Why is My Cat Pooping on the Floor?

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It’s no fun to have a cat pooping on the floor, especially if your cat is suddenly pooping on the floor. This frustrating problem can often be solved by changing your litterbox setup and ensuring that your cat is physically healthy and happy. 

Here are the main things you need to know:

  1. Your cat should see the vet for a full checkup (not just routine vaccinations or a wellness check). This problem is usually linked with a medical concern.
  2. Adding a second litterbox in the problem area is usually a good idea. Cat attract or softer, more sand-like litter often helps.
  3. Giving your cat more playtime, using Feliway, and adding more vertical space almost always helps reduce stress, which almost always helps!
  4. Deep-clean problem areas with a pet-specific cleaner like Clean Carl’s (NOT vinegar).

In our most recent “Ask A Behavior Consultant” question, a reader asked:

Any thoughts on how to break Panda, my 17-year-old cat, of peeing and crapping outside his litter boxes? He used to crap under the oil tank but now he is starting to use other places in the basement. I’ve been cleaning his litter box more often, but now he won’t use his covered box at all!

Signed,
Perplexed in Pilsen


Other things to keep in mind:
  • How long has your cat been pooping on the floor in the basement? If this is a sudden change, it’s extra-important to get him to the vet for a checkup.
  • How often does he not use the boxes? Does he skip the box once a week when it’s super dirty? Or does he avoid the boxes all the time?
  • Does anything happen right before he stops using the boxes? For example, does he stop using his litterbox after guests visit?
  • Is his poo extra stinky? If so, you might want to change his food and get a vet checkup to ensure that there isn’t a medical problem.

In order to know which of these problems is plaguing Panda, the first stop should be the vet’s office.

Even though Panda is both peeing and pooping on the floor, we need to rule out a UTI or more serious medical concern as the first step.

Tell your vet what’s been going on with the box and they’ll run the right tests.

Basic Steps to Stop Your Cat From Pooping on the Floor

Let’s go through the options. It won’t hurt to try each of these options to help your cat use the litterbox again.

Keep in mind that fixing a medical problem and reducing your cat’s stress need to be your #1 priority.

The vast majority of my recent litterbox cases have turned out to involve a cat with a medical concern, like GI issues, diabetes, a broken elbow that made stepping into the box painful, or a UTI.

The cleanest boxes in the world won’t help if your cat has a UTI!

Even if your 16 year old won’t play like a kitten, he’ll enjoy watching the toys!

1. Restrict his space.

Depending on where he’s peeing and pooping, a good short-term solution is to block off the areas he’s using as an alternate box. Closing him into a small area (like a bathroom) with his box can also help kickstart litterbox habits.

2. Add another box.

If your cat already has a bad association with the old box, you might be best off trying a new box. If your current boxes are deep and covered, try a shallow box in another area of the basement.

3. Super-clean the offending spaces.

Get something like Clean Carl’s and a blacklight. Go through the house and find all of your cat’s old accidents and clean the crap out of them. If your cat smells old urine or feces in a corner of the basement, he might think it’s a good idea to pee there again. So clean it really well using a cleaner that’s made for pet urine!

5. Increase your cat’s daily mental enrichment.

This could mean playing music when you’re at work, giving him some daily play sessions with a good wand toy (even if he just watches it), giving him daily treats through a puzzle toy or just spending more time with him. All of this will help reduce his stress level. Remember, stress is often the root of litterbox issues!

6. Clean the boxes more.

Many cats simply won’t use a dirty box. Even if your cat has always been a trooper about getting his paws dirty, he might be getting picky in old age. Try to scoop the box daily or even twice daily.

7. Try a Feliway diffuser.

Again, this stuff seems like voodoo stuff – but Feliway can really help in some cases. It’s a calming pheromone that you can put into a wall diffuser or use as a spray. I know plenty of people who swear by it. As far as I can tell, it can’t hurt.

Unfortunately, there’s not much of a training quick fix when it comes to your cat pooping on the floor. Make sure that the litterbox issues aren’t medical. Then your best bet is to improve litterbox setup and decrease stress levels. There are some diffusers and other products that can help, but alone they’re unlikely to solve the problem.

8. Add Cat Attract to the litterboxes.

This little product is made to help remind cats to use their box. There’s frustratingly little information about what’s in Cat Attract or why it works. The website just says that it’s natural, they tested it, it works, buy it. I’d be skeptical, but… we use it at the shelter and I know several people who swear it makes a difference. Can’t hurt to try.

Why Your Cat is Pooping on the Floor

There are many things leading to a cat pooping on the floor. Let’s run through some common scenarios. Remember, it’s possible that Panda is suffering from several of these. Luckily the solutions are similar for all of them!

1. Your cat is sick.

If he’s got a UTI, urinating might be painful. He might learn that peeing inside the box hurts, so he tries peeing elsewhere to see if that helps. Given his age, it’s a good idea to check with the vet to rule out other serious medical concerns. No matter what you do for his behavioral health, we can’t fix anything if he’s physically unhealthy.

2. Your cat is in pain.

When older cats won’t use the litterbox, it could be because they’re in pain. Squatting might hurt, or stepping into the litterbox might be more difficult than it used to be.

  • Sometimes, cats develop a suspicion that the litterbox is causing pain, rather than the fact that it’s their own body that hurts.

3. Your cat is stressed.

Many cats don’t deal well with stress. This could relate back to being sick – he might be stressed because his joints ache. Or he could be stressed by something that’s never bothered him before (like the oncoming brutally cold Wisconsin winter). There might be something you’d never notice that’s bugging him – like a raccoon behind the house that’s driving him nuts. Failing litterbox habits are a common symptom of stress.

If your cat is pooping on the floor, take a look at what’s new in their life. Cats don’t deal well with change and they’re easily stressed. Many cats start peeing or pooping on the floor due to stress.

4. Your litterboxes aren’t clean enough.

As cats age, they might get more particular about their litterbox setup. He might not like that the litterboxes are all the way in the basement. Did you recently change the litter? Just changing the litter type is enough to set some cats off! Some cats like large, shallow boxes; others like deep, small ones. Many cats don’t like covered boxes at all. He might prefer more litter, less litter, a cleaner box, a bigger box, or just unscented powdery litter.

  • Tip: most cats prefer just a half inch of soft, sandy, unscented litter in an uncovered box. Scoop the box daily and dump it weekly! They don’t want yesterday’s poop or last week’s pee on their paws.

5. Your cat’s bladder control just isn’t very good anymore.

Given that Panda’s accidents are limited to the basement, I’m skeptical of this one. If he truly had little bladder control, I’d expect him to have accidents throughout the house. But this is a common reason for older cats to stop using the litterbox.

Got a cat pooping on the floor? I offer 15-minute consultations to find a solution. I cannot solve your problem in the comments section of this post.

164 thoughts on “Why is My Cat Pooping on the Floor?”

  1. All of our cats use the litter box except2. One Male and one female. We clean out the litter box regularly. In the house we have at least 10 cats. Help us please!!

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      • I took in my cat after our neighbour left and left it.since I started staying with it,it always poops outside .we leave the window open always.so just yesterday I watched it poop on my mum’s bed.i couldn’t do anything and today it popped in the bathroom…my mum is really angry and she threatens to through the cat and her little kitten outside or give them away to a neighbour ????I love my cats I don’t want to loose them please help me?

