Litterbox problem, Help please!?

Question

We have a cat who is about 2 years old. Just recently she started being "naughty". She's been pooping on the carpet in the basement (this is the only place in the house we have carpet at all). We have another cat who is male and is 11 years old. We haven't caught him doing this yet - we're pretty sure it's just Emmie. We bought a second litter box (the enclosed type with the opening for the cats to go through) and put it in the area she had been "soiling". It didn't work. We have always used "Tidy Cats for Multiple Cats" and we've always had the enclosed boxes. What could be causing her to do this now all of a sudden? I'm pregnant and supposed to stay away from cat feces. When possible I plan on ripping that carpet out - but in the meantime, until I can do it, what else is there to do? My other cat is allergic to clumping litter - so that's not an option since he uses both boxes now that we have 2. Also the boxes are kept very clean. Help please!

It is my 2 year old cat that's being naughty - the old guy's (11 year old cat) still doing fine and behaving.

Answer 1

Sometimes the cat likes the texture on the carpet and you did say you dont have any carpet anywhere else so if you have some extra carpet in the kitty litter box and in a couple day take it out and you are trickin her mind to think that the carpet is still there and she wont use it anywhere

Answer 2

The problem is most likely a urinary tract infection. They are very common in cats, with some more prone to them than others. The infection makes urinating very painful, and eliminating outside of the box is her way getting your attention to let you know something is wrong.
If you want to be sure before heading to the vet, there is a fairly new product out on the market that will detect urinary tract infections. It is a cat litter that changes color when it detects an infection through the urine. It should be available at a Petsmart, Petco, etc. just ask. Of course, this will not work to diagnose the problem if your cat is also not urinating in the litterbox, nor will it substitute for a vet's diagnosis or treatment.
My vet recommends that owners of cats that have had this problem in the past keep some on hand and add some to the litter box whenever they suspect the problem may possibly be reoccuring. It can help you help your cat by being able to seek out treatment sooner.
For a urinary tract infection, the course of treatment will likely be a fairly inexpensive course of anitbiotics to clear up the infection.

Answer 3

Before you assume that your cat is ahving accidents because it wants to make your life miserable, you need to rule out any chance your pet has some type of medical problem that has as one of its symptoms either incontinence or diarrhea. At the first sign of problems take your cat to the vetto be examined. It could have a bladder infection, kidney problem, food allergy, sphincter weakness, or some other condition that causes the animal to soil the house. Ruling out a medical condition will bring you closer to solving the problem, and is only fair way to proceed. If you have ruled out a medical problem, and have decided to first treat the undesirable behavior as simply improper elimination and not marking behavior, there are numoruos possible causes and solutions. Your cat's litter box should be scooped clean of waste at least once a day, and the litter replaced completly at least once each week. You should scoop and change litter more often, though, if more than one cat is using the same litter box. if you allow your cats litter box to become fillede with waste are just asking for trouble; remember that cats are fastidious, and will avoid a filthy box in favor of a nice clean flower pot or a laundry basket. Keep the box as clean as possible, and consider getting an extra one if you have one than more cat. Also, make sure to clean the box itself with mild soap and water each week, whenever you change the litter. Once your cat has gotten used to a certain brand of litter, you should stick with it. Owners who abruptly change brands of litter because of price, convieniance, pretty packaging, or a nice new perfumed smell often find their cats objecting in a most objectionable manner. If your cat has suddenly decided to avoid its litter box, and you have just recently changed litter brands, go back to the old type and see what happens. If you must for some reason change brands, do so very gradually, over a three to four week period. Cats are finicky and very set in their ways. The more static their environment, the happier they will be. Even going to a different style of litter box can often throw a cat into a tizzy, causing it to eliminate outside the box. If it aint broke, don't replace it! Do not buy because you think that it is neat ior pretty. If you insist on doing so, keep the old box around for a while; put the new one next to the old one and see which one the cat likes best. It may choose to switch, use both, or stay with ol' faithful. If the cat seems to like using the new box, wait a few weeks, then remove the old one. Your cat wants its litter box right where it has always been. Keep it there, if at all poossible, for as long as you live in that home. How would you like it if someone kept on moving your bathroom around each day? Owners who sddenly relocate their cats litter boxes aree only asking for trouble; remember, cats like the status quo! If you simply must move the box, first place an identical litter box with litter in the new location and make sure the cat discovers it. Leave both boxes out for a few weeks and watch to see if the cat is using the new one at all. If it begens to on a regular basis, you can remove the old one. But again, try to keep things as static as possible! Good Luck!!!

Answer 4

There could be many reasons. I would have her looked at by a vet. It's possible that she has a urinary tract infection or some other medical problem. When cats have trouble with elimiating, they associate the litterbox with that trouble, therefore, they avoid it.

The best way to see which cat is having this problem is to (one at a time) take a the cat and put it in a room with a litterbox for 24 hours. Which ever cat is the one doing it, you'll know.

Being that this is sudden behavior, I would take the cat into your vet. It's a good bet that the cat is having elimation problems.

Answer 5

OK, so you're prego and because of that not supposed to be around a litter box and this is a new problem...am I right? What is kitty's issue, maybe she just likes a REALLY clean litter box and daddy isn't 'doing it right'. Have you tried a self cleaning model, you can get one at a superstore for about $80 and they are worth every penny!

Answer 6

it may be she's feeling the changes in your pregnancy or possibly she actually has a medical problem. It wouldn't hurt to have her checked out to rule out medical issues first then approach everything else secondary. Older cats (e.g. 11 plus years) sometimes get old cat diseases that cause them to change.

Answer 7

My cats do this when they get bladder infections. Take her to the vet and get her checked out, if shes ok then ask the vet what he/she thinks you should do next.