Why would a cat 's**t' in the house time and again and not use the litter tray?

Answer 1

Hi there...if this is something that recently developed, 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
- kittens who are over 5-7 months can become sexually mature and urine spray as well as defecate inappropriately to mark territory.
- senior cats develop age-related disorders such as chronic renal failure (CRF), hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc.

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.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

Answer 2

If you have had this cat a while and this is abnormal behavior, the cat is probably mad/insecure about something.

If you've changed anything recently.. about the house.. about your habits... about certain people coming over.. the cat might be letting you know that he's not happy with the changes.

Unfortunately, unless you can target why the cat has started this behavior.. it's not that easy to fix. Sometimes adding an extra litter box somewhere will help if he is just choosing one spot to defecate. Once my mom's cat started, there was no stopping him. He really kicked in when she moved to a condo from the apartment he'd lived in his whole life. He pooped on the back of the new couch, where he happened to be laying for a couple of days.. on the stair landing (another place that he had been hanging out for a few days).

This very well could have been solely a territory issue given that he was uprooted. The move made the already insecure cat feel like he had to stake out what was his.

Answer 3

Hopefully this hasn't been going on for too long as it is difficult to reverse. The cat's litter box needs to be cleaned every day. How would you like a dirty toilet? Is it a grown cat or a kitten? If it's a kitten, they learn pretty quickly. When a cat goes potty, they cover it...take the kitten and put in the litter tray, move it's paws like they're covering their pee so they understand. Weird, but it worked with my kitten! If this isn't the problem, then the cat may have a bladder infection or something else. I would then suggest to take it to the vet.

Answer 4

I had a beautiful Persian cat that would not potty in it's box, no matter what. We got it as a baby and went right to work training as it we had all of our other kitties. Nothing we did worked.. The cat box was never dirty, or smelly, we had no other cats at the time, so this was our only baby. We even tried putting her in the bathroom with her clean box, fresh water, and kibbles.. she would wait until we came home, then run behind the T.V. and make her mess.
Sadly we ended up giving the cat to our Vet, who was willing to allow her to be a outdoor cat, where we lived that was not an option.
Good Luck, but there a few cats that just will not use the box no matter what, anyone tells you.

Answer 5

1. It is not trained and needs to be trained. 2.It is sick and is trying to tell you. 3.Or as stupid as it sounds...you might need a new litter box. If his/her pee stained the box or it is old, it might smell to bad and you need a new one. 4. If box is covered - cat may not like that either. My retarded cat doesn't like the covered ones. 5. Also if a cat "went" right before him...he had a problem with that to. He likes a "clean" litter box!!!! aaaaargghhhhhh!! Good luck

Answer 6

Our oldest cat will pee outside the liter box when it's dirty but usually they use it. I'm guessing maybe the cat is trying to tell the person the liter box is dirty or they have a very picky cat.

Answer 7

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