My 1 1/2 year old cat is suddenly using the bathroom OUTSIDE of his litterbox?????

Question

My year and a half old orange tabby was neutered at about 6 months of age, and before being fixed he never "sprayed". He was really well litter trained, never went anywhere other than the litter box. Until about a month ago, he ONLY went in his litterbox. All of a sudden, for about the last month, he has been urinating and defecating in very innapropriate places. I have had to lock him out of all the bedrooms unless there is someone actually IN the bed, or he will go on the beds. He is especially bad with visitors, going as far as to crawl into their suitcases and duffle bags to do his business!!! This I can kind of understand, he is probably angry or stressed out about the visitors. But why would he do it when they are not here??? And how can I get him to STOP before someone in the house insists that I get rid of him???

I need to point out that not only is he peeing on stuff...he is DEFECATING too. Could it still be a UTI??? Should I just take him to the vet, or call them first???

Answer 1

Hi Robin...when a cat suddenly begins to urinate/defecate outside the box it is indicative of an urinary tract infection or another medical issue.

Here's an article about inappropriate house soiling by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine of Feline Health:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

...please see web article for full details

Consider ringing your vet first opportunity to have your kitty evaluated as soon as possible.

In the meantime, consider purchasing some Nature's Miracle for Cats found worldwide at any pet store to clean the urine stained/odours from the areas where you kitty has eliminated. It's an enzymatic neutralizer that breaks down urine/feces proteins by soaking the affected areas thoroughly and then allowing to air dry. Repeated applications are necessary for heavily soiled areas.

Here's the website for this product: http://www.petmountain.com/show_product/503266

Answer 2

Sometimes there just isn't any reason we humans can think of to explain why a cat poops outside the box, so we need to do whatever we can to discourage it, using what a cat will understand (hopefully). Here are a few things you can try: Get a new litterbox (plastic absorbs odors and after a time the box will smell bad without any litter in it) and new litter (I'd suggest the scoopable kind), and put kitty and all her stuff in the bathroom. Make sure she has a bed of some kind, even a folded towel will work, and clean the litterbox daily. Cats usually don't want to eliminate near their food, so this may help break her of the habit. She needs to stay in the bathroom 24/7 for about two weeks. You should visit her often and talk to her so she doesn't feel lonely or punished. Small spaces are comforting to cats. She might set up a howl for awhile, but this does work. (I call this litterbox re-training 101). While she is in the bathroom, clean the areas she's soiled with either Simple Solution or Natures Miracle (or something similar). These are enzymatic cleaners that actually remove the smell rather than covering it up. Cats can smell things we can't and if the odor isn't completely removed she will be attracted to that place. (Never use ammonia because it smells too much like cat pee). After the two weeks, make sure the litterbox is in a quiet location, outside of traffic. If you have more than 1 level in your house, there should be a box on each level. Another thing to think about is the size of the cat vs. the size of the litterbox. Most cats like a little privacy when they're doing their business, so I buy the largest size covered litterbox I can get. These give the cat the privacy they need and prevent litter scatter. I also get a carpet sample or small rug to put in front of the box, which also helps prevent litter from being tracked on the floor. All of the above assumes your cat is healthy. If you notice anything "different" about your cat, please take her to the vet to rule out any illness.

Answer 3

My cat also does a similar problem only he defecates outside the box and he has been checked for any underlying causes and there were none. However we did discover that he is vindictive and does it on purpose because he is too lazy to cover his own mess in the box and will then go outside of the box even after it had been cleaned. Cat's are very territorial and hate change. If you recently done or have had any changes to your home that might be a particular of the problems especially if you have already checked with your vet for any underlying health problems.

Answer 4

Yeah I'd make an appointment with the vet. If the cat is doing this all the time he's got some kind of problem. He may have something physically wrong that needs attention or maybe he has become stressed about something. Have the vet check him out and let the vet know what is happening and for how long. You never know maybe your cat needs antistrss medicine or maybe he has an infection .
LL

Answer 5

What changed about the time that he started doing this? Was it guests only, or were there other changes in the household, like another pet, a new baby, different cat litter, different food, etc? A cat will respond to changes in his environment by trying to assert his dominance, and one way he does this is by defecating in areas where he wants to be dominant. He's effectively saying that "I'm the top cat, and I'm so strong that I don't have to hide MY poo to keep predators from knowing I exist," (which is why they cover their excrement in the first place). Make sure he's getting a lot of attention if any of these factors are in play; also be sure he has somewhere quiet to retreat if the changes in your household are permanant, or while visitors are present.

Answer 6

He may have a Urinary Tract Infection, or UTI. This causes them to feel discomfort when urinating. They associate that discomfort with the litterbox, so they stop using it. Take him to the vet. He/she may want to do a urinalysis, so you may need to try to get a urine sample.

Answer 7

Maybe you should relocate the litterbox . possibly in bathroom or hall near bathroom. Or maybe the litter box isnt clean enough cats can be picky you know.

Answer 8

You should really take him to the vet. He could have a UTI or a bladder infection. Or worse case he could have a blocked urethra. He may be trying to tell you he is in pain.

Answer 9

use natures miracle on the spots he has used (you can get it at petco) place multiple litter boxes (esp in certain places he likes to use), also keep the litter boxes really clean.

Answer 10

your cat needs to go to the vet