Cannot figure out why my cat keeps pooping in front of litter box!!
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Anonymous
| I am so frustrated!! The past few weeks almost daily my cat poops right in front of her litter box. I clean the box daily and have even added a second litter box. I do not understand it!!! Can anyone think of why she would do this? I’m going insane over it. Our other cat passed away 5 months ago, but this regular behavior started within the past 2 months (it occasionally happened the past 1.5 years and I always attributed it to not having new food down when she wanted it). |
Anonymous
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How large is your cat and how large is the box? As a general rule you should have an additional box for the no. if cats you have. So two cats means three boxes. So adding the second box is a good idea. Try new litter in the new box. We also just purchased new large litter boxes that have a high shield in the back to make sure everything stays in the box (we have large cats). Also one of our cats is aging and seems to be missing the box so we bought her the larger one (Amazon) with a tall side.
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Anonymous
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My cat started doing this. I changed the litter and she stopped. (I went from pine to clay.)
Put some newspaper down in the meantime to make clean up easier. |
Anonymous
| Have you seen it happen? How do you know she is not in box with her rear over the edge? |
Anonymous
| My cat is older (14) and for a bit she was missing the litter box. She would try and jump in but just miss. I took her to the vet, they treated a UTI and gave her a shot to help her legs feel better. She's been doing much better. I would recommend a vet checkup, but also the paper or pee pee pads so you don't have to clean up constantly. Also have you cleaned the floor with something that kills the smell? |
Anonymous
| It really could be a lot of things. Usually when our cat does this, it's either because his box needs to be cleaned or because he feels neglected. Try cleaning both boxes thoroughly (not just scooping -- wash them with an unscented soap and brand new litter) and make sure she is getting lots of love and affection throughout the day. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes you have to be a bit more intentional with affection towards cats, because unlike dogs, they don't always ask for it. But ours responds really well to extra TLC, stuff like devoting a few extra minutes in the morning to belly rubs and ear scratches, or making up a cat bed for him in a cozy spot so that he has somewhere nice to curl up. |
Anonymous
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Box may not be large enough, they don't like the litter type, or the box may smell.
Use NonScents zeolite on top of your litter (try switching to something soft like unscented wood or fine clay) and also soak the bottom of the cat box with Biokleen enzymatic stain + odor remover to remove any lingering smell. Don't forget that they are much more sensitive to smells than we are. |
Anonymous
Yeah, ours totally do this on purpose. But also sometimes they kick it out when the level of litter is too high - like if I put in too much while changing it. Our cats are very affectionate so our joke is that if one comes looking for cuddles, you'd better supply them or the cat will crap outside the box. It's not really a joke, alas. But I love them anyway. |
Anonymous
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Sometimes they get a negative association with the box - like if they had a painful poop or they have arthritis that makes it hard to get in or out.
There’s a litter called Cat Attract that a lot of people find helpful, but it’s definitely pricier than regular litter. |
Anonymous
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Yes, it could be not getting food when she wants it and this is her way of lodging a formal complaint
or she could be having trouble dropping it and it is hanging off the back of her until she is out of the box sometimes this happens with our cat and we find a poop in the room next to the bathroom where the box is, where she's finally managed to shake it off sorry a bit TMI |