Why is my cat going everywhere in my home but the littler box?

Question

my cat sometimes goes is her littler box when she knows were watching or around but for the most part she's always going in the extra bedroom,washroom and it's even so bad now she's moved on to the kicken what is it and what can I do?

Answer 1

Inappropriate elimination (urinating or defecating outside of the litter box, and/or spraying) is the most common behavior problem of older cats. There are numerous causes for this behavior, many of them medical, so a cat who has inappropriate elimination should be examined by a veterinarian. Laboratory tests will need to be performed in most cases.

Contributing factors to inappropriate elimination

Medical conditions: Medical conditions which result in an increased frequency of urination or defecation may be the underlying cause for this behavior problem. These conditions include: colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease, and feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Medical conditions which cause pain urinating or defecating, or make it difficult for the cat to get in and out of the litter box, may also result in inappropriate elimination. Such conditions include arthritis, FLUTD, anal sac disease, loss of vision, and some forms of colitis. Treatment of these medical conditions may help to resolve this behavioral problem. In addition, using litter boxes with lower sides, placing the litter box in the area in which the cat spends the most time, and increasing the number of litter boxes may be helpful.

Stress: Stress can be a major cause of inappropriate elimination in cats of all ages. Stressors such as moving, changes in routine, or changes in the makeup of the family can result in inappropriate elimination. Reducing these stressors or decreasing their impact on the household will benefit your cat (and probably you, too!). For instance, when moving, attempt to keep the cat in a quiet portion of the home when packing and during the actual moving day. At the new residence, confine your cat to a quiet room at first (probably a bedroom), placing her food, water, litter box and favorite sleeping material (bed, sweatshirt, etc.) in the room. Spend time with her in that room and feed her and clean the litter box at the usual time. Gradually let her become accustomed to the rest of the house.

There is a product called 'Feliway' which was designed to help reduce anxiety in cats, and thus decrease spraying or urinating inappropriately. Feliway contains pheromones from the cat's face. Pheromones are chemicals which are used to communicate with other members of the same species. You may notice your cat rubs her face and chin on vertical surfaces. She is leaving a scent there which contains these pheromones. The pheromones from the face have a calming effect on other cats. When Feliway is sprayed onto multiple vertical surfaces which your cat may spray, the cat receives this calming effect and in many cases, spraying will be reduced.

Substrate preference: cat in litter boxCats of all ages may develop an aversion to the litter box or substrate (material inside of the litter box). Some of the litters with a 'perfume' or 'antiseptic' smell may dissuade some cats from using them. Trying different types of litter including clumping litter, sand, newspaper, and no litter are things that could be helpful.

Box location: Some cats may not like where a box is located. It may be located too close to their food or water. It may be in a high traffic area where they cannot have privacy. It may be in an area where they can be easily ambushed by another cat. It may be on a different level of the house than where they spend most of their time. In addition to trying various substrates, also place extra boxes around the house to see if box location makes a difference. There should always be at least one more litter box than the number of cats in the household.

Sanitary conditions: Some cats are very particular. Some will not defecate in the same box in which they urinate. Others will not go in a box which has been used by another cat. Just as we do not like to use dirty bathrooms, neither do many cats. If the litter box is not cleaned regularly, they may decide to find a different bathroom.

Possible Solutions to Inappropriate Elimination

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Have your cat checked by your veterinarian for a possible medical condition, and start treatment for the condition if one exists. If the cat is extremely stressed, talk to your veterinarian about some medications which may help.
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If you have multiple cats and do not know which one is the culprit, your veterinarian can give you some fluorescent dye to feed one of the cats. The urine from that cat will fluoresce when exposed to a black light.
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Place numerous litter boxes around the house. You do not have to use anything fancy: dishpans, large plastic containers or other items may work just as well. Try a larger litter box, some behaviorists feel litter boxes are often too small.
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Use different substrates including newspaper, clumpable and nonclumpable litter, sand, sawdust (not cedar), carpet remnants, and no litter at all. Use unscented litter, since many cats do not like the scented kind. If you find the substrate that your cat prefers is not the one you do, e.g., carpet remnants, try slowly converting the cat back to litter. Place a small amount of litter on the carpet remnants the first week, and if all goes well, use more litter each week until you can finally remove the carpet remnants from the box.
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Try different depths of litter. Many people put too much litter in the box. Some cats like only a small amount.
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Clean any soiled areas with an enzyme cleaner designed for use on pet urine and stool. Regular detergents and other cleaners will not break down the urine or feces, and if the cat smells any urine or feces on a carpet or floor, the cat may continue to use that spot to eliminate. In some cases, the carpet or carpet padding may need to be replaced.
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woman cleaning a litterboxClean the litter boxes at least once daily. Wash the litter box weekly. Do not clean the box with a strong smelling disinfectant, but rinse the box well after washing it.
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Feed the cat where she is inappropriately eliminating. Many cats will not urinate or defecate in the area in which they are fed.
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Use upside down carpet runners (the ones with the spikes on the bottom), heavy plastic, aluminum foil, double-sided tape, motion detectors, pet repellents, or scat mats to limit her access to the area where she inappropriately eliminates.
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Try Feliway, as described above. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
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Take your cat to the litter box frequently, and if she uses it, praise her, or even give her a treat.
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If you catch your cat in the act of urinating or defecating outside of the box (or even using the digging motion), use a remote correction. This generally means doing something that will startle her. Tossing a pop can with a few coins inside of it and taped shut toward the cat (but not at her!) may get her to stop. Foghorns, whistles, and water pistols are other options. It is best if she does not associate you with the correction, but thinks it 'comes out of the blue.'
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Do NOT punish the cat. Punishing the cat, including rubbing her nose in the soiled area will not help, and will probably increase the stress on the cat.
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In some situations, it may be helpful to confine the cat to a small room with food, water, toys, bed, and litter box. Once she is using the litter box in the smaller area, gradually allow her into larger areas of the house.

