Inappropriate elimination outside the litter tray is the most common behavioural reason cats are relinquished to shelters, yet most cases have simple welfare-based explanations and solutions.
Cats that eliminate outside the litter tray are often punished by frustrated owners, which increases stress and worsens the problem. The behaviour is almost always a communication that something about the available elimination facilities does not meet the cat's needs, or that the cat is experiencing pain or discomfort. Welfare-conscious responses begin with veterinary assessment to exclude medical causes, followed by systematic evaluation of tray number, location, cleanliness, and substrate preference. Stress-reducing environmental enrichment addressing the cat's need for control and predictability often resolves cases with no apparent litter tray problems by addressing the underlying anxiety driving the behaviour.