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      • My female cat poops like 10 times a day. She uses her litter box some but mostly poops In the floor around the litter box. We have 2 litter boxes and just have one cat. I clean it like 3 times a day.

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      • Hi. Messaging from the uk. I need help with my cat pooping in house. ( never needed a tray as he went out to toilet religiously) we lost another cat a few months ago. Now he is going indoors in various places in the house. Never urine. Just poop. He’s a 11 year old very overweight cat. Vets not happy with his weight but I measure his food. He’s the most immobile cat I’ve ever had. Ginger Tom cat. How can I prevent this dirtying indoors? Can you help?

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    • Hi everybody! I have to 7 month old kittens and we had their mom, and they were still drinking her milk longer than they were supposed to. Would this effect how they use the litter box? Ive noticed lately that they have been having runny poop and they are going poop everywhere in the house. We have tried different brands of cat food too. If you guys would happen to know anything let me know! TIA

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  2. My Male cat has been pooping in our toddlers bedroom for a few months on and off. His poop smells terrible. Hes a sweet cat who loves snuggles and allows the kids to grab at him all day. Our toddler boy specifically may be upsetting lex (our cat) . He tries to pick him up and tips his fur out ..lex continues to lay around the kids though like he doesnt care at all. Hes not fixed and only about q yearold. He shares 2 liter boxes with 3 other female cats. .

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      • My cat is 15 and we recently had our dog pass that he grew up with. We also have had my daughter’s 2 year old cat stay with us until she goes back to college. Shortly after the dog’s passing, he stating peeing in the kitchen floor and still does. He also uses his box and the same with pooping. Is this stress?

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  3. I had to rehome my cat of 14 years to my daughrter because of health reasons.
    She is a high anxiety kitty and only wishes to be around me.
    She is pooping all over my daughters house and I dont know what to do about the situation and my daughter now doesn’t want her anymore because of this reason.

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    • I’m so sorry to hear that, Sherry! It’s always hard to give up our pets, and I’m sure that your daughter is frustrated. Has she seen a vet or gotten any calming treats? That’s always a first step for sudden changes. What else have you tried so far? I’d recommend reducing her space in the house to just a room (bathrooms are easiest to clean) while she adjusts. If you’d like more help, I offer email support and 15-minute or 1-hour phone calls to troubleshoot. We have excellent success with litterbox issues using a combination of the email support and 15-minute calls.

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  4. I have a 4-5 year old female cat , she’s used the litter box her whole life ! The last 2 days she has been pooping in random places . Everywhere OTHER THAN THE LITTER BOX she’s eating drinking and peeing and pooping . I’m at a loss ?

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    • I’m so sorry to hear that, Lauren! It’s so frustrating to have our cats suddenly change their litterbox habits. Has she seen a vet? That’s always a first step for sudden changes. What else have you tried so far? If you’d like more help, I offer email support and 15-minute or 1-hour phone calls to troubleshoot. We have excellent success with litterbox issues using a combination of the email support and 15-minute calls.

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  5. I have 4 cats and 1 of the females will not use the litter box. She was found after Hurricane Irma last year and we got her from the shelter a few weeks after. I’m assuming by her interactions with the other cats, she was an only cat in a household somewhere.

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    • Michele, I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with this! Cats that don’t use the litterbox can be really challenging to live with. What have you tried so far to introduce her to the other cats and reduce her stress? If you’d like more help, I offer email support and 15-minute or 1-hour phone calls to troubleshoot. We have excellent success with litterbox issues using a combination of the email support and 15-minute calls.

      Reply
  6. I have this cat and she wont quit poping in my kids rokm bayhroom or dingin room she is the only one doing it the litterbox is clean what can i do ahe will even use the bathroom outside I am getting irrated cause she poops on the plywood but vould ahe being doing it since we have a kitten and before thr kitten please help me

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  7. My cat is about 7 years old. She has always used the litter box before and hasn’t had problems. Recently she has been pooping everywhere around the house and we made sure her litter box was clean. What’s wrong with her?

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  8. Hey there!!
    My cat Luna is a rescue. And when I got her 5mo ago she was pregnant. Used the litter box fine always has. Kittens are 11 almost 12 weeks old. They all use the boxes as well. She had 5 and now only has 3 left. She has NEVER went poop outside her box and I keep all three very clean. I got rid of another kitten last night and she has not shown any signs that she noticed him gone. Went to vet all is good. And recently had 1st treatment of Revolution. What the heck should I do? I’m getting mad. And she pooped twice on my pile of dirty laundry

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    • Hi, Bri! So sorry about the litterbox issues, I know they’re a huge pain. I’d start by confining your kitty to a smaller space (like a bathroom). Use some Feliway to help calm her down and clean everywhere that she’s had an accident with Nature’s Miracle. Then slowly start to increase her space. If you need more help, I offer a variety of different services over email or phone to help you get your cat back on track. Since your cat has been doing this for a while, I’d also get a vet checkup. Finally, you might want to try offering a variety of litter boxes and litter types. That often helps!

      Reply
  9. Thanks for sharing this article! You go very in depth into this
    I’m very fortunate my Cat does not poop outside the litter box
    As you mentioned, it’s so important to take them to the vets asap because it could be a medical condition

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  10. My cat Gus has been pooping about 2 ft in front of his litter box. At first I thought I wasn’t cleaning it enough but even after cleaning it really good and adding arm and hammer to make his litter smell fresh that night he did it again! I don’t know what to do. One site I saw said that the litter box needs to be 1 1/2 times bigger than the cat’s length, and I’ve got a pretty big boy (he’s not fat just big and long, about 15lb) so I’m not sure where to get a larger one than the one we have. He’s 6 years old so he’s not old be any means…and he’s never had a problem like this aside from a time when he was pooping in a certain plant about 3 years ago.

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  11. (Gonna post this here, reply from another post, in case it can help..)

    I hope this will help some of you. My cat pooping out of the box issues – Understood and Resolved!!

    My cat Cosmo who is 13 years old, suddenly starting pooping outside his litter box, but he would oddly enough, still go Pee in the box. But he wasn’t just pooping outside his litter box, he was way, far away from it, shitting on the carpet in our living room =/ I didn’t know what was going on. He was having bouts of diarrhea that ended up on the hallway or living room carpet, and it wasn’t because he couldn’t make it to the litter box in time, or anything like that. I caught him about to drop one right in front of me on the carpet, so I moved him quickly to his litter box, but he jumped out, waited for me to leave, and then went and pooped on the same spot I had just moved him from! You can imagine my stress. I changed boxes, locations, litter, anything I could try, I did, and nothing worked.

    Meanwhile, I went to the vet to get Cosmo looked at because his diarrhea and occasional vomiting was getting quite bad. It kept coming back. I took him in and we had blood work done and I found out that my little Cosmo had somehow been infected with Feline Leukemia :’-( Particularly in his pancreas (btw positive FL cats CAN live with negative FL cats without infecting them. A great study was done in 2016 at a cat shelter proving this, and I have another cat that is, and continues to be, FL negative).

    This illness is causing Cosmo a lot of indigestion, so the vet put him on a special diet and thankfully, that’s been helping a lot, and he’s even put weight back on. However, he still kept pooping outside the litter box. And depending on where I moved the litter box too, it would affect where in the box he decided to do his business, (which corner he would go pee in). Nothing seemed to make any sense.

