I am literally at the end of my rope. I have two female spade cats 6 years old. We moved into a new house two months ago. The previous house didn't have carpet and I had zero issues with my cats not using the litter boxes. Since moving I am cleaning poop and pee out of the carpet several times a day. I have tried every trick I can find searching the internet. cleaners, boundary spray, aluminum foil, etc.. The main problem is there isn't just one particular spot they use. Pretty much seems it is just where ever they happen to be. They know they are misbehaving and will go hide when I catch them in the act. I knew I would have some issues with this move but two months in, and no end in site and I am afraid new habits are being formed. I am not sure how much more I can take.
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Pooping On Carpet
- Thread starter Renee80
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Congratulations on the move!!
Have you tried Cat Attract litter? Assuming it isn't a medical issue, they may be disoriented in their new place. You may just need to encourage them to use their boxes again.
Also, carpet can hold smell--if there was a previous occupant with animals, your girls may be picking up on that residual smell. You may want to consider giving your carpet a good overall cleaning, rather than spot treating (if that's what you're doing).
Have you tried Cat Attract litter? Assuming it isn't a medical issue, they may be disoriented in their new place. You may just need to encourage them to use their boxes again.
Also, carpet can hold smell--if there was a previous occupant with animals, your girls may be picking up on that residual smell. You may want to consider giving your carpet a good overall cleaning, rather than spot treating (if that's what you're doing).
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If you have already ruled out health issues with the vet, there are a number of factors that causes cats to poop on a carpet or on rugs. Can the carpets be taken off? I suggest that you just get rid of the carpets, as something may be there that makes your cat poop repeatedly instead of on the litter. Maybe rugs or carpets are easier to knead at like what they do with litter. Where are the litter boxes, and how many are the boxes.
Maybe the cats do not like the location, the size or the type of litter. Stress in the environment is also a factor. Moving or any minor changes can also be stressful for cats. My Bourbon used to pee on our bed, every night! No yelling did the trick. I realized that she was stressed with the new foster cats I took in the house. When they were gone, she became her old self again.
Hang in there. Changes do not happen overnight. Patience and consistency are important.
Maybe the cats do not like the location, the size or the type of litter. Stress in the environment is also a factor. Moving or any minor changes can also be stressful for cats. My Bourbon used to pee on our bed, every night! No yelling did the trick. I realized that she was stressed with the new foster cats I took in the house. When they were gone, she became her old self again.
Hang in there. Changes do not happen overnight. Patience and consistency are important.
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Have you ruled out a urinary issue like UTI or cystitis with the vet? Stress can bring about urinary conditions in cats. And a move is definitely a stressful thing for a kitty.
It could be that the previous owners had animals so they are trying to establish their territory in the house. If you are unable to not wanting to remove the carpets from the house, I would hire a professional carpet cleaning company to come a properly deep clean your carpets.
You could also get some Feliway diffusers or sprays. They emit "happy cat pheromones" and allows the cat to feel less anxious in their environment. They don't work for everyone but they have worked for many.
I would also play detective and see what kind of "wildlife" may be lurking outside of your home. Are there a lot of stays around? Not only are your cats in a new environment, but they may be trying to defend their new territory from an outside intruder.
Other than the litter issues how are they acting in general? Do they still play, eat, drink, cuddle together (if they ever did before) as they usually did? If their confidence has been deflated with the move, there are things you can do to help that.
Play WITH them, then when they catch their prey, give them a meal or small snack. Allowing a cat to act out it's natural instincts of Stalk, Catch, Eat, Groom, Sleep, will help them gain some confidence back.
Do they have high perches around the house to lounge on? Most cats like to be high up so they can observe their surroundings from a secure location.
When you first moved in, did you introduce them to the house slowly, or did they get free roam of the whole house at once? Perhaps you may need to take it back to the beginning. Set up a safe room for them will all their amenities, and gradually expand their territory. It could just be that they are overwhelmed with too much territory to claim.
There are calming treats and supplements you can add to their food that may help. And if needed, the vet may give you a calming medication (just temporary) while they adjust. I used the vet prescribed RC Calm food for one of my rescues and it was fantastic for her!
