Cat people

[audrinasmommy88]

I posted this on my cat forum but nobody is answering me. My 5 year old cat Mister has recently started pooping on the floor beside the litter box. We have 2 litter boxes (one for each cat). I have caught him 2 times in the past week pooping on the floor. My husband cleans the litter box everyday, we havent switched the litter or anything and its been about 6 months since we bought a new litter box because I noticed the old one was smelling bad. The litter is changed weekly. Why would he all of the sudden be doing this?

 

[whitelop]

I don't know why they do this. I think there just comes a time in a cats life, where they just don't care anymore.
I'm dealing with a similar thing right now with my 12 year old cat, who has never used a litter box. I'm at my wits end with it though, I can't handle it anymore. I've tried different litters and she doesn't like any of them. So I got rid of the litter box and put them outside during the day. It was fine during the summer and two of them still go outside all the time to potty then come back in to sleep. The one that goes in the floor, makes no effort to go out at all anymore. I think she is senile. Sorry, she just peed in my floor and I'm fuming right now!

Anyways, back to YOUR problem! I think maybe you should change all the litter maybe more than once a week. Scoop everyday still, but do a massive change every like 3 days or whatever, like Wednesday and Sunday. What kind of litter are you using? Sometimes they just don't like the way it feels on their feet and sometimes I think they just get sick of it. Does the box have a cover on it? Maybe take the cover off, or if you use any litter fresheners, stop using them. I only have one cat who constantly used the litter box, that was nice. lol
Sometimes cats drive me up a freaking wall!

 

[audrinasmommy88]

My other cat Jackson has great litter box habits. Hes so clean about it. Mister is one of those cats that doesnt like to even cover his poop in the litter box. I hate that. I use the multi-cat Tidy Cats. I dont put any fresheners in it because it is a covered box that has the filter thing in the top. We have used the same litter since we got Jackson (he's 2 years old). I just text my husband and told him he is going to be finding his cat a new home if this crap (pun intended lol) doesnt stop. He just laughed at me because he knows I'll never get rid of him lol...and now the dog just opened the pantry and is eating dog food straight out of the bag...GRR!!!!

 

[whitelop]

hahaha. Didn't you tell your neighbor to stop feeding her so much? lmao. She's HUNGRY because she isn't getting her usual four bowls of food a day! hahahaha.
I have a cat that doesn't cover her potty mess either. I was watching her outside, she was running through the yard, stopped poop, then kept running. lol
Yeah, I get what you mean about the cats totally. I'm like on the verge of committing animal abuse. I'm so irritated with the whole thing with my cat. She's almost 13 and I think she's going senile, but I think she's always just been a little b-word.

I think cats just don't car what goes on. They just do what they want. He wants to poop in the floor so he does it. I dislike cats sometimes.
Maybe just get some cheap litter and switch his box and see if that helps. If your other cat is fine, then its just that one being a butthead.

 

[audrinasmommy88]

Yes I told my neighbor to quit feeding her hahaha...the dog is 10 pounds overweight. Diet for her. She's lucky she's getting fed at all lol. I actually was just on the phone with my neighbor when I saw your post and told her what you said and she told on herself. She fed her last night and then bailey came home and ate...I give up lol

Yours is just old and probably has alzheimers or something hahaha I think mine is just being a jerk. Cats are ridiculous. I watched this video on youtube about the differences between cats and dogs. It was a guy and his 2 friends that made it. One friend portrayed a dog and the other was a cat...im gonna find it and post it....
HEre it is [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEsIblTO_xk[/ame]

 

[LakeCondo]

Maybe using an uncovered box would help. That's all I can think of to try.

 

[Imbrium]

does Jackson ever use Mister's box?
what condition is the box in when he goes on the floor? I know you said it's cleaned daily, but it might be that he poops in it once and then won't poop in it again until it's been scooped. my cat used to poop on the floor sometimes - it was her way of saying "mom, you forgot to clean my box yesterday."

 

[audrinasmommy88]

They never use eachothers litter boxes, at least ive never seen them. He might have pooped in it one time when he goes on the floor...but I just watched him use the box after he pooped on the floor. So i dont think its that...i dont understand it. Could it be him acting out because im near the end of pregnancy?

 

[missyscove]

I would recommend getting a third box. The general rule for number of litter boxes is number of cats + 1.
Is he declawed? Sometimes cats who have been declawed are extra sensitive to how litter feels on their feet.
What's the surface he's pooping on instead? Sometimes cats suddenly discover the bathmat next to the litter box feels much better than the box itself and use that instead.
You saying that he doesn't cover his poop suggest to me that he might have some sort of aversion to the litter you're using.

 

[whitelop]

What's the surface he's pooping on instead? Sometimes cats suddenly discover the bathmat next to the litter box feels much better than the box itself and use that instead.

