Litter box problems are among the most common reasons cats are surrendered to shelters, but they typically reflect welfare failures rather than cat misbehavior.
Litter box management is a welfare issue because inappropriate elimination nearly always reflects unmet needs rather than spite or poor character in cats. Cats are fastidiously clean animals whose elimination behavior is sensitive to substrate texture, cleanliness, location, and social dynamics with other cats. When these needs are not met, cats find acceptable alternatives elsewhere. The welfare response is to understand and address the cat perspective rather than punish or surrender an animal for expressing a fundamental behavioral need appropriately.