History taking and diagnosis in cases of feline house soiling

House soiling problems (defined simply as the deposition of urine and/or faeces in unacceptable places from a human perspective) are one of the most common reasons for owners to sense a breakdown in their relationship with their pet and seek professional advice. The behaviour is distressing from a human perspective but is also a sign that all is not well for the cat. There are a number of potential causes of house soiling behaviour and the most important part of investigating these cases is to establish the underlying motivation. The four important differential diagnoses are: medical aetiology (other than feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)); FIC; marking (using urine and/or faeces as a communication tool) — most commonly urine spraying; elimination (physiological deposition of urine and/or faeces) — related to primary social and environmental factors.