4.Why has my cat stopped using the litter box? 為什麼貓咪突然不愛用砂盆了？
Your veterinarian is the first person you should call if your cat begins rejecting the litter box. Don’t automatically assume the problem is behavioral because there’s a chance that it could be medically related. The rejection of the box can occur because the cat associates the pain that he feels with the box itself. He thinks that by eliminating in a different location he’ll avoid the discomfort.一旦發生這樣的狀況，你應該先帶他去看醫生。不要自動假設說這只是貓咪行為上的問題，因為貓咪這樣的舉動也有可能是健康狀況出問題。貓咪拒用貓砂盆是因為他將疼痛與沙盆聯想在一起。他認為只要換一個地方就可以避免掉不舒服。
Many cats are prone to FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease) which often leads to accidents outside of the litter box. Aside from the pain associated with the box, FLUTD causes the cat to experience a feeling of urgency whenever there’s a small amount of urine in the bladder. You may notice spots of urine on the carpet or even in the bathtub. Very often, the urine is blood-tinged. 許多貓咪容易罹患的FLUTD(貓下泌尿道疾病)經常導致貓咪意外的尿在貓砂盆外。除了疼痛與沙盆之間的聯想，FLUTD也會導致貓咪有"急尿"的感覺即使膀胱裡的尿液僅有一點點。你可能會發現地毯上或甚至浴缸裡會有貓的尿漬，而且經常都是血尿。(店長note.尿漬中會有一些暗紅色的血跡)
There are other medical conditions as well that can result in urinating outside of the box. Diabetes and renal disease are two common examples. Both of these conditions cause increased water consumption, which leads to increased urination. Getting to the litter box in time can be difficult for some of these cats.還有一些其他疾病也會導致貓咪尿在沙盆外。比如糖尿病與腎臟疾病是兩個很常見的例子。這兩種疾病都會加速身體水分的消耗，進而導致排尿次數的增加。對一些罹患這兩種疾病的貓來說，及時趕到沙盆會有困難。
If you’ve noticed that your cat has been having any type of accidents outside of the box, get to your vet immediately. Once the kitty gets a clean bill of health, then you can begin to tackle the problem from a behavioral standpoint.如果你已經注意到你的貓咪有尿在沙盆外的情況，請趕快帶他就醫。一旦確診不是貓咪健康上的問題，那就可以從貓咪的行為矯正上去著手。
To successfully solve the problem, you must first differentiate between indiscriminate urination and spraying. Indiscriminate urination is mostly performed on horizontal surfaces. Spraying, which is a marking behavior, is usually (but not always) done on vertical surfaces. How you treat the problem differs, based on which behavior your cat is exhibiting. Think Like a Cat and Cat vs. Cat go into detail on how to tell the difference and the specific step-by-step approaches for re-training the cat back to the box. 要成功解決這個問題，首先你必須要先會區分貓咪的"亂尿尿"及"噴尿"之間的差別。 亂尿尿大部分都是水平面的，而噴尿(貓咪的標記行為)則通常(但不總是)都是垂直面的。(店長note.噴尿時貓咪經常將尿液噴在牆上或櫃子角角等垂直面，而且射程都又高又遠)。這兩種的處理方式不同，要端看你的貓咪是屬於哪一種。Think Like a Cat 及 Cat vs. Cat(工商服務時間~請去買作者的這兩本書)裡頭會詳細的教你如何區分這兩者(指亂尿尿及噴尿)之間的差異，也會有特定的步驟教學來教你重新訓練貓咪使用貓砂盆。
A dirty litter box will drive a cat away faster than you can twitch a whisker. Cats are very clean and they don’t want to use a filthy box any more than you’d want to use a filthy bathroom. When using litter that can be scooped, you need to scoop the waste at least once a day. When using regular litter that cannot be scooped, you’ll still need to clean daily by removing the solid waste. The box itself needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. 貓砂盆過髒也會使貓咪拒絕使用。貓咪是非常愛乾淨的動物，他們不會想要去用一個髒兮兮的砂盆就像你不會想要去用一個髒得要死的浴缸。使用一般凝結砂，至少每天要清一次(店長note.原文是說"可以鏟起來的砂，那就是會凝結的砂)，而就算是非凝結砂，你還是需要每天清理、將便便清掉(店長note.分解式的砂遇尿會化開，不需要每天清，所以只要每天用小夾子把便便撿起來即可)
