healthy cat pooping outside the litter box

[theorangecat]

tl;dl: My cat has been pooping outside of the litter box after a short bout of constipation. His health is fine, as are his current bowel movements. I've tried adding more boxes, new box locations, and cat attract litter all to no avail. How can I redirect his behavior so that he begins to use the litter box consistently again?

My cat has never failed to use his litter box until he had to wear a cone for three weeks after making a hotspot on his leg where they shaved for an IV when he got his teeth cleaned. During that time he wouldn't use the litter box unless the cone was off. Every couple of hours we'd let him go cone-free while under strict supervision, but even so his bathroom habits got off schedule and he became constipated. Ever since then, he poops outside of the litter box every four out of five times. This has been going on for months  now and I'm at my wit's end.

I've tried adding another litter box, getting a larger litter box, changing the location of the litter box, mixing cat attract litter into his usual litter, using only cat attract litter, and putting his poop into the litter box after he goes outside of it. I honestly have no idea what else to try. He usually goes within a three foot radius of the litter box, but he's also gone on his cardboard scratchers before and a few times in another room entirely.

The vet has checked him out, declared him to be fine, and written off the problem as behavioral with the only suggestions for me being things I've already tried. I've been religious about making sure that he's not straining when he goes and that the consistency of the poop is like it was before. 

So what am I missing? This can't just be the new norm. Suggestions, please?

 

[oldgloryrags88]

So sorry about your boy! I have 2 cats that I adopted which are deem 'unadoptable' - they peed on things. I know a lot on this problem. Feel free to PM me.


Is his litter scented? Is he declawed? Did you change his litter prier to having his teeth cleaned? Is there a litter mat or similar article under or by the litter box? Where is the litter box located? How many cats? Boxes?


Is he going in front of the litter box? Clean the area really well (you can use hydrogen peroxide if it is not carpet or certain wood floors; make sure no animals eat it! Then start feeding him where he is inappropriately pooping (I know gross, but this stops most cats as cats are naturally very clean animals and do not want to eliminate where they eat). The next time he poops inappropriately, pick up his poop and put it in the litter box (this may give him the idea to go in the litter box sense it smells like him, but this maybe harder with multiple cats using it if you have more than one cat). Or try confining him to a room or large dog crate with the litter box.

 

[theorangecat]

So sorry about your boy! I have 2 cats that I adopted which are deem 'unadoptable' - they peed on things. I know a lot on this problem. Feel free to PM me.


Is his litter scented? Is he declawed? Did you change his litter prier to having his teeth cleaned? Is there a litter mat or similar article under or by the litter box? Where is the litter box located? How many cats? Boxes?


Is he going in front of the litter box? Clean the area really well (you can use hydrogen peroxide if it is not carpet or certain wood floors; make sure no animals eat it! Then start feeding him where he is inappropriately pooping (I know gross, but this stops most cats as cats are naturally very clean animals and do not want to eliminate where they eat). The next time he poops inappropriately, pick up his poop and put it in the litter box (this may give him the idea to go in the litter box sense it smells like him, but this maybe harder with multiple cats using it if you have more than one cat). Or try confining him to a room or large dog crate with the litter box.

Thank you for the quick response!

He's not declawed and he's an only cat. He's had the same unscented litter for four years and I didn't change it before he got his teeth cleaned. The only thing under the litter mat is an old towel, which has been the norm for the past two years. The one litter box is located in a corner of the bedroom--there used to be two, but after getting an extra one did not solve the problem I got rid of it because it took up too much room.

Yes, he's been going near the litter box. I clean the area really well with Nature's Miracle each time. Each time he goes I put the poop into the litter box and let him cover it, then clean it out. Doing this hasn't seemed to make a difference. I'm concerned that feeding him next to his litter box would be unpleasant for him while eating and simply cause him to start pooping in another part of the house instead of in--or even around--his litter box. As awful as this new habit of his is, it would be even worse if I constantly had to scour the house for new surprises.

 

[oldgloryrags88]

Thank you for the quick response!

He's not declawed and he's an only cat. He's had the same unscented litter for four years and I didn't change it before he got his teeth cleaned. The only thing under the litter mat is an old towel, which has been the norm for the past two years. The one litter box is located in a corner of the bedroom--there used to be two, but after getting an extra one did not solve the problem I got rid of it because it took up too much room.

Yes, he's been going near the litter box. I clean the area really well with Nature's Miracle each time. Each time he goes I put the poop into the litter box and let him cover it, then clean it out. Doing this hasn't seemed to make a difference. I'm concerned that feeding him next to his litter box would be unpleasant for him while eating and simply cause him to start pooping in another part of the house instead of in--or even around--his litter box. As awful as this new habit of his is, it would be even worse if I constantly had to scour the house for new surprises.

Hmm...does he go pee in the box? How often is the box cleaned? Does this happen every day or just every so often? Have you seen another vet and told them about this? If yes, what did they say?


