My kitty is potty trained but she keeps going somewhere else?

Question

I have 2 kitties and both of them are potty trained. They both have a kitty litter box and have used it previous times but lately one of them is been doing her bussines on my moms bed and I dont understand because the other one is still using the box.

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 such as something as simple as a lower urinary tract disorder: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_lower_urinary_tract_dis.html 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

I have the same problem with my cat. We have 6 cats, all of them boys except 1 girl. She's been doing he business outside of the litter box too. The problem might be is that your cat is getting picked on by the other one and can't get to the litter box cuz' it's being picked on when it tries to go to the litter box, that's what happend with my cat. If that's not the problem, the cat might have something called a UTI (uraniery tract infection) which would make them not able to get to the litter box in time. My last suggestion might be is if you have had any new changes in the house like a new pet, new furniture, people, or anything else that is new or re-arranged, the cat might not like the change and get mad. That happend with my cat too when we moved. Well I hope I helped you...if you want to check your cat for a UTI there is a cat litter that detects it for you. You can buy it at Wal-Mart and what you do is you get 2 bottles of it and you put your cat in a room with food and water with the litter pan. If your cat has a UTI it will show you in the litter. Otherwise you can just bring your cat to the vet to get checked.

Answer 3

Sometimes it's a sign of stress. Does she get along with the other cat okay? Is there something she might be stressed about?

A few times, my cat has pooped somewhere outside her litterbox & in a very obvious place where I would quickly notice it. I started paying attention to patterns, and realized that she does it when I'm away from home for too long. I think it's because she's stressed.

It could also be a territory-marking thing, to give her a sense of security claim your bed.

Or it could be an aversion to the brand of kitty litter you use. Maybe try another brand.

Or as others said, maybe her litterbox is too dirty for her preferences?

Answer 4

you may want to clean the litter box. Then put it on your moms bed for now and put some of the poo back in it. Once she gets adjusted to the box again you can move it. Maybe she does not like the room where the box is in or the other cat is trying to chase her away. She also could feel stressed and just does not like the place you put the box. Also you can spray it with some catnip, watch the cat and put her repeatedly inside the box.

Answer 5

Cats are pretty hard to train. Make sure you always keep their litter boxes clean. It might help to get the littermaid automatic boxes, but they are expensive. Another strategy is to retrain your cat. Lock it in a small room with its food and a clean litterbox. Cats don't like to be near areas they use the bathroom so the smaller the area they are in, the more likely they will be to use the litterbox. If it spots in areas, place its food bowl on that area. This should help. Eventually you can allow it to go in larger areas.

Answer 6

Make sure the litter box is clean because sometimes they're really picky about it. Then take her to the vet because sometimes that's their way of telling you that they don't feel well.

Answer 7

that's hilarious.