    I started to read about some cat psychology and observations that doctors have made regarding cats, how they feel about territory, how they react when they’re scared, ill, etc… and I started to think about the things I was observing in Cosmo. , because I realized his aversion to the litterbox was ALL MENTAL. How do I know this? I did an experiment. I placed the litterbox EXACTLY where he was ‘using the carpet’. Yup, right in the middle of my hallway, one of the most heavily trafficked area’s. And guess what? He used the litter box to take his poop! That sealed it for me, my cat was having some kind of ‘mental/psychological’ issue around going to the bathroom.

    There are two spots in the house that Cosmo had started poopin in. The living room hallway and at the bottom of the stairs going into the basement (both high traffic areas). When litter box’s were placed in these locations, he used them. I thought about why. and honestly, I think it’s because my Cat knows he’s ill, and it’s affected his behavior. Being in the high traffic areas, I think makes him feel safer, and where his box’s were located before, were area’s that were sort of out of the way. I don’t think he felt safe or secure. with that in mind, I’ve selected a new place for his litter box at the end of our hallway, around a corner, still a high traffic area, but not underfoot. I’ve been moving the litter box every day or two, about half a foot or so. I wait until I know Cosmo’s pooped in it at least once before I move the box again. It’s been slowly creeping along our hallway, lol, but it’s almost where I need it to be now, and you know what? he’s been great! the slow, gradual movement is helping, and now that I understand what he needs (he wants to be close to people, because he’s terminally ill and it’s affecting his behavior) I’m now able to provide a much more comfortable place for him to go to the bathroom, and my carpets stayclean! 🙂

    Please, please, please, do NOT LOCK YOUR PETS IN A CAGE OR CRATE to “Re-Train” them. Imagine how you’d feel if that was you. These are sentient creatures. I know it’s inconvenient to have shit in your house, I’ve stepped in more puddles of liquidy poop than I ever care to remember, but my kitty trusts me to do right by him. He trusts me to take care of him, physically, emotionally, and mentally. If your pet is having an issue going to the bathroom, and it’s not any of the regular stuff, then consider the pyschological ramifications that might be going on in your pets life. They FEEL things. When my dad died a few years ago, my other cat Blu, sat on my kitchen sink and cried real human-like tears for twenty minutes! All we could do was hug him, pet him, and console him. It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. So please, treat your pet with as much kindness, love, and respect as you would want anyone to show you.

    I hope Cosmo’s story will be of help to someone. Best of luck to you all!

    Reply
    • Thanks for sharing Cosmo’s story! The only thing that I would add is that in mane cases, it is important to close the cat into a smaller room. A crate isn’t necessary, but a smaller space often is. And be sure to clean those spots!

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  12. About a week ago I was taking care of my mother’s cat for a week and I had a put him down due an illness. Then suddenly my own house cat starts pooping on the floor twice in a week. One near his litterbox and in kitchen. Help.

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  13. Hi I hope you can help. My British blue Lucy who is 12 years old. She has become our only cat a year ago which she loves.
    Unfortunately this has ment that neighborhood cats about 4 have invaded her territory. She was attacked about two weeks ago ( not hurt) which has shaken her badly. Since then she has taken to pooping under our dinner table her litter box is about 8 feet away. She will only go outside when we are with her. She has always tended to more indoors cat. I really hope you can help.

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    • Hi, Glenda. So sorry that your kitty is struggling. It sounds like the outdoor cats are posing a problem for her. She might prefer to just stay indoors for a while, especially as she gets older. I wonder if pooping under the table feels more secure for her right now. Is your litter box covered or uncovered?

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  14. Hey I have been having a problem with my cat she has been pooping and peeing in the floor. We have 3cats,please help us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  15. My female cat, about 9 years old, started defecating just outside of the litterbox when we adopted a kitten in late August. She wanders calmly next to the litterbox… and “goes.” I have 4 litterboxes, 3 cats (including her -14, 9 and 6 months) and we clean the boxes every day. I vacuum the floor and clean the area every day. Luckily, it’s linoleum. But I don’t know how to stop this behavior. I even caught her in the act and she did not stop! Kept going! She only urinates in the litter box, thankfully. I’m at a total loss!

    Reply
    • Hi Rachel! That sounds really frustrating. Let’s hop on the phone (15 minute call here) to get things solved for you! I unfortunately don’t have any suggestions beyond the ones listed in the article without asking a lot more questions! If we can talk one-on-one, I can give much better support.

      Reply
  16. My kitten was shiting in its box and my other cats box them I moved the kitty litter box into the same room as the other she’s now shiting on the floor , iv moved it back but the problems not resolved she’s shiting in the middle of the laundry /same room as the trays I’m so confused iv put her poo into the tray told her off , put her in her tray I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong she’s a beautiful kitten

    Reply
    • Chan, can you try confining the offending cat into a smaller space and/or adding extra litter boxes? It’s possible that your new kitten isn’t litter-trained yet. Reducing her space is more helpful than putting her in the tray!

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  17. Hello,

    Great article! My cat has been pooping just outside of her box. I’ve used Cat Attract, super cleaned her box, added another box, etc. and still nothing. Once in a while she’ll go in the box but not all the time. She’s a little over a year old and she had littler box problems when we first got her, but we used Cat Attract litter and she has been fine for 9 or 10 months. She is peeing in her box every time (which I prefer if I had to choose!), just not pooping in the box. We play with her a lot and I work from home so she’s not left at home alone and we moved to a new home 2 months ago and she only has problems now so I don’t think that’s it. Overall shes been acting normal so I am baffled. When I called the vet, she said she thinks it behavioral because she’s had a checkup recently with a clean bill of health. Im concerned that if it becomes too much of a habit we’ll never get her to stop. I am not sure what else to try, any thoughts? I appreciate any insight, thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Hi Kami! It looks like you’ve done a great job with the first steps to fix things. With these more complex cases, it’s helpful to talk to an expert (like me). I offer 15-minute calls for $15, where we could really troubleshoot things. Otherwise, I’d also suggest reducing your cat’s space to see if that helps. How clean is the box? Where is the box? Where is she pooping?

      Reply
  18. My cat has started pooping everywhere since I started back to work. I’m assuming its separation anxiety…its been going on for a year now. Tried the feliway plug ins…they don’t seem to work. We’ve tried not feeding her till we get home but she does it right in front of us now…like a big dcrew you lady attitude. What else should I try. Her box is cleaned twice a day…

    Reply
    • I’m sorry to hear that, Stacey! What a pain. Have you been able to follow the steps outlined in the article above, like increasing her daily playtime, restricting her space, going to the vet for a checkup, and thoroughly cleaning the accident areas?

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  19. We have two young cats at home, recently-along with a bad stomach (diarrhoea)- been pooing in our hallway, in the same place. We think it’s both but there is a possibility it could just be the one. When they had pooed the first time, the next day we cleaned the litter box thoroughly so we knew it was clean enough for them, after 10 minutes and using it once, we left the kitchen to find they had done it again! It is even more frustrating as we are in a new house, with new carpets (the only house these sisters have know). Please Kayla can you help, why are they doing this and how can we stop them ! Many thanks, hope to hear from you soon

    Reply
    • Hi Kelsey. I’m so sorry to hear that, I know how frustrating that is! What have you tried so far aside from cleaning the boxes? Did you follow the steps in the article above, like taking the cats to the vet or increasing enrichment?

