Coronavirus CT: Stress Making Cats Think Outside Their Boxes

MANCHESTER/VERNON, CT — It's Day 5 of the school closures related to coronavirus social distancing. The take-home academic worksheets are done and the kids are getting retless. There is no lacrosse practice.

They're running around.

And the cat is peeing ... outside the box.

Yes, the governor has asked us to think outside the box when dealing with the virus shutdowns, but the litter box?

It just seems wrong. Yes the cat is about 16 years old, but she is always particular about her litter and where she goes — right down to the type of litter, which is always fresh.

So the floor then? What gives?

It's probably anxiety because of the chaos, according to trained professionals. It seemed to make sense, because the cat was hiding and, when she came out, was not happily rubbing all over everything.

A quick call to the Banfield Pet Hospital at the Manchester PetSmart confirmned this. Yes, it could be a medical issue, the nice nurse at the front desk said. But first make sure it's not anxiety spurred by the disruption in the routine, she suggested.

According to rspca.org, there are many behavioural reasons why cats may begin to urinate inappropriately. Frustration, stress, or anxiety can sometimes cause a cat to change its urinating habits. Any change in a cat's routine, such as a new person in the household or moving, can lead to changes in urination, according to the organization.

The vet practice suggested a trip two aisles over at PetSmart to a product called Feliway. It's a synthetic pheromone-based spray or plug-in mist desigined to relieve stress in felines and bring the rubbies back.

It's not cheap — more than 30 bucks — but it's supposed to work.

Give it the weekend, the vet suggested. In other words, keep calm and purr on.

And stay tuned.