[cokey]

I have a 8 month old cat, he has been housetrained for around 3 months.

In the last week he has begun to poo in in the house, at the moment it seems to be in one particular spot on a carpet. So i closed of the area to him, and he has now done it again in a different spot.

There has not been any significant changes to the household or his routine and he gets a LOT of attention.
I cant understand why he is doing it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Col

 

[PrincessClaire]

unfortunatly I'm not really an expert on cats I'm learning from this site, one thing I have learned as some cats prefer to pee in one litter box and poo in another if you only have one litter box this maybe the problem but as I said I'm just learning about cat behaviour myself

 

[cokey]

thnx for replying Madmissie,

My cat Micky has been going outside to relieve himself instead of a litter box for around 3 months now. He lets us know when he wants to go outside and we even put him out on regular occasions so he has ample oppertunity to relieve himself!

It is really starting to bug me, I am open to ANY suggestion

Regards

Col

 

[Littlebigcatdaddy]

Hi,

The first thing I'd look into is an aversion to something to do with the litterbox itself. You say that nothing major has changed in the house. did you change litter, or box placement? Did you add liners, or add/remove lids to the box or boxes? That kind of thing can give a good clue as to why he's begun to reject the box outright.

 

[cokey]

Thnx for replying guys, one thing that i need to point out is that our cat does not have a litter box, he goes outside to go to the toilet, so although the litter box ideas are very good it does not apply to my sittuation.

He does still 'ask' to go outside and does use the garden to relieve himself, and we place him outside to do his business on regular occasions, but it seems every other day or so he just poo's inside, it is like he is trying to make a point!

Any more clues would be greatly appreciated,

Col

 

[queen of the nile]

Since you said you are willing to try anything, why don't you give a litter box a try? Has the weather taken a turn for the worse in your area? Maybe he doesn't want to go outside. I really think you should try a box for a while and see if it changes things. Because this behaviour may be due to a need for a soft substrate to cover things up. If it is cold where you are, the ground may be frozen and he can't cover up his business.

 

[Bean]

Small changes in an environment can change a cats habits. With indoor cats, litter changes or alterations to the room in which the litter sits can persuade the cat to use the bathroom elsewhere. If you don't have an indoor litter, I would recommend getting one.

 

[kitkat]

Get an indoor litter like mentioned and most of the time cats know to go to the litter box immediately. You never know if you don't try. Good Luck!

 

[ForJazz]

I don't know everything -- but it seems like he's trying to tell you that he's not a dog and he doesn't want to go outside all the time for that. Cats are pretty independent creatures -- he might like some control over when he gets to go to the bathroom if you aren't readily available to let him out when he wants. I would try a litterbox. It certainly couldn't hurt, right?

 

[Mike]

I am no expert, but it sounds like maybe something is wrong with doing his duty outdoors. And I suppose it could be several things. Maybe something scared him on one trip? Maybe, as someone else suggested, the ground is frozen and he cannot cover when he is finished?

I think we often forget to try to view things through the eyes of the kitty and we end up missing what is obvious to them.

It sure seems like a litter box would be a simple solution. Not to mention that it would be a lot safer for the kitty to not venture outside.

Keep us informed of any progress you make in finding a solution.

Peace,
Mike

 

[seashell]

Behaviour change?

I agree with everyone about the litter box option.
Like most UK cats, our Jimmy is an indoor/outdoor cat. We have a litter box for him in case he gets 'caught short' indoors. Sometimes he'll go for weeks without using it.
Then again sometimes he'll go through a phase of preferring that to going outside. (He's going through one of those phases now)
What bugs me is when he uses the litter tray and *then* asks to go out :?
But I guess they all have their preferences. I suppose we'd all rather use an indoor toilet than a privvy at the bottom of the garden
So if you give your kitty the option, he can choose what he prefers. And hopefully that *won't* be pooing on the carpet

 

[stormy]

I'll throw in one more vote for an inside litter box, it's much easier to clean than the floor!!

 

[Jeanie]

Here's another vote. This has been a cold winter. And, as Mike said, something might have frightened him. He will be a lot safer in the house, and the scoopable litters make cleaning the litter box less of a chore. Let us know how he does, please.