Urinating & Defecating On The Carpet

[simbasmama]

Hello everyone!

I've always enjoyed reading posts on TCS but I've just decided to sign up today so I'm super new here. My cat is such a good girl most of the time, especially for a cat that was recently rescued from street life. Just a little background - she lost her mom and stumbled into our front garden as a baby, and she started coming to me for food as I fed her for a while. She's the worst scaredy kitty I've ever seen, really different even from other stray/feral cats in that she's VERY easily frightened and doesn't really give her trust until she knows it's safe. She'd run away if I moved an inch. There was a bully cat in the area that was bullying her so much we decided to take her in but she wouldn't approach, so we had to trap her and bring her to the vet. She hid in her hiding place for almost two months before she approached me. I made it obvious that I loved her and wanted to take care of her, for full two months, almost all day long as I work from home, and she's warmed up to me and rubs against my legs and my arms and basically my whole body for petting and feeding her and is now okay with my family as well. I've noticed that she's very very needy, because she meows and looks for mommy (me) when she wakes, when I sleep (she constantly whimpers and meows to wake me up), or even when she's been left for not too long a while. She rubs her whole body against mine really HARD. I think she just wants to be loved. She keeps meowing and whimpering and looks up at me asking to play with her or pet her or give her treats.

So before a few days ago, she'd been using her litter box every single time like a good girl. Every single time. When she was first brought in, she had no idea what the litter box was and just urinated & defecated on the litter box mat, right next to the litter box. But I tried everything and when I put in some shredded pieces of newspaper pretending to be a mom cat making a bathroom for her using leaves, she started using the bathroom. However, she's recently started peeing and pooping on my bedroom carpet. Under my bed. It's just so frustrating because I can't remove the carpet every single time she does that, and because I just can't get to the spot where she pees and poops as the bed's too heavy and has so many support legs in there that make it hard to push away in order for me to remove the carpet or get to that spot. I tried scolding her, but she just looks at me like I'm a horrible person for not loving her and then whines and looks away from me or completely turns her back on me and runs into the closet like she's upset for me being upset with her. Like saying she doesn't know what the heck is the problem with me. I thought she wanted attention, so I tried everything from petting her and playing with her all day and spraying the spots with deodorizers and urine destroyers, but nothing works!

What should I do?? She's my first and only kitty. Yesterday I tried moving the litter box closer and closing the door to my bedroom. She used the litter box. But as soon as I open my bedroom door and let her in, she starts peeing and pooping on my carpet AGAIN! She's very healthy, she loves to play play play all day long, drinks water when she needs to, so what could be the problem? Is she doing this on purpose? I just don't feel like scolding is a good idea with her as she's such a scaredy kitty and hates being scolded (she just becomes really sad).

Please help!! I'll try anything and everything if I need to. Thank you in advance and for taking your time to read this post

 

[betsygee]

What a frustrating issue. You mentioned that she's healthy--has she been checked by a vet after she started going on the carpet?

 

[simbasmama]

What a frustrating issue. You mentioned that she's healthy--has she been checked by a vet after she started going on the carpet?

Hi,

She was brought to the vet when we first took her in. I forgot to mention in the original post, but she was being constantly bullied by a huge black bully cat in the area and so we decided to take her in, but she would never come to us no matter how many times we fed her or made clear we weren't danger. So we trapped her and then brought her to the vet and did a thorough exam and all the vaccinations and treatments that she needed (which cost hundreds of dollars but that was okay as long as she's healthy). The doctor did say that she had tape worms but she was treated for it. Other than that, she was perfectly healthy - that was about a little over a month and a half ago. Almost two months.

 

[valentine319]

Maybe it's a urinary infection? I would add feliway plug in to help her calm. I would also have the vet check her. Since you would be going to the vet i would have them check worms one more time just because a few cats take two treatments (since you would be at the vet already).

 

[simbasmama]

Hi,

She was brought to the vet when we first took her in. I forgot to mention in the original post, but she was being constantly bullied by a huge black bully cat in the area and so we decided to take her in, but she would never come to us no matter how many times we fed her or made clear we weren't danger. So we trapped her and then brought her to the vet and did a thorough exam and all the vaccinations and treatments that she needed (which cost hundreds of dollars but that was okay as long as she's healthy). The doctor did say that she had tape worms but she was treated for it. Other than that, she was perfectly healthy - that was about a little over a month and a half ago. Almost two months.

