Cat pooping everywhere but the litter box

Question
QUESTION: There are a lot of dynamics here but this has been an ongoing behavioral (I think?) issue for the past few years but has become increasingly challenging over the past year.  For 11 years, I had two male cats, one was 16 and the other is 11 (problem child).  Here are some facts:  My 11 yo went to live with my boyfriend in a beautiful and extremely clean house and litterbox back in November and I moved in February.  Over those few months, he intermittently pooped in various places for no reason and punished him when he went away (pooped around house).  FYI - He is a really beautiful and loveable PEST (mischievous but very friendly) but horribly claws on the rugs, chairs etc. so we put the soft rubber claws on him to save the furniture. On a side note, we have been traveling a bit and when we return, he poops outside the litter box for a while but then goes back to the box, eventually (BTW, he has care while we are gone but we leave him at the house).  I know that part of it must be that he is angry with us for leaving and but also considered that it was that he had to share the litter box with his sick brother?  (Last fall my 15 year old was diagnosed with mouth cancer but lived with it for 9 months until I put him down about 3 weeks ago.)  So I thought I would see how things go after his brother is gone but it is not getting any better.  He is still pooping in the living room and now that we sprayed a deterrent there, he pooped on our bed last night!  (He did this one time when I went away last year and pooped probably 20 times on my bed!) Anyway, this cat has the cleanest litter box around (still continues to pee in it - thank god), the cleanest house, continual company, attention and great food...so what is going on?  With these behavioral issues I don't know what to do!  On a side note, I have also entertained laser declawing him (but not sure I can do it) but first and foremost, this behavior has to stop!  Please help...I am willing to try anything as my boyfriends patience is growing thin!!!  No veterinarian has been consulted yet as I really thought I understood the 'punishment' for my travel but I suspect I will be headed there this week as this time, there are no more excuses!  Thank you for any assistance!!!

