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- Aug 21, 2019
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I adopted my cat a year ago and at the time I was told that he had been surrendered because of bathroom issues - specifically pooping outside of the litter box. But he was just so loveable and cuddly that I couldn't say no, so I brought him home. For the first couple of days at home he used the litter box without a hitch, and then it started happening. He started pooping on the litter catcher mats outside the box at first. Those were hard to clean, so I removed them, and then he started pooping on the floor near the litter box. I tried everything to correct the problem. I bought several litter boxes of varying sizes, I bought different litter, I cleaned out the box every time peed. In my old place he had his own room so even though he pooped on the floor it was manageable. I lived alone and it wasn't bothering anyone else.
Fast forward to today. We just finished a long move across the country. He's had a few stress-related issues (to be expected) since then but we are working through them. I have two litter boxes set up for him, one with unscented clay litter and one with recycled paper. He won't poop in either of them, and he seems to be going farther and farther away from the litter box (this apartment is much bigger than our old one and he doesn't have his own room anymore). Not only that, but I will have a roommate moving in in a few days and I'm really worried that his litter issues are going to be a point of contention.
I've thought about keeping him in my room during the daytime to prevent accidents in the main areas of the house but I'm worried he might develop the habit of pooping on furniture. Should I try crate training him? Part of the issue is that I never see him going to the bathroom so it's hard to correct him when he does the wrong thing and hard to reward him when he does the right thing. I'm at my wits end. Any advice?
Fast forward to today. We just finished a long move across the country. He's had a few stress-related issues (to be expected) since then but we are working through them. I have two litter boxes set up for him, one with unscented clay litter and one with recycled paper. He won't poop in either of them, and he seems to be going farther and farther away from the litter box (this apartment is much bigger than our old one and he doesn't have his own room anymore). Not only that, but I will have a roommate moving in in a few days and I'm really worried that his litter issues are going to be a point of contention.
I've thought about keeping him in my room during the daytime to prevent accidents in the main areas of the house but I'm worried he might develop the habit of pooping on furniture. Should I try crate training him? Part of the issue is that I never see him going to the bathroom so it's hard to correct him when he does the wrong thing and hard to reward him when he does the right thing. I'm at my wits end. Any advice?