Oh, I misread the question. She wasn't brought to the vest but I gave him a call because she just wouldn't get into the carrier and she doesn't have any ill symptoms at all :-(

 

[simbasmama]

Maybe it's a urinary infection? I would add feliway plug in to help her calm. I would also have the vet check her.

Hello,

I have the feliway plugged at the moment. I don't know if this is working but guess it doesn't hurt to keep it plugged! She doesn't have any symptoms that match the symptoms of urinary infection, so the vet says it's likely a behavioral problem. Should I try to trap her somehow to bring her to the vet? She just wouldn't let me pick her up, and wouldn't walk into anything that seems even slightly suspicious!

 

[valentine319]

Are you cleaning the litter box daily? You sound like she's partly feral. How old is she? Did you change litter brands?

I've found the plug in to help but these things take time. The spray did nothing.

 

[simbasmama]

Hello - she was feral when we brought her in. Funny thing is she bonded with me fairly quickly. When she came back home from the vet, it was after the spaying surgery so she was a little weak and wouldn't eat, but when I petted on her head and her back she started eating. But then after she regained energy, she hid and acted feral for about several weeks. And now I wouldn't say she's feral, but she could be partly feral anyway since she used to be feral. She was never really aggressive but very very scared. She's 6-7 months old and I haven't changed the litter brands. She uses the litter box all right if I close the door to my bedroom. I clean her litter box every time she uses it, about 1-3 times a day.

 

[simbasmama]

Are you cleaning the litter box daily? You sound like she's partly feral. How old is she? Did you change litter brands?

I've found the plug in to help but these things take time. The spray did nothing.

Wait, I was actually trying to reply to this but I see it wasn't quoted!

 

[valentine319]

Well it sounds like you've got a scared kitty. Oh what about trying the cat attract litter. It's probably cheaper at petsmart that price looks a bit high.

Precious Cat Cat Attract Problem Cat Training Litter, 40 pound bag, Package may vary
And a mail in rebate if you buy it.
Rebate - Dr. Elsey's

Maybe I missed it but are there other cats in the house?

 

[simbasmama]

Well it sounds like you've got a scared kitty. Oh what about trying the cat attract litter. It's probably cheaper at petsmart that price looks a bit high.

Precious Cat Cat Attract Problem Cat Training Litter, 40 pound bag, Package may vary
And a mail in rebate if you buy it.
Rebate - Dr. Elsey's

Maybe I missed it but are there other cats in the house?

I'll definitely give it a try. Thank you so much for the suggestion!

Nope, she's my only kitty!

 

[valentine319]

Oh if the litter box has a lid take it off. Her being scared the lid would make it scary as a spot she could be trapped.

You could put pet pee pads where she pees under the bed. Maybe someone can chime in if this would be a good or bad idea.

 

[mani]

S simbasmama if you only have one litterbox, then you definitely need another.. many cats won't wee where they poo and it sets up all sorts of odd behaviour.

Also it's worth looking through this as it's very comprehensive:
How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide

 

[simbasmama]

Oh if the litter box has a lid take it off. Her being scared the lid would make it scary as a spot she could be trapped.

You could put pet pee pads where she pees under the bed. Maybe someone can chime in if this would be a good or bad idea.

It is so odd because she doesn't use the one without a lid. I had to remove the carpet from under the bed, and she started going to the litter box again! She was definitely sick though, vomiting and retching was there, and diarrhea was also there for a few days after I posted this. But the vet says she doesn't have this problem there!!! I just posted a new thread regarding this issue, so that's another story, but at least she stopped peeing on the carpet...

S simbasmama if you only have one litterbox, then you definitely need another.. many cats won't wee where they poo and it sets up all sorts of odd behaviour.

Also it's worth looking through this as it's very comprehensive:
How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide

I've set up a secondary litter box in my room just in case she feels too lazy to go to the bathroom after playing with me in my room. Thank you for your suggestion!