Can't stop cat pooping in my room!!

[spookylark]

Hi,

We have a 4 month old kitten who won't stop pooping in our room, in a specific corner.  At first I thought it was to do with the litter tray, so we go her a new one. She will poop in it fine, but only if it is in her corner. If we try and move it somewhere else, even slightly, she just chooses to go on the floor in her corner instead



We even swapped rooms with our baby daughter and the cat has just chosen a new corner to go to, in the new room. For a while, when we first got her, she would poop in her litter tray on the landing (where we wanted her to go), but would also poop in the corner of our old room. Because of this, and because she was just a little kitten, we decided to put the litter tray where she would poop so we at least didn't have to keep scrubbing our carpeted floor. Now she is getting bigger, we've tried huge litter trays and fancy cat litter, but the problem doesn't seem to be her lack of willingness to go in her tray, but rather that she only wants to go in our bedroom!

Can anyone tell me how to stop this behaviour? I've done a lot of Googling but it only really brings up articles telling you how to go in the litter tray or reasons they would be put off it, rather than the cat picking a spot and refusing to go anywhere else. I've tried scrubbing it every time to remove the scent but it's just not working, and we can't put up with her poopng in our room anymore! Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[talkingpeanut]

Hi,

We have a 4 month old kitten who won't stop pooping in our room, in a specific corner.  At first I thought it was to do with the litter tray, so we go her a new one. She will poop in it fine, but only if it is in her corner. If we try and move it somewhere else, even slightly, she just chooses to go on the floor in her corner instead


We even swapped rooms with our baby daughter and the cat has just chosen a new corner to go to, in the new room. For a while, when we first got her, she would poop in her litter tray on the landing (where we wanted her to go), but would also poop in the corner of our old room. Because of this, and because she was just a little kitten, we decided to put the litter tray where she would poop so we at least didn't have to keep scrubbing our carpeted floor. Now she is getting bigger, we've tried huge litter trays and fancy cat litter, but the problem doesn't seem to be her lack of willingness to go in her tray, but rather that she only wants to go in our bedroom!

Can anyone tell me how to stop this behaviour? I've done a lot of Googling but it only really brings up articles telling you how to go in the litter tray or reasons they would be put off it, rather than the cat picking a spot and refusing to go anywhere else. I've tried scrubbing it every time to remove the scent but it's just not working, and we can't put up with her poopng in our room anymore! Any advice would be greatly appreciated

You need to leave the litter box where she wants to go for now. You can eventually move it slowly. She should have multiple litter boxes throughout the house at this age too.

Make sure you clean the area with an enzyme cleaner. Otherwise she can still smell it.

Is she vaccinated and spayed yet?

 

[spookylark]

I'm not comfortable with having her spayed until she is 5 -6 months, she came from a bad home and was very underweight, I want her to grow more first. We have tried moving it slowly, gradually, even a couple of feet away from the corner of the room and she ignores it. I will definitely try the enzyme cleaner though. 

I get people saying just move it slowly, but it's not working. She happily switched from a corner in the old bedroom to one in the new room, so that's really the problem I'm trying to address here. Is it just the smell that's causing the habit?

 

[talkingpeanut]

I'm not comfortable with having her spayed until she is 5 -6 months, she came from a bad home and was very underweight, I want her to grow more first. We have tried moving it slowly, gradually, even a couple of feet away from the corner of the room and she ignores it. I will definitely try the enzyme cleaner though. 

I get people saying just move it slowly, but it's not working. She happily switched from a corner in the old bedroom to one in the new room, so that's really the problem I'm trying to address here. Is it just the smell that's causing the habit?

It could be the smell. It could also be something that she doesn't like about the box or the litter. Have you tried cat attract litter?

Waiting is until 5-6 months is fine as long as she is kept totally inside until she is spayed. Cats can be escape artists!

 

[spookylark]

Thanks I was thinking of trying to get her a litter she liked more! I was terrified of getting her clumping clay litter, which is the only fine granule one I can find locally, but do you think she is old enough now? She definitely prefers her new tray to the point she will play in it...!

And you're right, luckily we live in a converted house with only one room downstairs so unless she starts hanging round by the front door, she's been okay at staying inside so far Do you think it will be easier to shift her poop spot once she is allowed outside? Thanks for your help btw!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Thanks I was thinking of trying to get her a litter she liked more! I was terrified of getting her clumping clay litter, which is the only fine granule one I can find locally, but do you think she is old enough now? She definitely prefers her new tray to the point she will play in it...!

And you're right, luckily we live in a converted house with only one room downstairs so unless she starts hanging round by the front door, she's been okay at staying inside so far Do you think it will be easier to shift her poop spot once she is allowed outside? Thanks for your help btw!

Letting her outside will not necessarily help and could make things worse. Why do you want to let her out?

She should be past eating her litter now!