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  20. My 2 and a half year old, Seb, has been pooping on the floor next to the litter tray for months now. He used the tray again for a few weeks but now back to square one???? please please help.

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  21. Hi. I recently got an adopted cat in november and she is 2 years old. She has been to 5 other homes so is understandably stressed. She sometimes poos in her litter tray but more often than not, on the floor. My parents are getting sick of it and are saying she has to go but I really want to keep her so I need to stop this from happening. So do you have any advice

    Reply
    • Hi Ella. I’m so sorry to hear that, I know how frustrating that is! What have you tried so far to fix the problem? Did you follow the steps in the article above, like taking the cats to the vet or increasing enrichment?

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  22. We got my daughters cat when he was 10 weeks old fully litter trained. He’s now 4 months old and today and yesterday he pooped on the floor. She cleans the box daily and plays with each day. Why would he start pooping on the floor?

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  23. My female cat has been pooping next to the litter boxes and in the hallway. We tried switching our litter we have one with scent and three without scent. I am at the end of my rope with her.

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  24. Hello. My cat has suddenly started popping on my bedroom floor at bed time. He’s never pooped on the floor but the last week he’s been doing it. He also has been peeing on the floor, only in my bedroom and at night. I thought maybe it was because my dog would kind of block him in my room, but tonight my dog was in bed with me and my cat still popped on the floor, and then scratched at the carpet like he does the litter box. He’s really making my room smell. I’ve used urine off and a pet floor shampoo and it still smells. He has had two urinary blocks in the past and is on a prescription diet now. I don’t know what to do and have been thinking of getting rid of him, but don’t want to pass the Burdon onto someone else especially because he loves me and doesn’t go to anyone else, but I’m at my wits end! Also if I leave clothes out him and my other cat will pee on them, they have been doing that for years if I leave clothes on the floor.

    Reply
    • Hi Alisha! Sounds like your cat’s litterbox problems are pretty serious. You’re off to the right start with the prescription diet and the deep-cleaning. Have you been able to try increasing his play time and reducing his stress other ways, like outlined above?

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  25. Hi, my cat is almost 4 years old. Recently he started pooping right across the litter box that’s in our bathroom. He still pees inside, so I’m not sure what the issue is? It’s a covered litter box that he’s used well for a few months now if it helps.

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  26. Hi, my boyfriend and I have a 6 month old kitten and she recently started pooping outside of the litter box. She was doing fine, then I gave her a Inaba Ciao grilled chicken treat and she got diarrhea from that. I understood why she pooped on the floor when that happened. However, she won’t stop pooping on the floor now. We put her in a room at night because she sleeps half of the night and then has major bursts of energy, naturally because she’s a kitten. We did this before and she was fine. Used the litter and all. Now we wake up and open the door to a few piles here and there. I watched her use her litter the other night and she started to poop but as soon as it started coming out, she jumped out and started scooting. Any ideas? I plan on bringing her to the vet, but just wanted to know if anyone knew why she might be doing this.

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  27. Hi, my 9 year old female cat started pooping outside her box about a month ago. She shares a box with another male cat. The interesting thing is that she poops near the litter box and always in the same spot, but she always goes to pee in the box. I tried covering up the spot but she still left a present near that spot. Then I tried putting another litter box, but still nothing changed. The litter is unscented and I haven’t changed the brand in years and I clean the box twice a day. Do you have any ideas? Thank you in advance for any help.

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  28. I have three cats (2 female and one male) and each cat has three litter boxes. I clean regularly. One of the female cats has been peeing and pooping outside the box. I don’t understand why she won’t use the box.

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  29. My mum and I took in our cat who now has one kitten and her other baby died.when we took her in she used to poop outside so we always left the window open she doesn’t use a litter box or anything of the sort .so yesterday I witnessed her poop on my mum’s bed?I was so shocked and my mum was so mad she threw them outside and said she doesn’t want cats in her house.later she calmed down and I got my cats back but I guess she felt potty for the little kitten coz she really loves the baby …then today,when I got back home from my classes she told me that my cat cat popped again but this time in the bathroom ??I’m really scared..I don’t want to loose my babies …I love my cats so much but I really don’t know why my cat is pooping everywhere?.but lately she has been having problems ..some cats from around have been bullying her?but I always try my best to chase them away … and she has been so low sometimes she wants to stay alone??she doesn’t even want me to cuddle her???it really hurts because I love her so much … please I’m begging you to help me?? please if you can…I’m sure if this goes on my mum won’t hesitate to give them away ? please ?

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  30. My cat Titan is 10 months old. She keeps pooping on the wood floors in my moms office. It started when we got 3 new cats which she is now accustomed to but is still continuing to poop. How do we make her stop?

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  31. My 5 year old cat Brando was checked out around 5 months ago for UTI etc. when he was excessively going to the litter box. All tests came back negative; however, with the vet indicating that his kidneys are a little older than he is. He is now on wet food and dry kibble that is meant to treat the urinary, recommended by the vet. As it so happens, over the last 2 days, Brando pooped outside his litter box, but still pees in the litter box. Brando is also acting distant. He often displays affection and being greedy for treats and food, even my food which I never give to him. Now he ignores when I am eating and never comes to me for affection. I know something is bothering him. However, I did transition him from clay litter to wood pellets a few months ago and he did well until 2 days ago. Given the pandemic that is happening, I thought I would try this first before lugging Brando to the vet and forking over $500.00 on a vet bill. I need your help or any suggestions concerning my handsome fur baby.

    Reply
  32. My girlfriend and I recently got a one year old cat about two months ago. He is a male Russian blue cat. During the day he will use his litter box but when it comes to night time/ morning he will leave a small pile of poop on the floor right in front of the litter box .When we first got him he never pooped on the floor and all the sudden hes doing it. We also changed his food and when he feed him. Anytime that he poops on the floor, he knows that he shouldn’t which makes him hide from us. We have cleaned his litter box more than we used too, we added cat attract, and changed his litter box location. We are running out of ideas on how to prevent him from pooping on the floor. Do you have any advice that can help us?

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  33. My cat is litter box trained and I’ve never had a problem he is eight months old however tonight he kinda slipped a droplet than when I was holding him a drop of poop slipped out onto the floor I don’t think he even knows he is doing it what does that mean? It is not big piles and he isn’t dibelatry scrounging on the floor where he looks like he is pooping it just looks like when he moved a drop slipped out and when he was held.

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  34. I have a 6 yr old tabby who just out of the blue started to poop on the floor once a week. Any suggestions would be appreciated

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  35. I have a cat that always poops on the floor, like once a day. Pees in the box, poops outside of it. i really need the help

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  36. I have a cat that has started pooping outside the litter box on my living room floor. I started cleaning the litter box more thoroughly and more often. I took him to the vet because I thought he may be constipated. He will poop a little in the box but just a little. Well the vet tested him for leukemia and he doesn’t have that but his white blood cell count was off so he got a shot of antibiotics. He was also given an enema. Well that caused all kinds of problems, he stopped eating and stayed in my closet, I also had him groomed which traumatized him even more. I took him back to vet and he got a steroid shot, so he is back to eating and coming out of the closet. But he’s back to pooping on the floor…please help!

