We've spayed the places he goes with that anti cat stuff, locked him in a room and rubbed his face in it. We put him in the bathroom for a day and he started using his box again for 3 days. we left on a 3 day trip and came home to find poop on the floor.
2006-08-09 10:54:05 · 15 answers · asked by ram3861 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
That's very strange and very unusual. I would trade him in if he doesn't stop, seriously.
2006-08-09 10:58:09 · answer #1 · answered by Nani 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't want to rub his face in it...that will only make him scared. Cats are very instinctual, they can't be trained in the same manner as dogs. Chances are, that he got constipated and had a painful experience in the litterbox, or he got scared by someone when using it, and now he doesn't want to have a bowel movement in it. He isn't trying to be disobedient, he's just scared.
Try changing the litterbox and the litter completely, to something different than he's used to. Maybe he won't associate the new litterbox with the pain of the old one. Keep him confined to one room of the house for a week or so, with his litterbox, food, and water. That way, he has a limited area to make a mess in. Scoop the litter box every day. Some cats are really picky about cleanliness. When you leave on a trip, you might have to keep him confined to one room while you are gone. Be sure that you clean up his mistakes with an enzymatic cleaner (available at petstores). Cats can smell their feces even if you have cleaned the area with ordinary cleaners, but the enzymatic cleaners completely erase the smell, even to cats. As long as he smells poop outside his litterbox, he will continue to go elsewhere. Is the litterbox in an easy to access area of the house? Is there anything around the litterbox that might startle him? Make sure that he always has access to the litterbox, and other pets (such as dogs) don't. You can use a baby gate to gate off the room the litterbox is in (cats can jump over the gate, but dogs cannot).
It will just take some time for him to get used to the litter box again.
Hope this helps!
2006-08-09 18:06:30 · answer #2 · answered by rita_alabama 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you clean it often enough? The number 1 reason why cats don't use their litterbox is that it is not cleaned enough...and on a 3 day trip that might be too long for your cat. I would suggest maybe getting 2 litterboxes. If I neglect mine for more than a day I will occasionally find a little surprise on the floor.
It may also be the kind of litter you use...but if he will use the box when it's clean then I'm sure it's fine.
I also wouldn't rub his face in it...animals are associative learners. They don't know you're rubbing their face in it because they pooped there an hour ago. If you can catch them in the act of pooping there and maybe shake a noisemaker or something annoying *while they are doing it* then it *might* work. The key words there are *while they are doing it* and *might* (though I don't like punishment techniques myself). Otherwise you are just teaching them that you are evil (they associate you with rubbing their face in crap...not fun)
My top suggestion for the problem would be keeping the box super clean and maybe getting another box. Many cats like to urinate in one box and use another box for defecating.
You might even try toilet training it so you wouldn't have to worry about a litterbox. It's really not that hard to train them, there are many instructions online.
2006-08-09 17:57:43 · answer #3 · answered by Heather 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are several reasons why a cat wont use the litter box and one is the cleanliness of the litter box. But, there are others like maybe he doesn't like the location of the box, or maybe he doesn't like your choice in litter. Try changing to a different brand of litter and get one that isn't perfumed. Check your cats feet, are they irritated, could he be having an allergic reaction to something (floor cleansers for example or maybe the litter you are using now). Do you have another cat? You might want to add a second litter box. Have you discussed this problem with your vet? Good luck.
2006-08-10 08:09:16 · answer #4 · answered by kathy1619 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Never use negative reinforcement to modify a cat's nature - it doesn't work & causes problems.
First, cats have a better sense of smell than you and their face is down lower. Put your face near the litther box & sniff. Does it smell? It smells 10 times worse to your cat!
Change the litter box more often, put litter boxes in more than 1 room (I've seen them hidden in tubs) or get a littermaid if you don't want to do the above. Use Nature's Miracle or some other enzime nutralizer and put it on the places it went. If you can't find that, and the place is color safe, you can try bleach.
Rubbing their face in it will never work for a cat, and might be why some dogs have a fetish for eating feces.
2006-08-09 18:53:04 · answer #5 · answered by dinubabear 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a new litter box - walmart has them for cheap.
Get a high quality cat litter - I really like Worlds Greatest Cat Litter, which is made from corn. It clumps, so you can scoop the clumps into a dustpan and dump them in your toilet.
Clean out the litter box every day. Once a month, dump all the litter out and clean the box completely.
If you go on a trip, have someone come by and spend time with your cat everyday, and also clean out the litter box.
Don't rub the cat's face in its mistakes.
2006-08-09 18:01:24 · answer #6 · answered by a_blue_grey_mist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe does not like a smelly box. So have more than one and keep them clean. Or cage train your cat, by putting in a cage with a litter box + food + water. Then when you let out make sure you maintain the first suggestions. Or if you can put outside if you know about what time of day #2 occurs.
2006-08-09 18:00:37 · answer #7 · answered by gary o 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe he does not like to poop in a box that has alot of poop in it. try changing the litter out more often. next time you see poop on the floor, just pick it up and place in into his litter box. if he knows where it is supposed to go, maybe he will use it. NOW GO DO WHAT I SAID BEFORE I RUB YOUR FACE IN IT. hahahaha
thats soooo nasty to rub a cats face in poo. I honestly dont think your cat learns from that.
2006-08-09 18:00:52 · answer #8 · answered by god 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He might just be a picky house keeper. If you neglect even for a short time to clean the box out they will get tired of it. Word of advise never rub a cat or dogs nose in the feces. That is disgusting and you can cause severe injury and cause them to get sick. Make sure you are cleaning it's poop out everyday.
2006-08-09 17:59:32 · answer #9 · answered by Loo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My cat Striker had the same problem. I bought a product from the vet called Cat Attract. You mix it in with the cat litter and the cat is attracted to it.
2006-08-10 03:23:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must keep his box clean.
Do you willingly use gas station toilets when they are deep in shite. If your toilet that you use wasn't flushing and was filling up would you still be using it after three days.
Give the cat to somebody who can look after it properly.
2006-08-09 18:00:31 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