What are some causes and solutions to a cat who goes to the bathroom right outside of the litterbox?

Question

My cat is one year old, and she was completely trained when we got her at 5 months. She used the litter box for maybe 4 months without any problems, but then she started to pee nearby on the floor. Even more recently, she has begun to defecate right in front of the litterbox.

I figured this behavior was because I wasn't cleaning the litter box often enough (I used to clean it once a week, and now I scoop every day and change the litter twice a week) but this doesn't seem to be helping. What can I do?

Answer 1

Check this out:

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/resources/brochure/Housesoiling.html

Answer 2

Litter box aversion can be caused from so many different things. First you want to rule out anything medically wrong with her, Like a Urinary Tract Infection(UTI). This should be checked by a veterinarian. If you wanna do things "cheaply", assess what kind of litter you are using. If you have recently changed from a non-perfumed litter to a perfumed litter, a clumping to clay, or vise verse, or went from an uncovered to a covered litter pan, these all can affect weather cat decides to use the box or not. Maybe you need a bigger box. Maybe more or less litter. Check out where your litter box is located. Is it a "too busy" area? Is it next to the washing machine? One unbalanced load of laundry could cause the cat to fear being inside the box. If none of these things have changed, I would have her examined. A UTI can cause litter box aversion because she can relate the litter box to the uncomfortable sensation of a UTI. Cats are very fussy about their litter box habits. Hope this helps.
p.s. Do not rub her nose in it... Ask yourself, would you like to lick poop off of your face after someone rubbed your nose in it?

Answer 3

Maybe getting a larger litter box could help,keeping it clean should have fixed the problem.I think your cat doesn't like to step in the litter anymore because she thinks it's going to be dirty,not realizing that you now keep the box clean.Also,if you catch the cat in the act,pick her up and stick her in the litter box,so maybe she will start going in the box again.

Answer 4

I know this sounds harsh, but you need to rub her nose in it, & tell her NO in a stern voice, & put her in the litter box. If she tries to leave the litter box then keep putting her back into it. Until she uses it, then praise her for being a good girl.

Answer 5

I wish I new but me old cat has started pooing every where and she was always been a clean cat until now, maybe they have dementia "seriously"

Answer 6

Make sure you thoroughly clean the area to completely get rid of the smell. If the cat smells urine or feces they will go in that area again.

Answer 7

your cat might be having mood swings - don't luagh because it can happen - your cat might be in the mood for love or might be lonely so try haveign hr in contact with for cats and see what happens.