- Joined
- Nov 18, 2019
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I'm hoping to garner some new ideas on how to fix this problem I have with my cat. I've had her for 2 years. She's about 4 years old, and does not have any known health problems. She has been to the vet for general checkups and vaccines and has been spayed and neutered since getting her. She is not declawed. She is fairly small. She weighed 10lbs last vet visit. I do have dogs, but her litter area is inside the guest bedroom closet. Access to the guest bedroom is blocked with a baby gate, so the dogs can't bug her while she goes. I deep clean her box about once a month.
Since the day I got her, she has been very picky about her litter box. And if it is not in what she deems as perfect condition, she poops right in front of it. If there is so much as one poop inside the litterbox she'll poop next to the box. Pee does not seem to matter as much. Sometimes though she just does it seemingly because she wants to. (clean litterbox, for example) My husband is fed up with this and wants to get rid of the cat. I want to exhaust all my options first before writing her off as a shitting cat that cant be fixed.
Things I've tried:
-Spaying (eliminated inappropriate urinating. But not the poop problem.)
-Covered box. Her first box was pretty small. We tried a "large" covered box next.
-Move box away from prying eyes. We moved it to the guest bedroom closet.
-Uncovered box. With the additional privacy, I thought maybe the covered box was too claustrophobic for her.
-Expensive ass electronic litter box. I admittedly struggle with daily cleanings. Even with that though, she seems to require her poop to be removed from the litter box promptly. So once daily isn't good enough anyways. This worked for a few months. But, if the litter receptacle falls open, or becomes stuck open in some way, she poops next to her box. So while it improved the situation, it's not fool proof.
-Pheromone collar. While she does not seem stressed, we use it if we go out of town for the weekend. She does well with this, and It reduces destructive behavior. But not the poop problem. It's worth noting we don't leave town for a weekend all the time. And the pooping happens regardless if we've left town recently or not. I left it on her though in hopes it would help this too.
-Two litter boxes- I do not have a secondary location in the house where the dogs won't screw with the box, or watch her while she goes. But I tried putting it in the closet next to her electric one. She seems to prefer this box. But it's smaller, and she slings litter out in front of it. This worked for a couple of weeks. Even with me messing with her litter. (see below). But now, if there's 1 poop in the little box, she won't use the electric box. She poops in front of the other box.
-Different litter- trying out some of the silica litter to see if it helps reduce smells. She hated the fresh step brand. And let me know by promptly pooping next to her box. I'm trying to slowly swap her over to the micro crystal non-clumping cat litter now. I have it at about a 40/60 mix atm. (40% clay litter, 60% micro crystal litter). She seems to tolerate it about as well as regular cat litter so far. In that the pooping occurrences are about the same as they've always been.
-Cat litter attractant- Tried Dr Elsey's Cat Attract Litter Box Additive. She investigated the litter box with the cat attract. (I tried putting it in the electronic one first.) She investigated it, gave a "snort" and walked away. I don't think it's really doing anything. I have also tried putting into the secondary litter box too. No luck.
-Not cleaning the secondary box to encourage her to go back to the electric box.
-Re-Commitment to daily cleanings- The silica litter requires daily stirring anyways. So if there is a poo in the other box I'll scoop it out.
-Cleaning as soon as I see a poo. - Reduces problem but not fool proof. I have come in to see a poo on the floor, and both boxes are clean. (same with the electric box, even if receptacle isn't stuck open).
-Nature's Miracle- Clean area with Nature's Miracle. Works for about two weeks. Until she decides to poop there again. Then outside the box poopings increase until I clean the area with Nature's Miracle. Then the cycle starts all over again. I have also deep cleaned the whole closet and room with Nature's Miracle during her deep cleanings of her box.
-Trying to catch her in the act. Reprimand if she poops in the wrong place, and place her and her poo in the litter box. Quietly placing her poo in the box if I don't catch her in the act. If I catch her pooping in the right place, offering praise and pets.
