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!
I’ve recently moved and have 3 cats. My 1st cat is 3 yrs old and use to go in the kitty tray but now she goes on the carpet or behind things. I’ve changed the kitty tray, changed the kitty litter, moved them to all different areas but she still seems to go on the carpet. I’ve even tried different smells that is suppose to stop them from going in those spots. How do I help her to go to the tray the last house she was fine and had no problem. The other 2 cats are quite fine and go to the kitty tray quite fine
We have a 6 year old female, spayed and declawed. She was rescued from a shelter. She DOES use the litter box, which is cleaned very frequently. She also poops only, in other parts of the house. The box is cleaned practically every time she uses it, thinking this may be the reason why she goes in other parts of the house. She seems comfortable in her surroundings, we just can’t figure out why she poops around house. Any advice is greatly appreciated…
Diane
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my cat lily has always bothered me with her problems, she is always quarrelsome and I never run out of orders. and among the problems I had with my cat lily was not using her litterbox,where my cat urinated everywhere in the house, like the kitchen, the bedroom, the sofa, and the carpet.. which caused me a great inconvenience, However,recently Ifound this plan : https://catisparyno.blogspot.com/p/cat.html After I followed this plan, my cat became obedient and only urinated in its litter box….
About 8 months ago, I had a lovely cat called Suzy,She was a beautiful cat with thick and beautiful hair However, my cat Suzy is very quarrelsome, Where I personally had a problem with her, that she urinated everywhere in the home, She urinated in the kitchen, bedroom and other places,The smell of her urine was spread all over the house, causing me embarrassment with many close people, Also, my cat never pee in the litter box,However, I recently found this effective plan: https://cat-spraystop.blogspot.com/p/cat-spraying-no-more.html and applied it to my cat Suzy and actually Suzy became urinate only in the litter box assigned to it.
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