Cat behaviour

Question
We have two male, neutered cats, approx 4 years old.  We put "soft paws" on their front claws, and nothing on the back.

Their litter box is in our furnace room in the basement - and has been for quite some time.  They have taken to defecating on the cement floor or on the carpet just outside the room.

They seem to do this regardless of whether or not the litter box has recently been cleaned out or not.  We have not changed the brand of litter we are using.

One of the cats had a urinary infection about 18 months ago, but recovered after a round of antibiotics.

The cats are indoor cats; their vaccinations are up to date.

We have a 3year old border collie, who is prevented from going down to the basement by a baby gate (the baby will be 2 in Sept).

How can I get the cats to stop pooping everywhere?  Any ideas you can give me would be very appreciated.

Thanks.

Answer
Ideally you should have a total of THREE LITTER Boxes...the rule of thumb is always ONE MORE box than the number of cats.  Some cats like to urinate in one and defecate in another.  And if one cat is in the box and the other has to go...he has no place to do his business!  Since they are going in the vincinity of the box it is probably that they are just not happy with that one box.  

I would suggest getting a different type of litter in a new box or two and place it on the area they are going on the carpet.  I would also suggest adding CAT ATTRACT to the litter box  www.preciouscat.com to help draw them back to the litter box.  The boxes should be scooped daily and cleaned with hot soapy water every 2 weeks....do not use chemicals as some can interact with the ammonia in the cat's urine and put off a gas.

Also, considering a baby and a dog are in the house, there may be some underlying anxiety that is creating the problem as well.  Therefore, I would recommend FELIWAY/Comfort Zone Diffusers to help with that as well as adding a few drops of Rescue Remedy to their water dishes every day.