How can I get my cat to stop using the floor as a litterbox?

Question

First, you have to know that as crazy as it sounds, he's doing it deliberately. It started when I went back to work after being a stay at home mom for years. I have recently quit that job, but the cat keeps pooping and peeing on the floor near the litterbox. I know he knows he shouldn't because if I am in viewing distance, he will start to and then look at me and then get in the litterbox. If he thinks I should be feeding him and his meowing hasn't alerted me to his "problem", he will use the floor. (He has been placed on a diet along with my other 3 cats and is being fed a cup a dry food twice a day) I wonder if adding more litterboxes would help, but I live in a dinky house and I can barely fit the two I have in the laundry room. I have nowhere else to put another one. I am at the end of my rope with him and hate the thought of having to get rid of him, but he is ruining the floor. I have put down newspaper, puppy pads etc...but it seems to just condone this behavior. HELP!!!

Answer 1

This is a tough one. All I can suggest is what I answered to someone else's question. Try putting down aluminum foil or something "crunchy" on the floor where he goes. Most cats don't like the sound and feel of it when they step on it. Do you use a covered or open little box? Whichever it is...try switching to the opposite.

Answer 2

The most common reasons why cats don't use the litter box are an aversion to the box, such as dislike of a covered box, or dissatisfaction with the depth of the litter. Two other common reasons are a preference for a particular type of litter not provided in the box, or a preference for a particular location where there is no box.
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Sometimes, the problem is a combination of all these factors. To get to the answer, you'll need to do a little detective work—and remember, the original source of the problem may not be the reason it's continuing. For example, your cat may have stopped using the litter box because of a urinary tract infection, and then developed a surface preference for carpet and a location preference for the bedroom closet. If that's the case, you'll need to address all three of these factors to resolve the problem.

Cats don't stop using their litter boxes because they're upset at their human caregivers and are determined to get revenge for something that "offended" them. Because humans act for these reasons, it's easy for us to assume that our pets do as well. But animals don't act out of spite or revenge, so it won't help to punish your cat or give her special privileges in the hope that she'll start using the litter box again.



Basically lock the cat in a room with the litterbox and leave food and water. Don't let it out until it uses the litterbox appropriately.

Answer 3

How often are you cleaning the box? Cats are very particular about having a nice clean litter box. He might also not like the texture of the litter you are using- you could try and change that and see if it helps. Or change where the boxes are if you can. Experts recommend a litter box plus one for every cat in the household (4 cats = 5 boxes).


A cup of food 2 times a day seems like a awful lot to me. My 11 lb. cat only gets 1/4 cup twice daily.

Answer 4

Well if your cat is peeing only a little bit on teh floor and it has a little pink tint to it, it means your cat has urinary trac infection.
If it peeing alot then it just is refusing to go in the litterbox, mostly because it could be to full of feices. Or it could be one of the smelly brands which cats do not like at all (ex. Fresh Step). We use cold hard brands with little dust and the cats like it fine.
If this keeps going on lock up your cat in a cage with the litterbox. That will litterbox train it.

Answer 5

Here are some possible reasons why he is disobeying.

1. change in brand
2. poorly designed litterbox (cats do not like the "hooded" kind)
3. poorly maintained litterbox
4. medical coinditions
5. territorial markings
6. porly positioned litterbox
7. psychological disorder

If he always pees in the same spot it may be that he can smell where he has gone before because of the ammonia in his pee. you can prevent this by using a AMMONIA FREE cleaner to clean the spot, or by spraying mouthwash or vinigar on the spot, both of which cats find disasteful. Also, adding a food bowl to the site of disposal may prevent him form going there.

By the way-- Cats pee contains much ammonia which means to spot place where they have gone before you can use a black light. Mist all these spots with vinigar/mouthwash to prevent future disposals.

Answer 6

Buy new boxes. I had that problem and threw away the old box and replaced it with a clean box. Cats have a keen sense of smell, so if the box is old and has bacteria growing in it, they wont want to use it.

Also, have you changed litter lately? They may not like the new litter.

Also, how often are you cleaning it? Again, they have picky noses and if it's dirty, they would rather use a clean floor.

Answer 7

Sit down and have a long talk with him.
Seriously, have you tried using different brands of litter? Also keep the box changed and clean regularly. Some cats are very picky and wont go in a dirty box.

Answer 8

This happened to my neighbor's cat too. I suggest taking him to your vet for a check up. Especially since you mentioned you had other cats. According to my neighbor's vet, if a cat is sick, and shares the litter box with other cats, the sick cat won't go in the litter box. It's there way of trying to be nice and not get the other cats sick. The fact that he's alerting you to his "going" is also a possible sign that he wants you to clean it up before the other cats get sick.

Answer 9

He might need a new litter box also. Yeah cats will know when they are being bad and he might just not like his litter box and going outside of it even though he knows not to so when you're around..he'll just use the box to please you but when you're not..he'll do what's most comfy for him. Personally I dont' think they make litter boxes large enough for cats...yeah they're deep enough so they can dig tunnels and make forts..but for a cat to fit comfortably..I just dont' see it...I bought one of those rubbermaid large storage boxes..the ones that are long that you can fit wrapping paper tubes in it..but not the wrapping paper one..it's deeper...and my cats have LOTS of room now..they just didn't look comfortable in that little box even though they never went outside the box...it just looked difficult to me and figured they need something larger. Also...they have these great mats for the litter box to sit on now that extend way outside the edges of the box for them to wipe their feet on and not track litter all over...they're made of rubber so if he does have an accident...your floor will be safe.

Answer 10

i used to have the same problem but i bought this spray thing for dog and cat craps, it stopped my problem. go to your local pet shop and ask for that. you just spray it to the place where the cat usually craps and it'll avoid that certain spot.