Cat will not stop pooping on the floor!

sparkie

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So we have three cats, all males, and all raised together so they get along great. But one of them has, for the last three or four weeks, been pooping on the floor. There's nothing abnormal about the poop and he eats well so I don't think he's having digestive issues. Each cat has his own litterbox and they're cleaned twice a day. We're not sure what to do... any advice?
 

FeebysOwner

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Does he always poop outside the box, or just some of the time? When you say each cat has his own litterbox, do they also use each other's litter boxes? Is the cat that is pooping on the floor, pooping near all of the litter boxes or just one in particular? Is it always in the same location? Does he always cover his pee when using the litter box, and did he cover his poop before he started going outside it.

The only things that come immediately to my mind is that this cat had an one-time accident, and if he can still smell the poop scent on the floor, it is like an invitation to go in that same place again and again. So, thoroughly cleaning that area with enzymatic cleaners (more than one if the first one doesn't work) to try to eliminate the scent. If this is happening on a rug, you might want to toss it out and buy another one, preferably a washable one.

Some cats, out of the blue, will change litter box preferences and prefer to have one box for pee and one for poop. Side by side litter boxes could help in that case. You might also consider testing another type of litter to see if that makes any difference. And, setting up a litter box, or even a cardboard box lid as a test, with puppy pee pads inside instead of litter to see how he reacts to that.

Even if not very old, he may be experiencing some pain from arthritis causing him to avoid the box. This can happen because the position many cats take when peeping and when pooping are different, and the position he uses for pooping is causing some irritation in his joints. As I am sure you are aware, most cats associate irritation/pain with the box and not their bodies.

I didn't mention potential health issues as I would expect you've already considered that aspect. Hopefully, other members will come along soon with some other ideas.
 

daftcat75

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Something changed. I would start with a vet visit and rule out a health reason. Sometimes cats pee or poop outside the box because something is causing them pain (crystals, constipation, arthritis,…). They associate that pain with the box. Sometimes they do it as a cry for help. My Krista started peeing outside the box after 12 years of never doing this. Turned out she was having major tooth pain (tooth resorption.) When those teeth were extracted and she was no longer in pain, she stopped peeing the walls. Don’t ask me how she made the association but it took me weeks (maybe stubborn months) trying to figure out the behavior reasons behind it and trying to solve it without a vet visit. Save yourself some time and trouble and start with a vet visit.

Btw, if you’re not certain which cat is pooping outside the box, you can put different colors (one color per cat) of shaved crayon in their food and see which color comes out onto the floor. The crayons are nontoxic and they won’t be digested.
 
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sparkie

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He only poops outside the box and the area is cleaned and disinfected with lysol afterwards.
 

fionasmom

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I assumed, when I saw your post, that you were concerned that there might be a health problem which is why it is in this forum.

How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles

There are a number of articles under the Cat Articles section about litterboxes. Some may apply to you, but I did not want to include them all here as some might not. Having said that, I would definitely go to the vet to make sure that something is not physically wrong. Cat pain or discomfort can often translate to cat behavior. Once you know that it is not a physical issue, you can resume retraining or adjusting litterbox use and try to solve the problem from that angle.
 
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