Cat pooping outside since ages

Aafia Ijaz

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One of my cats always poops outside the litter box and this has been going on ever since she was a kitten (she is almost 2 years old now). I scoop out the litter DAILY and clean the entire litter properly with detergent every 3 weeks but this won't stop. She only rarely poops inside the litter box but mostly poops outside. When i completely clean the litter box, she does inside but then after a day she starts pooping outside AGAIN. Is there any solution?
PS i have two litter boxes
 

di and bob

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she obviously loves clean litter. I would change the litter in one box, going to clumping clay, in unscented if you are using scented, or to scented if you are using unscented. Change the box too, to maybe a larger flatter tupperware type container, like those put under a bed. Her going in your litter may make it smell different and she avoids it. Some cats DO like one box for pee and the other for poop, she may want three! Try changing whatever you are using right now and see if that helps. You could also put down some puppy pee pads and see if she prefers a flat surface. At least you could just pick up her poop and throw it away. 99% of the time there is something they don't like about the box, the litter, or the location. please keep us posted!
 

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I agree that there may be something about her not wanting to pee and poop in the same litterbox, especially if it has been 'used' already. Placing two boxes close together is another 'test' you can do. Perhaps, if she uses one to pee in and sees another 'unused' box right there, she will go in it to poop.
 
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Aafia Ijaz

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I agree that there may be something about her not wanting to pee and poop in the same litterbox, especially if it has been 'used' already. Placing two boxes close together is another 'test' you can do. Perhaps, if she uses one to pee in and sees another 'unused' box right there, she will go in it to poop.
She pees in both the litter boxes and poops outside both of them
 

FeebysOwner

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She pees in both the litter boxes and poops outside both of them
And they are side by side or very close to one another? She pees in both at the same time, or just comes back later and uses the second litterbox for a second pee. If the latter, has she pooped somewhere else in the meantime?

Then, I would go with another litter box close by but, as mentioned above, use puppy pee pads instead of litter. Or substitute a litter box with a cardboard box lid and line it with puppy pee pads. If she has enclosed boxes, get ones that are not - or, vice versa.

Is she pooping right outside the box, or in other locations? If other locations, are they pretty much the same places all the time? She may be able to smell her scent in those places, which is like an invitation to go there again and again. Enzymatic cleaners need to be used in those areas to help eradicate the smell. And, plastic or rubber bathmats, with the nubs facing upward could be laid in those places to help deter her from wanting to step on them.

You may be looking at 3 or 4 litter boxes near each other, certainly she can't use all of them to pee before she needs to poop.

Setting up cameras to observe what goes on when you are not home to watch might help you figure out her patterns and routines, which should give you some clues about other things to try.

EDIT: It seems to me you have other cats. Are they playing a role in this somehow?
 
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OopsyDaisy

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Some cats like privacy to poop. Could it be the location or type of box? I had a cat once that wouldn't poop unless the box had a cover. I have two cats with four different style litter boxes.
 
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Aafia Ijaz

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And they are side by side or very close to one another? She pees in both at the same time, or just comes back later and uses the second litterbox for a second pee. If the latter, has she pooped somewhere else in the meantime?

Then, I would go with another litter box close by but, as mentioned above, use puppy pee pads instead of litter. Or substitute a litter box with a cardboard box lid and line it with puppy pee pads. If she has enclosed boxes, get ones that are not - or, vice versa.

Is she pooping right outside the box, or in other locations? If other locations, are they pretty much the same places all the time? She may be able to smell her scent in those places, which is like an invitation to go there again and again. Enzymatic cleaners need to be used in those areas to help eradicate the smell. And, plastic or rubber bathmats, with the nubs facing upward could be laid in those places to help deter her from wanting to step on them.

You may be looking at 3 or 4 litter boxes near each other, certainly she can't use all of them to pee before she needs to poop.

Setting up cameras to observe what goes on when you are not home to watch might help you figure out her patterns and routines, which should give you some clues about other things to try.

EDIT: It seems to me you have other cats. Are they playing a role in this somehow?
The boxes don't happen to be close to each other or side by side.
She doesn't poop in any other location, only right outside the boxes. I don't know if they have those pads you're talking about here though. I have attached the type of tray i use.
I have one more cat and i don't think she's responsible for the other cat's behavior
 

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Aafia Ijaz

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Some cats like privacy to poop. Could it be the location or type of box? I had a cat once that wouldn't poop unless the box had a cover. I have two cats with four different style litter boxes.
I can't really say that because she pees inside the box. If there was a privacy problem, she'd be peeing outside too. I have noticed that she poops inside only when i add litter right infront of her and if the litter isn't smelly AT ALL. Even though i use scented clumpy litters
 

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I don't know if they have those pads you're talking about here though.
Do an internet search on 'puppy pee pads' and see what comes up. Also, there are washable bed pads used for incontinent human beings that might be available to you. Both are sold on Amazon.com, but a lot of stores carry them as well.
 

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I can't really say that because she pees inside the box. If there was a privacy problem, she'd be peeing outside too. I have noticed that she poops inside only when i add litter right infront of her and if the litter isn't smelly AT ALL. Even though i use scented clumpy litters
Is she one of those cats that likes to watch you clean the litter box? If she's been doing it since she was a kitten it might just be a learned behaviour. Almost as though she's learned to associate you adding the clean, fresh litter with going poop. One of mine is a "watcher" and loves to poop as soon as I put in the fresh litter. It reminds me of when you wash your car and it rains. :lol:

I think the pee pads are a good idea, but it would be nice to get to the root of it the problem and have her poop in the box. I bet it's something really simple. I have a couple of boxes like yours and also have one with a cover, and a top-entry box.

I wonder if it's possible that the litter is too clean. What if you didn't scoop it for a day so that she could really smell her scent in it. I'm grasping at straws here. Or if you take her poop off the floor and put it in the box for a few hours before you scoop it... anything is worth a try, you've got nothing to lose. You could do it while she's watching and maybe praise her and give her a treat. Change the association.
 
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Aafia Ijaz

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Is she one of those cats that likes to watch you clean the litter box? If she's been doing it since she was a kitten it might just be a learned behaviour. Almost as though she's learned to associate you adding the clean, fresh litter with going poop. One of mine is a "watcher" and loves to poop as soon as I put in the fresh litter. It reminds me of when you wash your car and it rains. :lol:

I think the pee pads are a good idea, but it would be nice to get to the root of it the problem and have her poop in the box. I bet it's something really simple. I have a couple of boxes like yours and also have one with a cover, and a top-entry box.

I wonder if it's possible that the litter is too clean. What if you didn't scoop it for a day so that she could really smell her scent in it. I'm grasping at straws here. Or if you take her poop off the floor and put it in the box for a few hours before you scoop it... anything is worth a try, you've got nothing to lose. You could do it while she's watching and maybe praise her and give her a treat. Change the association.
I always pick up her poop from the floor and put it in the box while she's watching but she doesn't learn that association. She basically has kidney disease ss and because of that the box gets dirty in no time and then I have another cat.
Could it be possible that she may be poops outside because the boxes are never filled up to 2 or 3 cm? Do some cats prefer digging deep while pooping?
 

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How many boxes do you have? Keep them clean and filled up. Absolutely, some cats dig right down to the bottom of the box. Both of mine do that. I have 2 cats and 4 boxes. There's always a clean one available but for the most part they only use two of them. Kidney disease is tough, I had two cats pass from it. They will soak the box very quickly with urine and it is a nightmare to keep clean.
 
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