Litterbox Problems - How To Change Cats Pooping Routine

Hi,

I have had a baby and have a nanny who takes care of my baby while I am at work. The nanny is amazing with my baby however she dislikes cats!

My 2 year old cat (who is my absolute world!) only uses the litter-box to urinate, she poops out of the box around the same place always. We tried everything, vet for checkup, different litter-box, different litters, putting litter-box in area she poops, moving litter box etc however nothing improved. We got used to the idea and for the past year she poops in the corridor twice a day on the hard floor and I clean the area with detergent.

The issue now is that our Nanny says she cannot clean the poop as she feels sick. I cannot allow the poop to sit around as soon I will have a crawling baby. I do not want to lock my cat up all day and so am considering my options.

The only thing I can think of is that I could change her eating habits from free feeding into controlled twice a day feeding in the hope that she will eat and poop straight after for me to clean. I go to work at 8.30 so I will put the food out at 7am and remove within 20 minutes so that she will poop so I can clean then go to bed.

Another option is to give her food when I am home 4pm and leave it there until the next day at 7 am and then remove?

Are their any other options??

Try putting newspaper on the floor where she normally goes, often cats will deficate on it. If she does then it is easy for your nanny to clear up.

I will talk to her about this option however she says she feels sick at the sight of the poop so I doubt she will accept this. I am worried she will decide to stop working with us because of the cat.

Where I live pets are not common so it was hard finding someone who accepted my cat otherwise I would just find another nanny

Could you confine the cat to a single room during the day? It would make your nanny happier and perhaps it might retrain your cat to poop in his box. In addition to a regular litter box in this I would give him one with just a puppy pad in it.

Did you try several litter boxes, eg. even three, so that she always has litter box without pee clump in case she’s one of the cats that refuse to poop where she pees?

susanm9006 said:

Could you confine the cat to a single room during the day? It would make your nanny happier and perhaps it might retrain your cat to poop in his box. In addition to a regular litter box in this I would give him one with just a puppy pad in it.

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I considered confining her but I don't want her miserable or stressed. Would she be ok with this? I am out from 8 - 4 everyday.
I never though of an empty litter with a puppy pad - I will try that too.

She's a witch said:

Did you try several litter boxes, eg. even three, so that she always has litter box without pee clump in case she’s one of the cats that refuse to poop where she pees?

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Hi - I didn't try 3 but yesterday I washed the litter-box, filled them both with different litters (one with crystals and the other finely ground litter) and she pooped right next to them within 2/3 hours when there was no urine clumps in.

I don't know if it makes any difference but we started to have this issue after she was spayed. She was well trained before being spayed.

While I don’t think she will be happy about it I dont think confinement will make her miserable either. It is,definitely worth a try.