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  37. My female cat has never had a problem with using the litter. I’ve had her since she was 3 weeks. I trained her to use the litter and she has never had a problem. I recently moved and she used pooped/peed outside of the litter a few times but ultimately used the litter and stopped using it outside of it. Last week (a month later) she has stopped using the cat litter completely. I assumed it was because it was a new litter with a strong lavender scent so today we bought the usual unscented litter that we regularly use. We used the lavender scent one before once I believe at our old home but mostly used lightly scented or unscented ones. I’m scared she has made using other places around the home a habit. Shes going on 3 years ago next month. I don’t know how to re train her. I try to put her in the box and she hops right out. I’m afraid I’ll have to give her away if this problem isn’t fixed it’s frustrating and stressful for us and I’m sure her too. I really don’t want to give her away but I just don’t understand what’s wrong. I wanna know what’s wrong. It’s to the point where I can’t sleep because I’m worried about her peeing and pooping in my room or around the house.

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  38. My cat has been recently pooping all over the house, usually in the evening. Most of the time it is on a carpeted area or a blanket on the floor. The last few days my cat has begun peeing on my bed where I sleep. I don’t understand why she is doing this. She still uses her litter box, and has pooped outside of the box on multiple occasions, but that was usually just beside the box. We clean the box every few days so it is not dirty. This recent pooping has been almost daily though.

    Reply
    • I would try cleaning the box several times a day, as well as the other solutions in this article. Every few days is actually pretty infrequent when we’re talking about a toilet! Have there been any other increased stressors?

      Reply
  39. Hi I am 13 years old and one of my cats are pooping on the floor every day sometimes multiple times a day and we have tried getting more litter boxes and changed the litter and getting a relaxant defuser and playing with her more and nothing helps my parents said that if it continues then we have to get rid of her This has been happening for months now please help

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  40. I have adopted a kitten almost a year ago and he just turned one. At first when I got him he was using the litter box normally but a month later my mom decided to change the litter and the other two cats we own use it fine and at first mine was as well but now he always poops outside the litter box and this has been going on for months. I’m confused because he always pees in the litter, but won’t poop in it and he always poops at most ten feet away from it( so it’s close enough that he could’ve used it but he won’t). I honestly don’t know what to do anymore and I’ve been told to just accept it ,but it’s getting tiring to clean up poop once or twice everyday. Is there a reason for his behavior and is there any way to fix this? Because we even tried to change the litter back and he still pooped outside of it. Please help me.

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  41. My cat have a problem to poop always in the bathroom but from last 4-5 days she is pooping on the floor i need help

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  42. I have had a my cat Mowgli for 4 years now and litter boxes have always seemed to be an issue for him. I got him from a friend when he was a young kitty of a few months. He was one of 5 kittens I think. I visited him several times before taking him home and noticed they all shared the same litter box and their food wasn’t more then 1 foot or two away. Not sure if this has anything to do with why he offends. When I first got him home ( we had a male and a female cat already of middle age and very sweet) everything litter box related was fine. I kept Mowgli in my bedroom secluded with his own food and litter box but let him wander and mingle with the other cats. Since he was new I wanted him to have a place that was mostly his in case the other cats were too much. He cuddled with the other cats and got along nicely with them. Shortly after he started to try to take the Alpha position in the household with the other cats didn’t seem to mind. The female used to be the Alpha before Mowgli arrived but she gave up the position fairly quickly. Within a week my roommate and I noticed Mowgli pissing and pooping occasionally in our claw foot bathtub. I solved this by leaving a little water in the tub to deter him. This worked until we noticed he was pissing and shitting on our couches or in front of the other cats litter boxes. He wasn’t neutered yet so I quickly made an appointment and got him snipped two weeks later. We had to close off our living room from him when we weren’t around or else we got little presents. I poured gallons of Nature’s Miracle to stop the smell and it didn’t seem to do much. Years later I still have an occasionally issue with him. 99% of the time he pisses in his litter box but pooping is sparatic. I get lucky some times and we go weeks with no issues and then BAM he decides to poop on the floor again. Then it can be a one day thing or a many weeks thing until he stops again. I have put rugs/newspaper and even trash bags over the high traffic spots he likes to poop in but he still has a few spots; the pathway to the kitchen and the floor in front of his litter boxes. I’ve tried relocating the litter boxes but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Once I block off spots he seems to find new ones nearby. If there is debris or anything he can use to cover his offense he does so I guess he thinks its ok? I tried a few Nature’s Miracle products and none seemed to stop the offenses. I love this cat to death and he is sweet otherwise from the occasionally tussle with my male cat that is around 12yrs old and super chill. They play fight and sometimes Mowgli takes it too far but other than that he is a love bug and just wants to run and play. Any ideas on how to stop this inappropriate elimination?

    Reply
  43. I forgot to add I have tried all things in this article except the vet and clean the box whenever it is dirty, which is usually once a day. He has two large litter boxes all to himself

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  44. We have 2 cats. One is 14 yrs and the other is 9 years old.
    The 9 yr old seems to picked me as his favorite. Always sitting in my lap at night time while we watch tv.
    In this past week I’ve notice poop in my chair. No where else .. the litter box is clean. What to do?

    Reply
  45. My not fixed female cat started peeing and pooping outside of the liter box once she started going into heat and i cannot for the life of me get her to use it again and I don’t want to have to get rid of her someone please help

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  46. Hello, I have 9 cats, all spayed and one of them (female) poops outside one of the litterboxes (specifically the same litter box) in the same spot at the same time everyday. Usually it is before their dinner and if she didn’t have the time to she would go after she has her dinner. This isn’t a sudden issue. At first she used to poop on my bed, then she moved to poop close to the front door and when we placed a partition and she couldn’t go there anymore, she stopped then started pooping outside the litter box as I have mentioned. She does poop inside the litter box at different timings and even pee, so the litter box does not seem to be an issue to her? I’m not sure, she just keeps trying to find places to poop in and I tried the feliway diffuser, unfortunately it didn’t work. The vet didn’t have much to say really, I think it could be linked to something but I just can’t know what it is.

    Reply
      • yes it is! i’ve tried so many things to keep her from doing so but she does it anyway. back then she used to be so guilty when she does it you can see it on her face and body language. but now she would do it in front of me as if its normal, when i try to stop her she sneaks back to the same exact spot and does it… its really bothersome :/

        Reply
  47. I have 2 cats (Lucy age 1 and Odessa age 4) and we have 2 litter boxes both in the bathroom and suddenly for the last month one of them has been pooping on the floor in front of the toilet. It’s not everytime they poop. It’s like they use the boxes a few times and then poop on the floor once or twice and then back to the boxes. One time one of them pooped on the floor right after I cleaned the boxes. My roommate is on the verge of getting rid of both of them if it keeps happening and I don’t want that please help

    Reply
  48. I have about a 1 year old male cat and he’s always pooped in the litter box. But for the past like 2-3 weeks he almost never poops in the box. He goes and poops in the same corner of my room. I’m not sure what happened. Please help.

    Reply
  49. I would love help with my cat. She’s been pooping by my front door for a while now. I’ve tried many things and nothing is working. How can I contact you?

