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| | * Single indoor toilet location or substrate (no litter box, cat previously used garden latrine): cat is unable to use outdoor latrine because it is unusable (e.g. waterlogged, frozen, or paved over), or inaccessible (e.g. cat is unwell, or a dog now inhabits garden where the latrine is sited), or it is defended by other cats as part of their territory (e.g. despotism) | | * Single indoor toilet location or substrate (no litter box, cat previously used garden latrine): cat is unable to use outdoor latrine because it is unusable (e.g. waterlogged, frozen, or paved over), or inaccessible (e.g. cat is unwell, or a dog now inhabits garden where the latrine is sited), or it is defended by other cats as part of their territory (e.g. despotism) |
| | * Multiple indoor toilet locations and substrates: cat is unable to use a regular latrine due to conflict with other cats, aversive experiences during elimination (e.g. pain associated with FLUTD, or owner punishment) | | * Multiple indoor toilet locations and substrates: cat is unable to use a regular latrine due to conflict with other cats, aversive experiences during elimination (e.g. pain associated with FLUTD, or owner punishment) |
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| − | |'''Behaviour and Posture''':
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| − | * Cat approaches and sniffs the location
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| − | * It then turns around and reverses up to the spray site
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| − | * Whilst spraying the cat will paddle its feet
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| − | * The tail will twitch and vibrate
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| − | * The cat may have a glazed and vacant look on its face
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| − | * The location may be sniffed and investigated before elimination.
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| − | * Urine or faeces are deposited whilst the cat is in a crouched position with slight back arching.
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| − | * Abnormal postures may be seen during elimination: urination whilst standing up, or when crouched with a greatly arched or flattened back is indicative of pain or dysuria. In extreme cases, cats may cry or run away from the area where they have eliminated, as if in pain.
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| − | * Unlike marking behaviour, there is no visual ‘display’ element to normal elimination.
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| − | |'''Deposit''':
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| − | * Small to medium volumes of urine, perhaps with a greasy or oily appearance
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| − | * Intense odour, often musty
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| − | * Dries to a yellow-brown colour, with a greasy appearance and occasionally containing crystals
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| − | * Faeces (middening) are of normal appearance
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| − | * Relatively large volumes of normal urine or faeces
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| − | |'''Location:
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| − | * Usually highly visible locations, where marks will be easily noticed
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| − | * Most often urine is placed on vertical surfaces, but occasionally horizontal
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| − | * Urine may be placed high up the vertical object
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| − | * Objects that heat up and cool down may attract spray marks (heaters, toasters, TV and audio equipment)
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| − | * Bags, shoes and other objects that may carry foreign odours into the home may be targetted
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| − | * Faeces (middening) are deposited, unburied, in open spaces where they will be most visible
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| − | * Unless a particular location is excessively soiled and becomes objectionable to use, the cat will tend to use only a small number of latrine sites for elimination: one for urine and one for faeces
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| − | * Latrines are usually in quiet locations where the cat will have some privacy when eliminating
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| | |- | | |- |
| | |} | | |} |