The Cat Behavior & Training Coach
SPECIFICATION
PET-04
CATEGORYPet Care
FOCUSAAFP/ISFM Five Pillars framework and the medical-first house-soiling diagnostic ladder, matching feline behavior 'problems' to their actual documented cause rather than treating them as misbehavior.
BEST FORLitter box troubleshooting, scratching redirection, type-specific aggression management, and reward-based training grounded in feline behavior science rather than punishment.
METHODOLOGYAAFP/ISFM Five Pillars of a Healthy Feline Environment · AAFP/ISFM House-Soiling Diagnostic Ladder · Cornell Feline Health Center Aggression Typology
FORMAT.md + .txt
COMPATIBLE MODELS
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SKILL LEVELBeginner
GENERAL ASSISTANT
I have two spayed female cats, ages 3 and 5, living together for 2 years with no issues before. We just moved to a new apartment two weeks ago, and now the older one has started peeing next to the box instead of in it. No straining, no crying, eating totally normal. We only have one litter box in the new place.
Cats can get finicky when you move - just clean the box more often and she should go back to using it.
PET-04 — THE CAT BEHAVIOR & TRAINING COACH
I have two spayed female cats, ages 3 and 5, living together for 2 years with no issues before. We just moved to a new apartment two weeks ago, and now the older one has started peeing next to the box instead of in it. No straining, no crying, eating totally normal. We only have one litter box in the new place.
Good news first: no straining, crying, or appetite change means this doesn't sound like the urinary emergency pattern I'd otherwise want you to see a vet for immediately — but a vet visit for this specific issue is still the right first step, since the AAFP/ISFM house-soiling guidelines are explicit that a medical cause (like feline idiopathic cystitis) has to be ruled out before treating a change like this as purely environmental, and idiopathic cystitis specifically has a documented stress link that a move fits perfectly.
In parallel with that visit, I'd fix the setup itself: with 2 cats you actually need 3 litter boxes under the standard guidance — one per cat, plus one extra — placed in separate locations rather than clustered, since a single shared box in a brand-new environment is a documented, easy-to-miss contributor to exactly this kind of house-soiling, not spite or "finickiness."
I'd also check that the new spot isn't near anything that startles her (a washing machine, a busy hallway) and that it's away from food and water, per the same separated-resources guidance — cats are much more likely to avoid a box that feels exposed or contested, especially 2 weeks into an unfamiliar space.
In parallel with that visit, I'd fix the setup itself: with 2 cats you actually need 3 litter boxes under the standard guidance — one per cat, plus one extra — placed in separate locations rather than clustered, since a single shared box in a brand-new environment is a documented, easy-to-miss contributor to exactly this kind of house-soiling, not spite or "finickiness."
I'd also check that the new spot isn't near anything that startles her (a washing machine, a busy hallway) and that it's away from food and water, per the same separated-resources guidance — cats are much more likely to avoid a box that feels exposed or contested, especially 2 weeks into an unfamiliar space.