    Reply
  50. I got a cat from a friend and he’s really sweet but hardly uses his box. He poops on carpet and in corners and under my younger child’s bed so I don’t let him upstairs but I’m not sure what to do. He’s on urinary special food that they previous owners were using but nothing has helped. I really don’t want to get rid of him but I need to find a something to get him to use his box.
    Any help would benefit

    Reply
    • Would you like to schedule a consult to see if I can help you problem-solve? Just hover over the 1-on-1 training tab on the menu of the site to see your options. I’ve got so many questions and suggestions for you! And be sure you’re using the tips already laid out in this article.

      Reply
  51. Hello,
    We have 3 kittens and 1 full grown cat. They are all male neuter cats. The grown cat is all of sudden pee/pooping on the carpet for no reason. The only change that has happen is I am pregnant which I do not know if that could be the cause of it. He uses the litter box but if their is any bedding or rug near him, he just goes on it. Then out of the kittens I have 1 kitten peeing outside the litter box. We clean the litter boxes daily and their is 4 litter boxes for them to use. I can’t really help to much with cleaning them up at this moment. I am getting very annoyed at this point because they both know where the litter boxes. I do not know what to do, I took them to the vet and vet sort mention that because I am pregnant it can be causing them to stress. At this point I am thinking of moving out and leaving my guy to handle it.

    Reply
  52. my baby male cat poop in my father room randomly and his litterbox is on terrace where he daily poop .. what can be reason to poop in my father’s room?

    Reply
  53. My cat, Lucky, who has CH (she gets around fairly well, her CH is rather mild), has been using her litter box regularly. It is cleaned everyday, is large and uncovered. Recently I found her poop on the basement floor and tonight she meowed several times very loudly, scratched up my dog’s bed and then sniffed around a bed they sometimes share. Her posture and loud mournful sounding meows caused me to pick her up and take her to the basement where her litter box and food are. I put her in her box and she got out and went over to the rug, scratched at it and then pooped right in front of me. I picked her up and put her back in her box. She got out and sat on the floor and acted very satisfied with what she had done. I have no idea what is going on with her. The only change is that I am back at work after being off for 5.5 months (due to Covid 19). Other than that everything is the same. Can you help me figure out what is going on with Lucky? (FYI – the steps to the basement are carpeted and she has no trouble negotiating the stairs; the basement is finished and the floor is covered with a room size rug so walking easier for her and my dog)

    Reply
  54. hi,i have a male cat cat nico and he’s almost 7 months.Few weeks ago we discoverd he had stomach infections.after he got kind of recoverd from infection he started peeing everywhere like little by little.We took him to the vet and found out he has UTI.and now he has recoverd from it and now he is a little healtheir.He is eating well too.But today he pooped out of nowhere on our sofa.The same one he pooped when he hasd stomach infection.He does poop in his litter tho.And today he pooped on the sofa.I dont know why he’s pooping everywhere 🙁

    Reply
  55. My cat is 18.5 years old. We just recently moved in to a bigger home. Prior to moving for about 6 months he was peeing just outside his box. We got pee Poe pads and lower box for him. He’s also lost a lot of weight. After seeing vet he does have an enlarged heart, his spine is deteriorating and his kidneys are aging. But he’s still a happy cat. He’s down to 6.5 lbs (his normal weight is 11.5). For the past week he’s been pooping around the house and the yoewling has gotten worse. I worry he’s getting dementia. But he’s still peeing in litter box and still eating. When do you know if it’s time to put them down 😢?

    Reply
    • Hi Daniela. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. It sounds like you’ve given your cat a really long, happy life. I generally look at quality of life when working through this decision, but that exact line is going to be a bit different for each individual animal. It does sound like his time may be close, but that’s not something I can decide based on a comment! 🙁

      Reply
  56. I adopted my girls (2 years old sisters) in Feb this year and already had two boys (3 years old brother). The boys were not happy and attack one of the girls regularly. I tried spray bottles, locking them away for being bad, and a month ago got a Feliway. Things seemed to have started to get better almost right away, until a week ago the girl pooped under my bed (one of her safe places, then on my bed, and now today in a cat bed (another safe place for her) and I believe its the boys peeing over it. I don’t know what else to do to stop them scaring and attacking her.

    Reply
  57. Hi

    We have three female cats, two are sisters (both are 3 years old) and were adopted and one joined our family a year later. One of the sisters has started giving us problems since she was 1 or close to 1 year old. She started peeing on the bed and sofa and on soft textiles. We solved this by shutting her access to the bedroom. Since Easter 2020 she has had a relapse and she started peeing and pooping on the floor all over the flat. We managed to get the peeing again under control, we changed the sand to a finer one with perfumed crystals and for a month and a half, everything was fine again. She has started pooping on the floor again since I would say the beginning of November. We clean the toilets every evening. We have three cat toilets and we let let the younger cat sleep in the bedroom with us as she gets a bit loud if we keep her out of the room for the night. The vet keeps saying that she is stressed but so far has not found any solution. She had a blood test done two weeks ago and nothing was found.

    Reply
  58. My cat randomly poops on the floor and has been for about the last 3 years now. I’ve tried changing her food and most of the time her litter box is clean when she does it. She still uses her litter box for both, but maybe twice a week I find poop on the floor and sometimes my bed. Help.

    Reply
  59. Hello please please please I need your help I have a 17 year old cat and I had a female cat the same age but she passed away but you’re so go and ever since my male cat has been peeing and pooping on the floor around the litter pan I have two cats two males and two litter pans and they are clean but he will not use litter pan what can I do please please help me I hate to get rid of them I put up with it for so long now that I’m at my wit’s end please help

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  60. Hi Kayla! Or 12 year old cat pees in the litter box but poops on the upstairs carpet in the same spot and by the washer and dryer and downstairs. Lots of little droppings all over. We clean the litter box often and just don’t know what to do! Can you help! Thank you!

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  61. I have a 7 month old cat. Took to the litter box like a champ, no training needed. Now suddenly poops right outside it. Nothing has changed, same litter, box, place everything. No new editions to the house. He is the only inside pet. We added an additional box with different litter. He will urinate in the box and poop, but at least once a day on the floor right next to it as well. Even in a completely clean box. At my whits end. Pretty sure he is just being a turd, literally and figuratively.

    Reply
    • Hi Stephanie; if this showed up recently it might be worth asking your vet if it’s related to hormone changes as he becomes a teenager? I doubt he’s just being a turd – there’s always a reason. Is the stool normal in size, shape, color, odor?

      Reply
  62. Hi Kayla,

    Hope you are staying safe, i have recently brought a 6 month old cat from a friend. And it has been 6 weeks that he is with us and he does not always poo in the litter box.
    I tried changing the crystal soil, i brought him a new litter box closed type, i changed the location of the litter box. But nothing works, the vet is saying that he is very healthy, and nothing seems wrong. I have 2 years old baby that is loving the cat too much and we are teaching her how to be nice with the cat. He mostly do it on the floor in several location during the night. I tried to monitor why he is doing it but i am not able to identify. He used to live with his sister and mum and dad and the owner in a appartement in the 61st floor, and now he live withs us, wife, daughter, nany and my self on the ground floor. And yesterday i started to allow him to go out of the house to the terrace, and not yet to the garden.
    I would really appreciate your help as my wife is stressed from the situation and she is requesting to send him back if ge does not stop. Lets say we are a bit OCD when it come for cleaning.

