veterinary teams can initiate these conversations with caregivers and highlights the value of educating clients on what a healthy feline environment looks like.

Below is the interview transcript, which has been lightly edited for improved clarity:

Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, KPA-CTP, FFCP: I love proactivity and prevention and setting up caregivers and cats for success. So, a few [of these] things [are] asking and talking about litter boxes. Sometimes we don't really bring them up until there's been a concern. And we have to realize many caregivers may not even mention their cat is house soiling until it's been going on for a while and they're already over threshold. So, I think us just talking about it every appointment. Especially when they're kittens, in your kitten packs have—I call them the ‘Litterbox ABCs’—an appropriate litter box set up to start.

I'll be honest, in my 10,12, years of consulting, I have never seen appropriate litter box set up to start. And to be fair, I did not have one as a vet tech until I got a lot more into behavior, so be kind to yourselves. But most caregivers and cats aren't set up for success, so I think just talking about what appropriate litter box setup is and explaining that this is a need, not necessarily a want. Again, having some information in your kitten packs, or even better—having kitten kindergarten or kitten socialization classes.

And then also just a question or 2 you can ask during every exam. I think we always talk about open ended questions. So, what I like to ask is, “when was the last time your cat missed the litter box?” because they may say, “oh, never.” But also, the amount of times cats and dogs like, ‘when was last time your dog had an accident in the house?’ The amount of caregivers in general practice I've worked with who I've always gotten great histories [from], the practice I work with is awesome, the team is great, but these animals have been house soiling for years, and it was never identified.

So that simple question; first off, you're starting the conversation, “When was the last time your cat missed the litter box?” And then [the client] might say “once or twice” and then you can get more context—“it was right outside of the litter box, both times it was defecation.” That's a big warning sign that most likely that cat has some underlying constipation and/or pain, I mean, definitely, right?

So, we can easily help by helping [clients provide a] low entrance, make sure those litter boxes are easily accessible to that cat. And then lastly, I think providing caregivers with the 5 pillars of a healthy feline environment, which we've all heard of—I love that it's getting more popular. So, providing multiple safe spaces, providing multiple and separated key environmental resources and telling clients what those are. So of course, food, water, litter boxes. Three boxes right next to each other is one box.

So, kind of helping caregivers recognize scratchers, vertical spaces, providing opportunities for play and predatory behavior, providing positive, consistent and predictable human-cat, human-dog, cat-to-cat interactions. And then an environment that respects the importance of a cat's sense of smell. But by doing all those things, we're also helping to just manage stress and prevent other behavioral issues as well because those animals’ needs are being met.