I have a cat that is about 2 years old .He's regressed in his housetraining, help!!?

Question

we got him as a kitten and he used to pee and poop in the house constantly now he has constant access to outside and hasnt messed in the house for over a year. lately he's been making the entire house into his giant toilet even though he can go outside at will. please help or i'll be forced to lock him outside permanently or feed him to my dog.

Answer 1

Hi there... first consider all the possibilities such as:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
-unspayed/unneutered cats urine spray and defecate to mark territory. Spay/neuter resolves the inappropriate behaviour if done early enough so that it doesn't become habitual.

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: 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.

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Answer 2

Feeding him to the dog is not funny.
Often when a cat regresses like this they are trying to communicate that they are angry or sick. Have the vet check him over he may have a bladder infection of some sort.
If that is not the case really pay attention to where and when this behavior occurs. Also when did it start? A little analysis of the household goes a long way to understanding why cats do the things they do.
Also make sure that you are using a very good cleaner on the spots that the cat is messing. If they can still smell it they are more likely to go there again. You can try putting him out frequently through out the day.
There are a lot of websites out there that have info on this issue. Do a search and see what you can find.
Good luck this is not an easy issue.

Answer 3

After raising four kids and working at a daycare for a couple years, I have learned that this is extremely normal. First, try to see what has changed in her life that might cause this problem. Maybe a new teacher at daycare or some other change. If you ask her every hour or so to try to sit on the potty and try to go, she may get used to a routine and want to please you by going. The M&M's only work short term. Try stickers and when she puts ten stickers on her card she gets to pick a small toy. This worked well at the daycare. Plus you aren't pumping her full of junk food. Don't stress out too much, some kids take as while to train and they go through these little ups and downs. Encourage her and always remember to smile!

Answer 4

I hope and pray the remark about feeding him to the dog is a joke...not a funny one, but still I hope it's a joke.

First of all is the cat neutered?
If not he may be spraying to mark his territory, having him neutered will stop or cut way down on this.

You'll need to clean everything that has been soiled with something such as a product called "Natures Miracle"...if not you'll never get the smell all the way out and he'll just keep going back to the same place over and over again.

Is it possible he doesn't want to be outside?
If so that may be his way of showing you his displeasure at having to go outside.

Lastly, as another person mentioned...a trip to the Vet is in order...any change in a cats behavior can be a sign that the cat isn't feeling well.
Cats are great at hiding illness and will somtimes "act out" in the way you're describing to get our attention that something is wrong.

Answer 5

since it is an unnatural act for the cat to repeatedly go in your house, I would look at the cat's environment. What I mean is, you need to find out what is driving the cat to do this. It's either a behavior thing...it's mad about something, another pet maybe?....or there is something in the yard that makes the cat uncomfortable to go outside, health issues in the cat maybe, or other animals disturbing the cat. it would be something that changed when the cat's behavior changed. my best suggestion is behavior therapy until you can figure out what is bothering your cat. at petsmart, or any big chain pet food places there is a litter called cat attract with pheromones in it that compel cats to go wherever the litter is. it's worked for me and others I've known for many wayward cats.

Answer 6

You should see the Vet. This is a sign of a UTI, or another infection. Take him in and have the doc take a look.

Answer 7

Do you have him fixed?ours did the the same thing we had his manhood removed ,now he's just fine,the vet said he was just marking his territory,hope this helps.