My cat Louis is choosing the carpet instead of the litterbox

[MikeAW2010]

She consistently goes to the same areas on the carpet even after cleaning and deep cleaning. I have made sure the litterbox stays clean, I have tried changing her diet and also even added pumpkin puree incase it was an upset stomach but she is refusing to go anywhere else but the carpet. I absolutely must stop this behavior, what can I do to stop her?

 

[rubysmama]

I wish I had the answer to solve your cat's litter box issue, but I'm dealing with the same thing right now with my Ruby. All I can say, is you're probably on the right track with thinking it's a digestive issue that's causing her to want to avoid the litter box.

How old is she? How long has this been going on? And have you mentioned it to you vet?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I take it you mean poop - not pee, or both? I say that because you mention stomach upset. Are her stools softer than they should be? At any rate, have you tried placing puppy pee pads over the location(s)? If she would use those, then you can trying placing them in a sizeable cardboard box lid, and from there either use a litter box with pee pads or the box lid with pee pads and add a tiny bit of litter, and continue to 'graduate' her back into a litter box, if each step in between is successful.

Could this have anything to do with the relationship between Louis and Baxter? Last I heard Baxter was more or less kind of bullying Louis. Has this been resolved? If not, it could play a role in Louis' current behavior.

Some of the members on this site suggest probiotics, such as S. boulardii since they help promote good bacteria in the digestive tract.
Have you had her stool checked for bacteria/viral issues through a fecal PCR test? This test will also look for a host of parasites as well.

The other thing to consider is that you are not really getting the scent out of the carpet - you might not be able to smell it but cats' noses are so much better then humans for detecting smells. I don't know what all you have tried, but they definitely need to be enzymatic cleaners. This article talks about urine, but should work equally well for feces.
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions – TheCatSite Articles