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!
My cat pees outside the litter box. I have a towel there so it’s an easy wash. Then she started pooping outside the litter box. I would dump the poop in the toilet and flush. I then decided to move the poop into the litter box and partially cover it as a reminder as to where it belongs. She is now better at going in the litter box. She is about 10 years old. Maybe she just needed a reminder.
I have a 2 year old long hair. She has used the litter box since she was about 5 weeks old. She has grown up with my older female tuxedo cat. I made the mistake of getting one of the self scooping boxes and now the younger will not use it to poop. I’ve switched back to the normal box, and sold the self scooping box. I’ve tried moving it to different rooms, bought her a separate box, and even locked her in the sunroom with her own personal box, and she still refuses to poop in it. I’ve changed litter, types of boxes, with and without lids. I don’t know what else to do.
There was a period for about a week that I was feeling awfully sick so I didn’t clean the litter as often as I should have so one of my cats started pooping outside of it because it got pretty dirty, but now I’m better and I literally clean it twice a day, when I wake up and before I goto bed yet I still wake up to him popping on the floor?? It’s making me VERY frustrated..! Any suggestions? I can’t think of anything else that’s changed because he used it just fine before I got sick
We hand raised two abandoned kittens…one male, one female. Both were fully litter trained. Once the male got to one year old my sister in law took him and he was still doing his business in a litter box. Then she moved in with her now husband who had two cats. It did not go over well. Tigger (the one I raised), got bullied, big time and completely stopped using a litter box. We took him back. He socialized well at my home. Gets along with all the cats, but still does not use the litter pans. We have 5 all together…one for each day plus one more. We changed brands, locations and styles. We ha’ve wee pads that he will occasionally use. Thank God we have tile floors. It’s been 9 months. We’re still being patient and trying to figure it out.
My cat is a medium length coat fixed male and he poops outside the litter box. We’ve tried everything. Changing litter, multiple boxes, even tried using a big bin without the lid, secluded him, took him to the vet, he was perfectly litter trained before we got him fixed. Then after he just will not poop in the box. Has anyone tried a self cleaning box? Cause i want to keep my cat but i’m pregnant and cant have him doing this and this started before i got pregnant.
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