You could try putting puppy training pads where he is pooping and gradually put it closer and closer to the litter box. That's what I did to rehabilitate one of my cats that refused to use a litter box.

 

[r-kins]

Have you tried a litter box without a lid? (not sure if yours even have lids.) My parents' cat got scared in the litter box and would poop right outside it until I convinced them to remove the lid. Then he started going in the litter again.

 

[theorangecat]

Hmm...does he go pee in the box? How often is the box cleaned? Does this happen every day or just every so often? Have you seen another vet and told them about this? If yes, what did they say?


You could try putting puppy training pads where he is pooping and gradually put it closer and closer to the litter box. That's what I did to rehabilitate one of my cats that refused to use a litter box.

He always pees in the box. The box is cleaned 2-3 times per day. It happens almost every day, though there was a week or two that it only happened once a week. I tried to keep track of any sort of patterns that might influence his behavior, but didn't come up with anything. I've spoken to another vet as well, who said it sounded behavioral and couldn't give me any other advice.

Have you tried a litter box without a lid? (not sure if yours even have lids.) My parents' cat got scared in the litter box and would poop right outside it until I convinced them to remove the lid. Then he started going in the litter again.

His box has always been without a lid, unfortunately. I wish it had one so I could try removing it.

 

[happybird]

I wonder if he's associating pooping in the litterbox with pain/discomfort? Constipation can hurt a lot and is definitely not a positive experience.

We just had something similar happen with peeing and a urinary tract infection. Annabelle kept peeing out of the box even after her meds were working and the pain was gone. She is now using the box again after a couple days of 'retraining.' I watched her like a hawk, and as soon as she started to squat (or even looked like she was thinking about peeing), I'd pick her up and gently place her in the box. She got soft pets and soft praise while she was in there, then treats and more praise when she was done. I even did the whole scratching her front feet in the litter for her, like you do with a new kitten. It worked and she's reliably using the box again (thank god). I think she had to successfully pee in the box without any pain a few times in order to realize the location wasn't making her hurt. Maybe that might work with your kitty, too? Figuring out when he has to go might be very tricky though. My cats are more stealthy and secretive about pooping for some reason.

 

[molly92]

It is very common for cats to stop pooping in their litter box after constipation, because they think going in the box will cause the pain of straining to happen again. Usually after the problems resolved and then they've been given other options, they get better about it.

My cat still only poops in the one litter box I got after her constipation was over. The litter boxes I tried while she was still having problems, though, were tried once and then avoided, so timing is critical.

My next step would be to set up a litter and litter box that is very noticeably different from whatever you have now. Put it where ever he poops the most, even if that's right next to the current box. If you can, get a box of a different size, shape, color, material, etc. And use a litter made of a completely different material and texture. You can get a disposable litter box even, and see how that works. Cats really do prefer to leave their waste somewhere they can easily cover it up, but his fear of his current box is over riding that instinct. The hope is that he'll see the new litter box as something so different that it doesn't remind him of his previous trauma, but still a good option for doing his business. Once he tries it and he feels safe and comfortable during, he should return to that rather than the floor next time.

In the meantime, spreading out sheets of newspaper or puppy pads in the most likely spots makes clean up a lot easier!

Another observation about my constipation kitty is that the litter box she likes to poop in is the only one hidden under a table. Most cats do better with an open litter box, but every now and then they prefer a covered one, so maybe that is worth a try! It would definitely look different.

 

[basschick]

HK stopped pooping his his litter box after constipation, as well. my solution, which works at least 80% of the time, was to put a large plastic tray from an extra large dog kennel under the litter box so there's enough space for HK on it, then i cover it with litter. he almost always poops on the tray, and often pees there, rather than in the litter box.

 

[theorangecat]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I just bought an entirely different litter box and litter to set up in addition to his current one. Perhaps he'll use one box to pee in and another to poop. If not, I feel like I have more things to try now. Thank you for the help! 

 

[theorangecat]

Hey everyone!

It's been a while, but I thought I'd post to give an update just in case anyone else is going through this problem. An extra litter box did not solve the problem; he wouldn't even use it! However, after months of giving him more and more pumpkin and other such constipation remedies to no avail, I added fish oil to his diet. He gets about 25-50mL a week, less than what is recommended on the bottle. He immediately started using his litter box to poop again and hasn't had any accidents since, and it's been almost six months now. As an added bonus, the few little dry flakes he had on his ears have completely gone away. I'm glad that he's finally feeling comfortable again. I just wish I had tried it sooner. Anyway, hopefully others might benefit from my experience. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to comment and help!

 

[basschick]

thanks for the update, and i'm so happy to hear it's good news

 

[Twofakind]

Hi there! I am having the same exact issue with a female tortie. I have started putting her up at night, however she had an accident after 6 good days today. Do you recommend a brand or supplier for the fish oil? I have seen some sketchy reviews on pet sites for certain ones so I would love to know what has helped you so happy you found something that worked!