Sorry for the book guys. But do you have any other ideas I might try? I really don't want to give up on her. It's the only behavioral problem she really has. I'm pretty damn fed up with it myself. I don't want to get rid of her, but I also don't want to deal with this for the next 18 years (or however long she lives) either. My husband has much less patience for it then I do, and already wants her gone. I want to exhaust all other options first. Maybe I'll find something that will stick.
Since the day I got her, she has been very picky about her litter box. And if it is not in what she deems as perfect condition, she poops right in front of it. If there is so much as one poop inside the litterbox she'll poop next to the box. Pee does not seem to matter as much. Sometimes though she just does it seemingly because she wants to. (clean litterbox, for example) My husband is fed up with this and wants to get rid of the cat. I want to exhaust all my options first before writing her off as a shitting cat that cant be fixed.
Things I've tried:
-Spaying (eliminated inappropriate urinating. But not the poop problem.)
-Covered box. Her first box was pretty small. We tried a "large" covered box next.
-Move box away from prying eyes. We moved it to the guest bedroom closet.
-Uncovered box. With the additional privacy, I thought maybe the covered box was too claustrophobic for her.
-Expensive ass electronic litter box. I admittedly struggle with daily cleanings. Even with that though, she seems to require her poop to be removed from the litter box promptly. So once daily isn't good enough anyways. This worked for a few months. But, if the litter receptacle falls open, or becomes stuck open in some way, she poops next to her box. So while it improved the situation, it's not fool proof.
-Pheromone collar. While she does not seem stressed, we use it if we go out of town for the weekend. She does well with this, and It reduces destructive behavior. But not the poop problem. It's worth noting we don't leave town for a weekend all the time. And the pooping happens regardless if we've left town recently or not. I left it on her though in hopes it would help this too.
-Two litter boxes- I do not have a secondary location in the house where the dogs won't screw with the box, or watch her while she goes. But I tried putting it in the closet next to her electric one. She seems to prefer this box. But it's smaller, and she slings litter out in front of it. This worked for a couple of weeks. Even with me messing with her litter. (see below). But now, if there's 1 poop in the little box, she won't use the electric box. She poops in front of the other box.
-Different litter- trying out some of the silica litter to see if it helps reduce smells. She hated the fresh step brand. And let me know by promptly pooping next to her box. I'm trying to slowly swap her over to the micro crystal non-clumping cat litter now. I have it at about a 40/60 mix atm. (40% clay litter, 60% micro crystal litter). She seems to tolerate it about as well as regular cat litter so far. In that the pooping occurrences are about the same as they've always been.
-Cat litter attractant- Tried Dr Elsey's Cat Attract Litter Box Additive. She investigated the litter box with the cat attract. (I tried putting it in the electronic one first.) She investigated it, gave a "snort" and walked away. I don't think it's really doing anything. I have also tried putting into the secondary litter box too. No luck.
-Not cleaning the secondary box to encourage her to go back to the electric box.
-Re-Commitment to daily cleanings- The silica litter requires daily stirring anyways. So if there is a poo in the other box I'll scoop it out.
-Cleaning as soon as I see a poo. - Reduces problem but not fool proof. I have come in to see a poo on the floor, and both boxes are clean. (same with the electric box, even if receptacle isn't stuck open).
-Nature's Miracle- Clean area with Nature's Miracle. Works for about two weeks. Until she decides to poop there again. Then outside the box poopings increase until I clean the area with Nature's Miracle. Then the cycle starts all over again. I have also deep cleaned the whole closet and room with Nature's Miracle during her deep cleanings of her box.
-Trying to catch her in the act. Reprimand if she poops in the wrong place, and place her and her poo in the litter box. Quietly placing her poo in the box if I don't catch her in the act. If I catch her pooping in the right place, offering praise and pets.
Sorry for the book guys. But do you have any other ideas I might try? I really don't want to give up on her. It's the only behavioral problem she really has. I'm pretty damn fed up with it myself. I don't want to get rid of her, but I also don't want to deal with this for the next 18 years (or however long she lives) either. My husband has much less patience for it then I do, and already wants her gone. I want to exhaust all other options first. Maybe I'll find something that will stick.