Cat Pooping Outside the Litter Box? Here Are 5 Possible Reasons Why
Has your cat suddenly started defacating or urinating outside the litter box? It can be frustrating and downright gross to have to repeatedly pick up your cat's, uh, "treasure" off the carpet. Most cat owners have experienced this issue at least once or twice.
For the occasional "outside the box" pooper, it might be a one-off. But if your cat is choosing to go outside his litter box on a daily basis, he's trying to tell you something is up.
It's important to remember that your cat isn't doing this to spite you; cats aren't vengeful creatures. Mr. Whiskers is trying to communicate with you in one of the only ways he can. Here are five possible reasons your cat might be avoiding the litter box.
1. Rule out medical reasons.
Observe your cat when he "goes" and look for signs of straining or discomfort. Your cat might associate digging in the litter box with uncomfortable elimination, so they may begin avoiding going inside the litter box.
If your cat is straining, or cries out while trying to go to the bathroom, it signals that illness (not behavior) is the reason behind your cat's pooping misadventures; a vet checkup is likely necessary.
2. Keep it clean!
Cats are fastidiously clean creatures with extremely sensitive noses. Their sense of smell is approximately 40 times as powerful than us humans! Imagine if you had a roommate and you came home to a stinky bathroom - you wouldn't want to use it, would you?
If you find your cat avoiding the litter box unless it's fresh and clean, try scooping daily to give your cat a nice, appealing place to go. If you have a multi-cat household, you might want to consider a litter scoop that comes with bags attached to make scooping and waste disposal quicker and easier.
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3. Try different litters.
Due to their sensitive snoots, some cats may prefer unscented litters. A perfumed litter might be too strong for a cat's sense of smell. If you are using perfumed litter, your cat might not like the strong scent. Try switching to a non-perfumed litter.
If you're using a granulated litter, try a finer grain clumping litter. Cats may tend to like the feel of finer litters - whether this is because a cat instinctively likes to cover their feces in dirt or sand, or just a weird personal cat preference, cats generally spend over 20 seconds pawing around in the litter. So it's important for your cat to actually want to use the litter you choose.
The depth of the litter also might not be enough for your cat to adequately cover their business. So if you notice some bare patches from where your cat has tried to bury their feces, try increasing the amount of litter you pour.
4. Consider location, location, location.
Even though cats have been domesticated, they can still have strong wild instincts. When your cat uses the litter box, they know they are vulnerable to attack. You want to situate the litter box in a quiet, private location where they won't be disturbed by loud, sudden noises that would scare them away from using the litter box.
If there are other cats in your home, the litter box may be a source of contention. Your other cats may be intimidating your cat during litter box visits, causing them to avoid it and eliminate outside the litter box.
Make sure the box is in a location that offers a clear and easy escape route for your cat and, even better, make sure you have several boxes in different locations so your cat has options.
5. The box is too small.
Your cat might be like Goldilocks: their litter box needs to be just right - not too big, not too small. Your cat's litter box should be at least 1.5x their length for them to comfortably maneuver. A cramped litter box doesn't give your cat the ability to turn around and dig, making their usual bathroom routine uncomfortable.
If you have an older cat who suffers from arthritis, a high-sided box may be making it difficult to get in and out of the box.
Have you had this issue? What solutions have worked for you? Let us know in the comments below!
Addendum!! Some cats won’t urinate and defecate in the same box. Not sure why, but that’s one part of why I have 5 bins, and different types of litter, for 3 cats.
I had this problem, I now have 5 boxes with two or three different litters, one always fragrance free for 3 cats. Another fix was to buy storage bins and cut a hole in the narrow side. Each plastic bin is large enough to hold at least two cats at once, which is of course just to judge size, not that they poo together. One cat refuses to let any others near “her” box. She gets aggressive, especially with the younger ones, if they try. One of the other cats refuses to use one with a cover on while some prefer no cover.
I keep a dollar store trash bin and scoop close to each and scoop often.
Now, only medical reasons or not cleaning it quickly enough are the only reasons they miss on purpose.
Since I followed the guide I found HERE ( http://catsprayingnomore.hqtips.net ), my cat hasn’t used anything other than his litter box since last week! I’m so proud of him.It may not seem like a big deal to some folks, but this has made such a difference to me.
Hey all I’m here today cuz of this reason. I have a roughly 4 months old female kitten in a 5 + her cat house hold. All 6 cats use the litter box. But the kitten will poop on the floor a few feet away from the box. This has been going on ever since she was old enough to use it. The weird thing is, she pees in the box just fine. It happens even when the litter box was freshly washed and had clean unused litter put in. I even tried using different litter. Why does she pee in the box but wont poop in it?
Hi all! I came here because I’m currently having a poop issue with my little Pip as over the last few weeks she’s been rocketing out of her box mid-poo and running around like a nut. This is my plan going forward:
Plan A: Refresh her entire litter box
It’s almost as old as she is (3 years) and while I change out the litter every month and give it a wash every 3 months or so, it’s getting to that point… so time to buy a new one!
Plan B: Switch location
Right now her box is in the corner of the living room where a nook has been carved out leading down to the basement. It’s just us so it’s a low-volume, low-traffic area, but she may still feel some occasional stage fright. She’s been doing the doo in a guest room so I’ll put the new box there and get a disposable box for her old location in case she decides not to make the move.
Plan C: See the vet
I’ll give it another few weeks to see if anything improves and then we’ll make a trip to the vet to get checked out. I would really like to do this as a precautionary measure and ordinarily would, but finances unfortunately won’t allow it right now.
I will keep you all updated on what works out!
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