Kitchen Pooping- A Problem

[duckdodgers]

For the most part my 17 year old cat has had good litter box habits, but recently she has decided that the middle of our kitchen is a lovely place to defecate, as well as in the extra bedroom upstairs.  I have two cats (her, Alafair and my yearling, Stella), and a relatively recent addition of a small dog.  This issue started not long before we got the dog, but seemed to stop right before she got here.  Within the past week or so it started again- I'll be gone for a good portion of the day and come home to find one or two piles of poop sitting on the floor.  I've started confining her to the bathroom where the downstairs litter box is located and things will be ok, but sometimes when I'm home and not paying attention she'll poop on the floor.  Keeping her locked up for the rest of her life isn't the ideal situation- especially if she'll do it even when I'm at home- so I"m looking for other solutions and explanations.

She just went to the vet a few days before the issue started and, with the exception of her not new high kidney levels, she got a clean bill of health.  I really don't think the dog is the issue- when I got the kitten she was very upset by her presence but continued to use her litter box perfectly.  When we got the dog Stella was very displeased, but Alafair has been raised with dogs coming in and out of the house and hasn't paid her any attention at all.  There are two litter boxes, but Alafair only uses one of them.  The other one is upstairs, and since I have closed off the extra bedroom she hardly ventures up there.  The boxes are scooped twice each day, and she isn't fed next to her box.  Otherwise nothing has changed about her behavior, and when I lock her in the bathroom with her litter box she uses it.  I have thoroughly cleaned the spots each time with Nature's Miracle.  What other reasons could there be for why she is avoiding it?

Now, what should I do about it?  Putting a litter box in the kitchen is not an option, and there isn't really a way to block the kitchen away from the rest of the house.  I don't want to have to keep putting her away, as it seems unfair for her to have to live in a tiny bathroom for the rest of her life.  Putting another box in that bathroom is pretty much the only option that I see as far as adding one, but even that would be pushing it in the tiny room. 

Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks!

 

[catman8]

Only thing I can say is to try rule out the other pets. But seeming how you said you done that. I really don't know what to say other then a small bit of advice about the small dog. That is that small dogs are known for this problem of going in the household. I know this by having grown up with dogs my life. Also my mother has a small Hypoalletgenic dog that dose the same thing. With you having said your not witnessing it are you sure its not the small dog?
Thats the only abit of advice I can offer. Sorry I could not be of greater help in this matter.

 

[duckdodgers]

Only thing I can say is to try rule out the other pets. But seeming how you said you done that. I really don't know what to say other then a small bit of advice about the small dog. That is that small dogs are known for this problem of going in the household. I know this by having grown up with dogs my life. Also my mother has a small Hypoalletgenic dog that dose the same thing. With you having said your not witnessing it are you sure its not the small dog?
Thats the only abit of advice I can offer. Sorry I could not be of greater help in this matter.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that everyone else has been ruled out.  I had my suspicious that it was Alafair when it started, but put Stella away for the day to see if there was a kitchen poop when I got home.  There was.  The dog is in a kenneled when we are away, so it's not her.  Plus dog poop is way different from cat poop   I understand the issue with small dogs though... there have been a couple of small dogs in our family that have been next to impossible to house train!!

 

[duckdodgers]

Anyone? 

 

[petcrazy76]

Besides the dog, has anything else changed around the time this started? New litter, food, remodeling. It really sounds like she's protesting something. The hard part is figuring out what that is. If there haven't been changes then maybe her litter box preferences changed. If the box is covered, uncover it. If she's about as long as the box try a bigger one.

That's all I have to start with. Let me know about the changes and maybe I can help more. Also, how long have you had the dog? Even if it's not your dog maybe she dislikes changes you made getting ready for a new pet and changes you maybe made after.

 

[katluver4life]

I agree that something has changed. Either with her or the environment. She's 17. Perhaps a lower sided box. Softer litter. Unscented litter. Larger box. Is the litter deep enough. Box placement, where they are located, she may not like anymore. Add a 3rd box. I know finding places to put them is not always easy, but one near where she is now going may help. Try sprinkling some cat attract litter over her normal litter.