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Answer 2

Is this new behavior or has she always done this? How old is your kitty? The first thing is to make sure her box is clean - about once a week and the poops should be scooped out daily. Cats are very clean and will not use a litter box that is too dirty or has too much litter in it (too deep for them to stand in).

Is it located in a place that's easy for her to access? And in a quiet place where, strange as it sounds, it is a little private? Cats can be funny about that too. Is it a new box with a cover on it that she hasn't had before? That may take her a while to get used to.
Are you using a new brand of litter that she may not like or she is having an adverse reaction to?

She could also have a urinary tract infection - that will often cause cats to not use their box. So you may have to take her to the vet to have her checked out. If she's older, you'll definitely want the vet to check her out for any kidney problems she may be developing.

Good luck.

Answer 3

When a cat stops using his litter box, the first step is a medical evaluation. If a cat is constipated or has gastrointestinal upset, he may not use the box for defecation. In other situations the box itself may be the problem. Some cats prefer one box for urination and one for defecation. Most cats prefer a very clean box that is scooped daily and changed weekly. If a cat is large in size, they may prefer an uncovered box that is at least 1.5 times the size of the cat.


cat started pooping outside the litterbox?

When a cat suddenly stops using her litter box, the first step is to rule out a medical problem. Common causes of non-litter box use for defecation include diarrhea, constipation or some other gastro intestinal upset. Often a cat will stop using the litter box if it is too dirty or not in a secluded private location. Investigation into these two common reasons for non-litter box use often solves many problems.

Answer 4

If your kitty does it in the wrong place while you're watching or within sight, while she is trying to eliminate you need to pick up your cat and drop her into the litter box...she'll get the message...

a couple more things to think about....if your cat is de-clawed...sometime it is uncomfortable for them to get used to the litter box because sometime the little stones (litter itself) gets caught in their toe openings before they're completely healed after de-clawing.

finally, the one thing that can really tick a cat off is a dirty litter box...if their litter box isn't cleaned regularly...not just of litter, but the container itself too....they won't use it at all...

My late cat of twelve years sent those messages to me in a way of her actions all the time. I had to make sure her box was cleaned and also when she was little I used to catch her limping a little after leaving her box and I had found that I have to remove pebbles from the litter out of her toes til they healed up and closed completely.

Your cat could also be suffering from some kind of health issue too...urinary tract infections are common...you might need to check this out with the vet.
Hope this helps....good luck

Answer 5

You should take the cat to the vet. As long as the litter box is clean, the main reason for not using it, is a physical problem like a bladder infection. Other causes include territorial disputes with other animals. Insecurity can cause the marking behavior.

Try this site, too:
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/litterbox-probs.pdf

Have you seen any blood in the urine? If so. let the vet know that, too.

Answer 6

Some cats are funny and will only use a certain litter try some other brand. Your cat may also have a urinary track infection and may need some meds. Give her some yogurt vats soy that is good for infections. Only certain kinds of yogurt. The Dannon kind. Good Luck.

Answer 7

My cat used to do that until one day i put her in my bathroom and i stayed there until she used the restroom and i didnt let her get out of the litter box i just put some toys there and i would just wait, it got kinda boring but i kept doing it like 3 times a week and it did work for me in a week

Answer 8

cat home littler box

Answer 9

First, is her litter pan clean smelling and cleaned out daily? If not, do so. Cats are very cleanly animals. The next thing is she is trying to tell you something. Does she eat her food, Does she pee alot or not at all, does she get enough attention. If all those things are OK, then take her to the Vet-she does seem to have something wrong with her and my cat language is not adequate.

Answer 10

maybe where the litter box is right now isnt modest enough for your cat...they like to be hidden...well the ones in the house do...LOL...anyway...try moving her litter box to one of her prefered locations and see if her behavior changes...worth a try!!

Answer 11

I think your cat thinks that you want to keep the liter box clean because you clean it every time he uses it. Therefore, he has decided not to get it dirty,