ANSWER: Karen,

I do understand that a kitty who misses the litter box fairly regularly can frustrate their humans. It is important that you not punish the cat for going outside of the box and please NEVER rub your cats nose in their mistakes, it is inhumane, disgusting and your cat will not understand why you are doing it. Punishment for inappropriate elimination won't help as I am sure that you have seen. You have to find out what the cause is and your kitty trying to get revenge isn't it. Whenever a cat starts to go outside of the litter box a trip to your vet should be the first step. A thorough check up that includes blood tests may find that there is a medical problem you were not aware of. Once your kitty has been given the medical all clear then you can look at ways to solve this problem. Many times going outside the box can be attributed to medical issues or be explainable if the issue is solely behavioral in origin. If your kitty isn't neutered pooping outside of the litter box can be a territorial issue which should be solved by neutering him. Unfortunately this issue seems to be fairly long standing so if there is a medical or behavioral cause you may have to retrain him to get him out of the habit of going outside of the litter box. It is a good thing that this kitty's litter box is kept clean as cats are naturally fastidious and hate to use a dirty box (think human in dirty public washroom). Sometimes cats that poop outside of the litter box are trying to let you know that something about the box turns them off. It can be as simple as the fact that your kitty prefers to pee in one box and poop in the other. The litter box may be the wrong size for your cat's preferences. If you have a litter box with a hood you can try buying one that is a different size without the hood and putting it near the places that he normally poops. There are a few recommendations that I routinely make in situations like this. Be sure that you have one litter box per cat plus one on each level of your home. If you routinely use scented litter or air fresheners then your kitty may have a sensitivity to perfumes similar to people with sensitivity to scents. I also recommend that if you use the course clay litter that you try switching to an unscented clumping kitty litter as your kitty may find the clay litter sharp on his pads. Getting angry with the cat won't solve this issue, in fact if your cat senses that you are frustrated or angry with him he may become more anxious and make more "mistakes" outside of the box. It is also important that you be sure that the litter box is easily accessible to the cat, but that you put it in a private and quiet location as cats do prefer privacy when they go to the toilet. If anxiety is the cause for the litter box woes your vet may be able to offer a course of anti anxiety medications. Be aware that these medicines are not without risks or side effects so be sure that you make an informed choice. Because this issue has been allowed to continue for an extended period of time it may have become an ingrained habit in which case a referral to a behaviorist who can help you and kitty to get back on track is probably the best solution for the humans and cat in your home. If there are other animals (ie: dogs) in your home it may be that your kitty has been kept away from the litter box because of fear. Another concern that I have given that this is an older cat is that there may be some cognitive issues. Cats do develop senility, sort of like the kitty version of Alzheimer's. There may also be an issue with control. Your kitty may have forgotten where the litter box is or simply not had enough time to get there. If the vet finds that this is the case then there are choices to be made. You could use a pet diaper which you are likely to find in the dog section of a pet store or you may even choose to have more litter boxes. There are other tougher choices that are very personal including euthanasia. There really aren't any simple fixes, you need to have kitty examined by a vet and hopefully get some recommendations on treating this issue. As for the clawing of furniture there are many other options that don't require surgery. It is important that you understand what declawing actually is. Declawing a cat is equal to cutting off a human finger at the first knuckle. There are many humane options that are more cost effective and less painful. There are a number of products on the market. You can use a product called Sticky Paws which is a medical grade double sided tape that wont harm your cat or most furniture. Cats prefer not to stick to things so it works well to deter them from sinking their claws into furniture. Having scratch posts or kitty climbing trees that you can find in most pet stores gives the kitty furniture that belongs to them. You need to be sure that the kitty trees or scratch posts that you choose are stable because if the cat has a scratch post or cat tree fall on him he will never use it again. There are numerous companies that make these trees and they come in all different colors and sizes to match any decor and price range. I do hope that this information helps. If you have any further questions or concerns, please dont hesitate to contact me again.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for the quick reply!   I really appreciate the time it took for you to respond.  This intermittent problem is getting challenging so in follow up, here are some more facts:  He goes in the box 3 times a day (at least) to pee, so I know he can find it.  We only have one level in our house, he is already neutered, is not afraid of the dog, and he has never used any scratching post I have bought him! I think he is still very smart and not senile yet because he clearly knows when to hide, where to hide etc. so I think that he is still of solid mind...so there must be something else going on??  I can't imagine him leaving a diaper on - he is too smart not to get it off!  I think I will take him to the vet and try a new litter box and maybe different litter (although I currently use the clumping unscented kind)??  Any other suggestions would also be appreciated and thanks again for taking so much time!!!  P.S.  I haven't budged on the declaw issue yet (it's horrible) and doubt I ever will especially because he is too old but it has been thrown in for consideration!  :)

ANSWER: Karen,


If you already use clumping unscented kitty litter I recommend that you look at litters made from other substances besides clay - it may be that the dust is bothering him. There are a number of clumping litters made from ground corn, wheat, etc. The diaper suggestion is a last resort, it would obviously be humiliating for your little guy. As for the issue of the dog, dogs are horrible for eating poop out of litter boxes, it may be why the cat has tried to go outside the box. Dogs will bulldoze their way into the litter box whether the cat is inside of it or not, I would suggest that you try making the litter box inaccesible to the dog - baby gates work well. I do hope that things turn around for you and your cat. In terms of the scratch posts, you can put organic catnip all over the post, most cats are more responsive to organic catnip than the regular stuff. I must warn you, organic is slightly more expensive, but you will find that you need less. The other option is to give the cat treats and play with him near the posts and he will get the idea over time that the post rewards him for using it (sort of!). I do agree that declawing isn't pleasant, it is extremely painful if done incorrectly and can cause lasting damage and pain while the cat walks. I am glad that you are aware of the fact that declawing isn't something to be done as a first resort. The vet may find the reasons behind the cat going outside the box, hopefully between you and your vet you will be able to find a solution that is good for everyone. I hope that you have found this information helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much again, I will try new litter.  The dog has never, ever gone near the box so that isn't an issue but you have definitely brought up some considerations I will explore...Thanks so much for your time and assistance!  Take care!

Answer
Karen,


You are very welcome, please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns that you may have. I am sure that you haven't seen the dog near the litter box, but some dogs are obssessed with eating cat poop and it only takes one incident that frightens the cat around the litter box to create a problem. Hopefully with your vet's help and possibly a referral to an animal behaviorist things will get back to normal. With any luck the cause of the unwanted packages will be solved reasonably quickly and painlessly for all involved. Please feel free to contact me again if you have any other questions.