Make the kitchen floor unappealing. Get one of those plastic carpet protectors, the kind with nubs on the bottom. Place that upside down on the kitchen floor.

That's all I can think of right now. Hope some of this helps. Keep us posted.

 

[duckdodgers]

Besides the dog, has anything else changed around the time this started? New litter, food, remodeling. It really sounds like she's protesting something. The hard part is figuring out what that is. If there haven't been changes then maybe her litter box preferences changed. If the box is covered, uncover it. If she's about as long as the box try a bigger one.

That's all I have to start with. Let me know about the changes and maybe I can help more. Also, how long have you had the dog? Even if it's not your dog maybe she dislikes changes you made getting ready for a new pet and changes you maybe made after.

I am at a loss to think of anything else that has changed recently.  She has been through two moves within the past year (the last was in May, so I doubt that was the issue), and the addition of a kitten that she was very upset about.  None of these events caused any hitches in her litter habits. 

This is the litter box that I have had that she used to use with no problem:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite...6a7ee97e599a&bucket_id=000&findingMethod=p13n

I will try taking the frame off of the outside of it, but the front part where she would enter is quite low.  She's always been a teeny little cat, so she's not as long as the box.  We've had the dog for about 6 weeks or so I would guess.

 
I agree that something has changed. Either with her or the environment. She's 17. Perhaps a lower sided box. Softer litter. Unscented litter. Larger box. Is the litter deep enough. Box placement, where they are located, she may not like anymore. Add a 3rd box. I know finding places to put them is not always easy, but one near where she is now going may help. Try sprinkling some cat attract litter over her normal litter.

Make the kitchen floor unappealing. Get one of those plastic carpet protectors, the kind with nubs on the bottom. Place that upside down on the kitchen floor.

That's all I can think of right now. Hope some of this helps. Keep us posted.

Like I said, I will try taking the frame off of the current box, and I'll add another one.  The box is in a half bathroom with limited space, but I could try putting one on the other side of the toilet opposite from where the current box is.  There are plenty of places upstairs where I could theoretically put a box, but since I closed off the extra bedroom she doesn't have much interest in venturing up there.  That basically leaves the middle of the living room floor, on top of the dryer, or in the kitchen.  I could put it on top of the dryer, but at her age I doubt she'd be so inclined to jump up to use it since she's neglecting the one she has on the ground now.  I would put one where she's going now, but putting a litter box in the middle of our tiny kitchen is not a viable option.  I'd give it a few hours before the boyfriend noticed it there and completely lost it...  I didn't even think about using cat attract litter.  I'll pick up some of that and put it on the old and new box to see what she does.

I'll also try to get one of those nubby carpet things for the floor.  I'm just worried that if I deter her from the kitchen that she'll find a better- more carpeted- place to do her business.  Hopefully that in combination with the other suggestions will help to fix the problem though!!

 

[tulosai]

All the changes may have just caught up with her and she may be protesting.

I'd rethink your stance on a box in the kitchen for now.  I understand you might not want it there permanently but if she uses it at least she isn't pooping on the floor (and it isn't like that's any more sanitary than her just using a box in there).  Then, if it works, you can slooooowly move the box to a more convenient place for you and your family.

 

[duckdodgers]

 
All the changes may have just caught up with her and she may be protesting.

I'd rethink your stance on a box in the kitchen for now.  I understand you might not want it there permanently but if she uses it at least she isn't pooping on the floor (and it isn't like that's any more sanitary than her just using a box in there).  Then, if it works, you can slooooowly move the box to a more convenient place for you and your family.

It's not really MY stance, but the boyfriend's.  He's already not happy with the box being in the bathroom because of the litter tracked around, but if the other changes don't work then it may have to come to that for a little while.  I'm about to go buy a new box and some cat attract litter, so we'll take it from there.  Haven't had any problems over the past couple of days because she's been mostly confined since I've been busy with school and work.  I feel bad doing it, but she'll even poop on the floor if I'm home and not watching her.  I don't want her to have that option when I am away.