cat not pooping in litterbox

Question
yes,she has been spayed
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Followup To

Question -
hi,
my cat is a maincoon cat,and shes about 6 years old. We moved around alot. For a while now shes been living outside because she never uses the litterbox. Whenever she is inside she either poops on the carpets or even the beds! We think shes maybe mental,but we are not sure. She wasnt like that when we got her.So now she lives outside during the day and at night she stays in the garage.
please write back!

Answer -
Hello Dasha,

I have a couple of questions for you, and some suggestions:

- Is your kitty spayed?  If not, that alone could be the cause of her behaviour, and should be handled before trying anything else.

- Have you ruled out any health issues?  If not, I recommend this first, if she's already spayed.  Defacating outside the litterbox could easily be a sign of a health problem, and it would be better to handle that side of things before trying a bunch of things that would handle it if it were a mere behavioural issue.

- How many litterboxes does she have?  I recommend that you add another litterbox to the household (you'll read why in a moment).  

- How often does her box get cleaned?  Some kitties are picky about how clean their box is.


Okay, here are some other thoughts and ideas...

Sometimes kitties get very finicky about exactly how their litterbox is set up, and where.

Our boy, Hobbes, did the same thing, and it turned out he wanted one litterbox to poop in and one to pee in, he didn't like hooded litterboxes, and he liked it pristinely clean. I found a couple websites that helped me understand exactly what it was that I could try that would help, and it really did.

Here are a couple websites that should help:

http://www.larimerhumane.org/services/litterboxinfo.cfm

http://www.thepetprofessor.com/secA...es_and_cats.asp

http://www.heartlandhumane.org/pub/petcare_litterbox

A couple tips:

Cats don't usually like the plastic liners some people use in litterboxes.

Some cats don't like the hooded boxes.

Cats prefer that the box not be anywhere that they also have to eat and drink.

Sometimes the problem is just that the box isn't somewhere private enough. They only like to "go" somewhere that is low-traffic, quiet, and very private.  (Some even like a dark space as well.)

Also, try putting the litterbox in the place that he's been peeing so he gets the idea.

So, beyond all that, try to have patience.  I would recommend bringing her back inside, as it is much safer and healthier for her in general, and due to the fact that this is something that can be handled.  We will, together, be able to figure out exactly what's behind her behaviour, and be able to handle it.  Don't worry.  It's much better to keep her inside where she's safe, and shut the door(s) to your room(s) in the meantime to keep her from "going" on your bed(s).

So, let me know how all that works out, and how she's doing, ok?  Also be sure to let me know if none of that works, and you need additional advice, or if you have any other questions.

Hugs to you all!

Rosie*

Answer
Okay, then let me ask you this: has she ever scooted around on her rear end on the carpet?  If so, it's definitely a health issue, and you should take her in to be seen (either way it's something I would recommend just to be sure it's not a health-related problem).

Other than that, try some of the different things I suggested in my last note to you.  She's definitely trying to tell you something by "going" on your bed, and it's definitely one of the things I mentioned in my last reply to you.  

So, let me know how it goes, ok?

Hugs to you both! :o)

Rosie*