    Thank you in advance, looking forward to hearing from you.
    Best Regards,
    Gilbert

    Reply
    • Hi Gilbert,
      I understand how frustrating that is! It sounds like you’re off to a good start with troubleshooting. Have you tried confining the cat to a smaller area and increasing his enrichment yet?

      Reply
  63. hello i need advice, my cats always poo in the room sometimes i get angry with them n i take them, let them smell n i slap them a bit smetimes its difficult for me because i hve a baby of 2 month to look after and beyond that my cats poo all the time in the same place, am fed up of beating them n gets tired of this what advice would u suggest me

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  64. I have a 10 yr old cat and a 7 yr old cat and they both use the litter box to pee but one or both of them refuse to use litter to poop I’m moving into another new apartment I know we move a lot but my older cat is used to moving a lot his previous owner moved a lot with him too please help I can’t lose this place because they won’t stop pooping everywhere

    Reply
  65. Hi Kayla,

    My 4 year old cat has always had litter problems all his life where he would poop outside the litter box but use it for pee. No matter how many boxes I added or how clean the box was.
    Then came a period where he would choose to poop in there as well so I was happy that I’m finally rid of this problem.
    However just a few months ago he started pooping right outside of the box. Which over time has now moved to a different place in the house each day.
    I was dealing with that, but for the last 5 days he has now started pooping and peeing outside the box. And more recently he has chosen different corners of my bedroom for doing this.
    I use open litter boxes, cat attract and nature’s miracle to clean the spots.
    I’m really close to giving up the cat as it is so dirty and smelly and I deal with this daily. However, at the same time I feel bad for him and my 9 year old son is quite attached to him. I also don’t think any ones going to want a cat that is not using the litter box.
    After reading your articles, tonight I closed him in a small washroom. I put food, water, bed and clean litter box in there.
    I don’t know how that will go.
    He has been whining and scratching at the door and pushing it. And to be honest he might have opened the door (as I’m in bed now upstairs). I will find out in the morning.

    In terms of the vet, he just had his regular vaccines and annual exam. The are charging more for blood work and fecal exam but I feel it’s psychological and not medical because he has always been having the poop outside box issue. Now he has just added pee as well.

    Thank you for any advice you may have for me and thanks for your detailed post.

    Reply
  66. My cat has had doctors visits and they have told us there is nothing wrong with her. She poops on the floor no matter how clean the litter is. She is not under any stress. She just doesn’t like using the litter box. She pees in it. I’ve tried everything. I’ve just about given up and might have to rehome her.

    Reply
  67. I adopted two female cats, the calico one is 6-7 and the black one is 2-3. When they first came here we had an issue with them pooping in our basement, literally only in one spot. They now are not allowed in the basement, however they have since started pooping in random spots in my bedroom, where their cat boxes are. Seems like they prefer to poop in the corner of their area, even though there are two cat boxes not far from there. Then about a week ago one of them randomly peed in the middle of the walkway in my room. I have cleaned and then sprayed with nature’s miracle but it hasn’t seemed to help any. I have been sure to keep their boxes clean, I treat them and give them love. Nothing has really changed and we’ve had them almost a year. Any tips or ideas because I can not have them using my home as a personal toilet and I do not want to have to re-home them again but my husband and I do not want cat poop all over our room or near our children. Also I have 2 cats and 2 boxes, if that matters. And both boxes are in the same area, just steps away from where they have been pooping. Not sure if it’s one or both doing it, haven’t caught them in the act.

    Reply
  68. My 12 year old cat keeps pooping on the carpet or on the floor beside her litterbox. I’ve tried 2 boxes and cat attract, neither are working, HELP! We are moving to a new house next month & I don’t want her pooping on the floor or carpet there.

    Reply
  69. I have 2 cats that poop outside the litter box. I’m beyond frustrated. They’ve been pulling this for years. They’ll use it to pee in but not poop. Crating them had worked in the past. They’ll both use it for a few days then go back to pooping on the floor again. Near the litter boxes. They only thing I haven’t tried the is anxiety spray. They are sneaky too! They won’t do it when anyone around. One a male cat and the other is female. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you for your article.

    Reply
  70. Hi, I have a 6 year old rescue cat and she has been recently pooping solid poops everywhere else but her litter box. we have a room dedicated to her 2 littler boxes that get cleaned twice a day and nothing in her environment has changed she’s an indoor cat, a really wondering why this week she has started doing this but she pees in her litter box. and has gotten recently checked up at the vet and everything looks good. wondering if you can help… Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Jay, do you remember what tests the vet ran when she was at the vet? How frequently is she pooping? How often are you cleaning? Is it possible that something DID change, like oncoming storms or a new neighbor, that you hadn’t noticed?

      Reply
  71. I have two dogs and one cat, I recently brought a second cat into our clan. I have had him three weeks now. He used the litter box fine and all of a sudden he is pooping all over. What do I do?

    Reply
  72. Hi

    I have a cat who is almost three years old. She is a female persian mix Ragdoll. When i first got her as a kitten she had no problems with the litter box. It has been a year when she started to have accidents outside of the litter box. She urinates and defecates outside the litter box all the time. We’ve had to throw out multiple rugs because she’d just destroy them.

    There’s 5 litter boxes as i got a new kitten to be her playmate because i felt bad that she was alone. Before the kitten, she was still urinating and defecating outside the litter box. I do the litter twice a day, after a week i would wash the litter boxes and put new litter in. The litter i use is clumping clay with no scent. I’ve been using this type of litter ever since she was a kitten.

    The litter boxes are in a safe place. My other cat has no problems with using the litter box. I’ve taken Chloe to the vet, that’s her name. But the vet has crossed out any medical issues and I’ve been there quite a few times. When cleaning the areas i use pine-sol to clean my floors and then I’ll use a enzyme odour and stain remover for cats.

    I’ve tried using Feliway, both diffuser and spray as a suggestion from the vet. But that didn’t work. Chloe is on sensitive stomach cat food because she is prone to having diarrhoea and vomiting from normal food. My brother seems to think that Chloe is purposely urinating and defecating on the floor.

    I don’t know what’s wrong with her, the veterinarian can’t help her, this is really annoying and another thing that I’ve observed when feeding her is that she’s often very reluctant to walk up to her bowl and eat food even when I’ve placed it in front of her. She’ll walk away from the food if i don’t pick her up and place her down at the food bowl.

    Please i need answers or suggestions, it’s driving me crazy.

    Reply
  73. I have two 7 month old male cats that are brothers from the same litter. Had them since 1 month old. Had all of their vaccines and check ups up to date and last things I need is to neuter them and micro chip them both.

    I’m having a lot of issues with them recently where they are peeing and pooping outside their litter box and overall bad behavior. It’s started with finding pee in my bathtub occasionally and then I noticed a nasty smell coming from my bathroom one day and found that they had pooped in my bathtub.

    Then I noticed they are peeing in a specific corner of my living room over and over again, no matter how many times I clean it.

    A lot of changes have happened recently. I moved in to a new house with my fiancé and daughter. Two months ago I found out I’m pregnant and also brought in a tiny female homeless kitten I’m currently fostering.

    The boys (cats) had their own room back in my old apartment. They lived like kings. They had a tall cat tree, a entire old arm chair to themselves to climb, take naps and use as a scratching post. A big fluffy bed and even an automatic litter box.