I'm not sure how many litter boxes you have but I would make sure you have a minimum of three. And definitely at least one on every floor of the house. And as some else mentioned you could add the Cat Attract litter to them.
I also don't know how you are reacting to their inappropriate litter behavior, but cats can pick up on your stress levels as well. So as hard as it is, try your best to not get upset or reprimand them. If they feel you are stressed as well, that will only reinforce to them that there is a reason for them to be stressed.
It's hard to find that balance between "distracting" a bad behavior to stop it and adding more fear and stress to an already stressed cat, but in your case I think lessening their stress will work better than "though love" with deterrents. (just my opinion)
Out of all the things I've posted so far, I think I would start with the safe room, with a feliway diffuser, and while they are in the safe room get professional cleaners for the carpets, and go from there. But that's only AFTER getting a check up from the vet.
And one more thing. Come up with a routine that includes their feeding and play time and try to stick to it as exact as you can. A well established routine where the cats can learn what to expect what's coming next is also a great way to help a cat feel more secure.
It could be that the previous owners had animals so they are trying to establish their territory in the house. If you are unable to not wanting to remove the carpets from the house, I would hire a professional carpet cleaning company to come a properly deep clean your carpets.
You could also get some Feliway diffusers or sprays. They emit "happy cat pheromones" and allows the cat to feel less anxious in their environment. They don't work for everyone but they have worked for many.
I would also play detective and see what kind of "wildlife" may be lurking outside of your home. Are there a lot of stays around? Not only are your cats in a new environment, but they may be trying to defend their new territory from an outside intruder.
Other than the litter issues how are they acting in general? Do they still play, eat, drink, cuddle together (if they ever did before) as they usually did? If their confidence has been deflated with the move, there are things you can do to help that.
Play WITH them, then when they catch their prey, give them a meal or small snack. Allowing a cat to act out it's natural instincts of Stalk, Catch, Eat, Groom, Sleep, will help them gain some confidence back.
Do they have high perches around the house to lounge on? Most cats like to be high up so they can observe their surroundings from a secure location.
When you first moved in, did you introduce them to the house slowly, or did they get free roam of the whole house at once? Perhaps you may need to take it back to the beginning. Set up a safe room for them will all their amenities, and gradually expand their territory. It could just be that they are overwhelmed with too much territory to claim.
There are calming treats and supplements you can add to their food that may help. And if needed, the vet may give you a calming medication (just temporary) while they adjust. I used the vet prescribed RC Calm food for one of my rescues and it was fantastic for her!
I'm not sure how many litter boxes you have but I would make sure you have a minimum of three. And definitely at least one on every floor of the house. And as some else mentioned you could add the Cat Attract litter to them.
I also don't know how you are reacting to their inappropriate litter behavior, but cats can pick up on your stress levels as well. So as hard as it is, try your best to not get upset or reprimand them. If they feel you are stressed as well, that will only reinforce to them that there is a reason for them to be stressed.
It's hard to find that balance between "distracting" a bad behavior to stop it and adding more fear and stress to an already stressed cat, but in your case I think lessening their stress will work better than "though love" with deterrents. (just my opinion)
Out of all the things I've posted so far, I think I would start with the safe room, with a feliway diffuser, and while they are in the safe room get professional cleaners for the carpets, and go from there. But that's only AFTER getting a check up from the vet.
And one more thing. Come up with a routine that includes their feeding and play time and try to stick to it as exact as you can. A well established routine where the cats can learn what to expect what's coming next is also a great way to help a cat feel more secure.
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I'd get the carpet steam cleaned. I once had my entire sitting room covered in aluminum foil as it was and is the forbidden room-some people thought I was crazy until they learned cat hated the sound when she walked on it. Now german shepherd dog sleeps in that room so the large size of dog compared to cat keeps her away from that room. But I think there are probably odors in that carpet that maybe only steam cleaning will definitely remove. Best of luck, it is exasperating to have to clean up even using cleaners with odor removers!
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I'd put down more litter boxes & in those areas that your kitties went pee & poo. Lots & lots of litter boxes.
Good luck.