Cats often reject covered litter boxes. Because the air doesn’t circulate adequately to dry the litter, the odor inside can be overwhelming to kitty’s sensitive nose. Covered boxes also create an "out of sight – out of mind" mentality so many owners neglect to check the box daily. The cat will sometimes eliminate close to the box instead of actually going inside. It’s almost as if he’s trying his best to get to the box but this is as close as he can tolerate. 貓咪經常會拒用有頂蓋的貓砂屋(店長os.咦?會嗎?我家的不會啊~大家都還蠻會用的)。因裏頭的空氣無法適當循環、砂在裡面不容易乾，裡面刺鼻的味道對貓咪敏感的鼻子而言衝擊太大。有時候貓就是因為這樣而不進去沙盆、卻大在沙盆附近。其實貓咪已經很努力試著要進去沙盆，但這是他所能忍受的最近距離了。(店長note.這麼一說也是有可能，如果真的清的不勤快，排泄物一多，貓砂屋裡濃厚的阿摩尼亞味有時連人都很難忍受)
It could be the litter substrate that your cat finds objectionable. Very often, if a cat doesn’t like the feel of the litter, he’ll perch on the edge of the box, sometimes hanging his hind end over the edge. You may also notice that he bolts out of the box immediately after eliminating and paws the area around the box. If he doesn’t like the litter texture, you may find him eliminating on the nearby bathroom rug or on any towels left on the floor. 貓咪不愛用沙盆也有可能是不喜歡現在在用的貓砂。如果貓不喜歡目前的貓砂，你會常常看到他站在砂盆邊邊，有時把尾巴掛在砂盆邊緣上方(店長note.也就是貓咪會表現得不太想完全踩進砂裡)。你可能也會發現他在大完尿完後會立刻衝出砂盆，然後在砂盆附近做出埋砂的動作。你可能也會發現貓咪會尿(or大)在浴室的地毯上或樓梯間的毛巾上。
Your cat may be rejecting the box for another behavioral reason, unrelated to the box. This gets more complicated because it could be anything from a change in the household to the appearance of a strange cat outside. This is where you have to play detective to get to the cause of your cat’s anxiety.你的貓也有可能會因為其他行為上的因素(與沙盆無關)而拒用砂盆。這個會比較複雜，因為從居家環境內部的任何改變到環境外部陌生貓咪的出現都有可能是原因。這就必須靠主人自己去觀察、試探來找出導致貓咪焦慮的主因。
Don’t use any sort of punishment to retrain your cat back to the box. He is already extremely stressed out and punishment will only worsen the situation."不要用任何懲罰的方式來重新訓練貓咪使用貓砂盆"(店長os.不能再同意你更多!!)貓咪已經是處在極端的壓力下，懲罰只會讓情況更糟。
Finding the cause and either eliminating it or modifying it in a way acceptable to your cat is the key to solving the problem. 找出原因，並且以貓咪可以接受的方式來進行行為矯正是解決這個問題的關鍵。
5.What products should I use to clean cat urine from carpets? 我應該用甚麼來清理掉在地毯上的尿？
Use an enzyme-based odor neutralizer. Regular household cleaners only cover the odor and the cat will still be able to detect his urine scent, triggering him to eliminate in that spot again. Enzyme-based neutralizers completely eliminate the odor as well as the stain. Enzyme cleaners are available at pet supply stores. 使用酵素分解的除臭劑。一般家用清潔劑只能掩蓋掉臭味，但貓咪還是可以辨識他自己的尿味。(店長note.貓咪的鼻子比我們想像的還要敏銳，所以不要以為人聞不到就沒事了。如果貓咪有亂尿尿的習慣，你會發現已經清過、聞不到味道的地方他下一次還是會再尿，因為對貓來說味道仍是存在的)酵素分解的除臭劑可以完全消除臭味及尿漬。哪裡買？寵物用品店就有了。
6.How much litter should I put in the box? 砂盆裡應該放多少砂？
A common mistake owners make is to use too little or way too much. A general guideline is to start with about a 2" layer and then make adjustments as you monitor your cat’s specific needs. If the plastic bottom of the box is visible after the cat covers his elimination, then you need more litter. Maintain the correct level as you remove the solid clumps by regularly adding fresh litter. 不是給太少就是給太多是飼主常犯的錯誤。一般建議是一開始先給大概2"高的砂(2"約5cm)，然後再監控貓咪的需求去做調整。如果貓咪埋完排泄物之後，可看到砂盆盆底，那就需要再多給砂。當清潔完貓咪的排泄物後，可定期加一些新鮮的砂進去以維持合適的貓砂量。
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