    I had their food bowl and water fountain in the kitchen. They had a big apartment to run in and loved to look out the tall windows.

    Now in the new house the layout is completely different. The windows aren’t as tall, their is two sets of stairs and have lot more room to explore.

    Decided to put their stuff in the basement, (which is finished) and relocated the litter box and put it in my daughters bathroom which is in her bedroom. Since I’m pregnant I can’t no longer clean their litter box and have my daughter taking care of it.

    The move was stressful and more so now that I’m pregnant. I was very limited on doing things. Not being able to lift anything heavy and try to do light stuff.

    I decided to leave the boys (cats) back in the apartment where I use to live in at my parents apartment building, while I settled in the new house. I made sure that they had plenty of food and water. My mom was watching them and making sure they where fine. They had everything in their room so they where ok and where not alone.

    Figuring out how to rearrange all their stuff in the new house and where was everything going to go, so my new living room didn’t become cluttered with cat stuff and look like a normal living room.

    I wanted to have all their things ready for them and wanted them to be happy in the new house.

    They where not so fond of the new place at first, they seemed confused and not sure what they where in a different place.

    I gave them plenty of space for them to explore the house and go in every room and let them try the two sets of stairs. ( They love the stairs)

    They seemed to get accommodated just fine. They where using their litter box, eating and drinking just fine. They seemed more at ease once they saw that the furniture was the same just different environment.

    First few weeks where good. They learned how to look out the new windows in the living room and love to chase each other up and down the stairs and everyone seemed to be settling in the new house just fine including myself and my daughter.

    About two weeks ago is when I started to notice their eliminating accidents. At first I didn’t think anything bad of it since cats can have an accident here and there since their litter box is now all the way in the basement bathroom. I thought we’ll maybe they didn’t make it downstairs in time.

    But then I found the pee in the living room corner and the pop in the bathtub became more frequent so I thought something is got to give.

    I had downgraded their litter box from the automatic one to a regular box. The automatic litter box was just not big enough to hold waist for two cats, so I got rid of it and bought them a traditional box but 3 sizes bigger. So they would have a lot more room and be more comfortable and they loved it way better than the automatic one.

    I was stressing about if I was going to bring such a huge box to the new house or just leave it behind and use a smaller litter box I had them use when they where smaller.

    I think that was a huge mistake because now I’m having these issues with them. I’m so fed up with the whole situation as I’m getting bigger and more advanced in my pregnancy nearly 4 months now and I have to be constantly mopping the pee off my living room hardwood floor. I’m at the end of my patience and so is my daughter being overwhelmed with cleaning the extra poop.

    I have a vet appointment for all 3 of them including my kitten rescue. Which they do get along with now. Not so much at first but they all play together.

    Any suggestions or advice. I love them and would be very heart broken if I had no other choice but to give them a new home because of these issues. I need HELP!!!

    Reply
  74. Hi.. our cat moxie has been pooping and peeing outside the litter box and it is runny…we took her to the vet and gave them a poop sample they found nothing in it we even got a urine sample done and I think she had a uti I’m not sure but the most issue/problem at the moment is her going poop on the floor… we tried a vet brand cat food that helps with the digestive system but she’s still going on the floor… we have 4 litter boxes in the house we even put a stress reliever scent plug-in to help out with her stress… she’s still doing pooping on the floor we do have another cat named minfus that’s her brother that likes to play fight sometimes but she don’t like it… I bought the sujjested cat litter called cat attract.. to see if that will help other than that I don’t know what else to do… please help me and my dad with this…

    Reply
  75. Hi, our cat Oak is about 1 and our house consists of her fur sister who is also 1 and a new fur brother who is almost 6 months…Oak recently started not fully making it the litter box. She is a chunky kitty. Not very active. So I thought we would get her a bigger litter box and we’ll she doesn’t even use it and started going on our hardwoods in the living room and one time pooped right in front of me on the floor. I don’t know if she is stressed from her brother or mad about the box change. I’ve even increased cleanings of the box and carrying her to the box to see if she needs to go. Any suggestions?

    Reply
  76. I have 4 cats 1 girl and 3 boys I got a new cat 1 month after I got my kitten my kitten has started pooping on the floor when no one is watching him he has only done It 5 times and he uses his box more then he goes on the floor i am going to take him to the vet but i wanted to know how to stop him from doing it my kitten I almost 2 months old and he has never pooped on the floor since we have had him and we have 4 litter boxes and we clean them once a day

    Reply
  77. My cat always pees in the litterbox but poops right next to it on the floor. He has been to the vet and is on anti anxiety medication. The issue is behavioral. I don’t know what to do about this. It seems that he believes that this is what he is supposed to do. He is the only cat in the house and he likes it that way. He gets as much attention as he wants because I work from home. The litterbox is jumbo sized and I keep it clean.
    I don’t know what to do!

    Reply
  78. My cat is almost a year old and we’ve moved into a house about 4months ago from an apartment and she keeps on pooping on our rugs in the bathroom downstairs and and under our Christmas tree I don’t know what to do cuz she uses the litter box to which we have 2 of.

    Reply
  79. I have Three Siamese cats, all from the same parents. One, Miranda, is very controlling and doesn’t like us to have visitors if we do she will pee on my son’s bed, she also has decided she will only poop next to the litter box! I’ve added two more litter boxes to the laundry, have two different types of litter for her to choose from, everything is kept clean all the time. I am so over her behavior, she is 2yrs old and she never did this till about 6 weeks ago, I’m going insane! To top it off, our Male Siamese copies everything she does so now he poops next to hers on the floor right next to the litter boxes too.

    Reply
  80. Our male cat Olaf is about 1 1/2. He started crying to go outside with us, and the dog, this summer. We have a fenced in yard so we started letting him go outside. At first it was just with us then he wanted out all the time. He loves it outdoors! Spends hours walking around the yard, jumping at bugs and watching bunnies and birds. So he started pooping outside about a couple months ago but would still go pee and poop in the litter box too. Now all of a sudden he won’t poop in the box and he doesn’t get to go outside when it is dark early morning or later at night…. Also it’s Colder out so isn’t out as long. So he started pooping outside the litter box.

    Reply
  81. We just got a 10 week old kitten that was litter box, currently we have the litter box upstairs which she uses I THINk regularly. but she has been recently peeing and pooping downstairs in our office!!!! this is infuriating to me, we are working on switching the litter because we use worlds best and its so fragrant and strong smelling. we clean box out 1x a day and shes the only kitty. Is there something qe can do to make the transition less stressful? we are adjusting as well as we are not used to having cats around

    Reply
    • For such a tiny baby (10 weeks is super young!), I’d recommend a litter box on ever floor of your home, if not every room. She’s simply not old enough to hold it longer than that, just like any human baby.

      Reply
  82. I have a 7 year old male cat who in the last month decided to start pooping on the floor in the same room as litterboxes. Has been to the vet, all came back healthy and normal. I have tried different litter, different litterboxes. Just now trying the feliway difusser. He has never ever done this before. We moved 3 months ago and added 2 other cats to the mix, 4 total, along with 2 other adults now in the house. He has never had problems with moves before or other people moving in. Im so frustrated, I love him to death but I also dont want poop or pee all over my house.

    Reply

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