That is SO true. I have this Vera Wang bathmat that is super plush and really really nice. Well, one of my cats decided that he LOVES that thing to pee on! So for like the first 6 months of me having it. I would wash it, put it down and get one fresh use out of it and then she would sneak into the bathroom to pee on the rug. Then I would find it later and have to wash it again. That rug has been washed more than anything in my house! lol
It IS a really nice rug though, it feels great on my feet, so I know it feels good on her feet too! haha.

 

[missyscove]

Sometimes if they change where they're peeing, it can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection. It's like their kitty brains are thinking, hmm, it hurts when I pee here, I wonder if it will hurt less if I pee on this fluffy bed.

 

[whitelop]

haha Christina, if you talking about my cat peeing on my rug. I took her to the vet after she started doing that and she is fine. No UTI or anything. She is just a brat, she is the daughter of the cat who refuses to use the litter box or go outside now. So she is just difficult and duhhh...who wouldn't like a vera wang rug? Its awesome.

 

[audrinasmommy88]

Neither of my cats are declawed. I had a cat a long time ago that I got declawed and I swore I would never do it to another cat again. This litter box is in the bathroom. So he's just pooping on tile floor. Literally right beside the litter box. He pees in the box and still sometimes poops in it. Sometimes he decides he wants to poop on the floor instead. Makes no sense to me

 

[Ape337]

It sounds behavioral to me. I've had cats all of my life up until the last 3 years and every time one of mine went outside the box my vet pointed out something that most likely provoked the event. I think you may be on to something with you being pregnant. Or perhaps the dynamic between your 2 cats has changed somehow and one is antagonizing the other around the box. So the instinct is strong enough to bring your kitty to go around the box, but some event has made a bad association with going in the box (which could be behavioral or medical).
You might want to rule out medical stuff 1st though.

Btw-that video is hilarious!

 

[Sweetie]

I have two cats. Both are emaculate about using the litter box, which is in the bathroom. Every once in awhile one of them will pee or poop on the tile floor. But that is because the litterbox is a mess. The one cat would also pee on a mat I had next/in front of the litterbox.

I think you may have a behavioral issue with the one cat. How old is Mister? If he is still a kitten, then it will take some time before he is emaculate about using the litterbox. When you see him going on the floor, tell him "no, use the litterbox". You may need to do this several times, each time you catch him not using the litterbox for him to catch on. He should catch on that going into the litterbox is a good thing and it won't get him yelled at. Also you could treat him whenever he uses the litterbox. You could tell him, "good job using the litterbox". This is what I did for Skittles when I got her, I also did it with Kitty, because she had to be an indoor cat from the time I brought her from my mom's house to my place. They are both emaculate about using the litterbox. I just have to keep it clean every day, otherwise Skittles will pee and poop outside the litterbox.

Whitelop: your cat is old, senior age right now. There could be something wrong, but try using the advice I gave audriannasmommy88. Maybe it will help your cat use the litterbox again.

Also keep the litterbox emaculately clean. Cats hate it when their defecation area is messy.

 

[MiniLopHop]

I have an 11 year old cat that had this issue recently. I also noticed she would rock a bit before jumping onto things. I started her on a joint supplement and her litter habbits went back to perfect! I'm guessing she was having pain in her lower back/hips and it must have been easier on the floor? I use the GNC Pets Ultra Mega Hip & Joint Health for All Cats - Yummy Chicken Flavor http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12099463

 

[audrinasmommy88]

Thanks everyone Mister is 5 years old and my other cat Jackson is almost 3. Mister is the antagonizer, Jackson is scared of everything. So I dont think that's the issue. On top of that, Jackson will not step foot in a bathroom because his previous owners tried to drown him in a bathtub. So his litter box is in the laundry room. So, I know he isn't using Mister's box or messing with him while he is in there either. This all just started with Mister. Never had a problem before. Im gonna make him a vet appointment, but I really think it's a behavioral thing.

 

[whitelop]

@Sweetie, my cat NEVER used the litter box. Age may have something to do with it now, but the rest go outside now she makes no attempt to go out. They were so good at going out a year ago, i threw their box out. She wouldn't use it anyway if i had one.

 

[missyscove]

It certainly sounds like a behavioral thing to me too, but a vet check would be great to rule out other issues.
I have a PDF of a chapter on elimination behaviors in cats that might be helpful in brainstorming what's going on and I can send it to you if you PM me your email address.

 

[mshill90]

I have 2 cats.. one is 5, and one is 3.

NEITHER of them cover their poop.. They will scratch before they go, but that's it. They both go outside, but because it's getting cold we use an indoor box for them just in case they don't want to go outside.

My older cat will go on the floor if he has an upset stomach or something like that, but other than that, they have no issues sharing a box or going in it. The only time they use the box is at night anyways.

Good luck!