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- Oct 15, 2019
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Hi all.
My ~2 year old cat (Charlie) about 1 month ago starting going JUST outside his litterbox when he's pooping. He is consistently pooping on the litter mat just outside the box, and when he goes, he usually places his two front paws inside the box, but his rear legs and butt are positioned over the matt, outside the litterbox. He then proceeds to poo on the mat.
Charlie does have low vision and some mobility issues (he experienced cardiac arrest over 1 year ago, and recovered aside from the apparent vision loss and the fact he doesn't jump like most cats). He hasn't typically had trouble using a litter box since his accident and recovery (his box is actually made from a large Rubbermaid storage bin with a carved-out entry hole specifically to accommodate his mobility issues - the box is BIG and roomy). However, nearly 4 weeks ago, he started doing the behavior described above, and I don't know how to reverse it!
Luckily, he only goes about once a day, and when I happen to catch him trying to go poo outside the box, I'll pick him up and place him in the box where he can finish his business. But obviously, I can't always be around to catch it before it happens, and more often than not, I'm picking up poo off the mat and wiping it down each night.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to correct this behavior?
Here's a few things I've tried:
Other notes:
My ~2 year old cat (Charlie) about 1 month ago starting going JUST outside his litterbox when he's pooping. He is consistently pooping on the litter mat just outside the box, and when he goes, he usually places his two front paws inside the box, but his rear legs and butt are positioned over the matt, outside the litterbox. He then proceeds to poo on the mat.
Charlie does have low vision and some mobility issues (he experienced cardiac arrest over 1 year ago, and recovered aside from the apparent vision loss and the fact he doesn't jump like most cats). He hasn't typically had trouble using a litter box since his accident and recovery (his box is actually made from a large Rubbermaid storage bin with a carved-out entry hole specifically to accommodate his mobility issues - the box is BIG and roomy). However, nearly 4 weeks ago, he started doing the behavior described above, and I don't know how to reverse it!
Luckily, he only goes about once a day, and when I happen to catch him trying to go poo outside the box, I'll pick him up and place him in the box where he can finish his business. But obviously, I can't always be around to catch it before it happens, and more often than not, I'm picking up poo off the mat and wiping it down each night.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to correct this behavior?
Here's a few things I've tried:
- When I catch him in the act, I put him into the box where he can finish his business
- Cleaning the box regularly and making sure there's enough litter
- Removing the mat for a few days (he just pooped straight on the floor instead)
- Cleaning the mat (hosing down with soap and water)
- Taking him to the vet (vet said he was healthy and wasn't much help at all)
Other notes:
- We have two cats and two litter boxes.
- I keep the litter boxes clean, scooping the waste 1 - 2 times daily. The boxes are rinsed clean outside with soap and water every 1 - 2 weeks to keep odors in check.