please help, my cat is mad at me

OK.
First of all, i read the pooping problem thread. My cat is pooping outside of the box but selectively, and goes months without doing it. then BAM, i come home to a poop. And then of course that spot smells, so she keeps going there. This time it was on my couch and i cant very well throw that out.
I don't know what to do.
she is perfectly healthy. her box is always clean and private. it is large. i am sure that she is not sick because this behavior is on and off. she has a nice shiny coat and is very active and affectionate. at first i thought she was doing this because i was out of the house for 9 hours 4-5 days a week. But then she does it when im home too, although mayeb its just because she smells it at that point
also she pees on my bathmats in the bathroom. when her behavior is otherwise fine, shewill still always pee there. only there, over and over. i have to keep the bathroom door shut all the time. She likes to pee and poop on blankets or mats all over the apartment. thankfully she has stopped doing it on my bed.
why is she doing this? im so frustrated and exhausted. please help.
-Nora

Oh sweetie, the first thing you need to do is take a deep breath.

There. Someone here on the site mentioned that if your bathmat has a latex or rubber backing, for some reason cats seem to thing that that is a "go" signal.......and they do. You may want to check and see if it has that kind of backing.

The next thing: You said that she does NOT do this all the time. Neither does my Pete. But......(isn't there always a "but") every now and then, Pete poops outside the box. It doesn't matter if it is clean, dirty, inside out, upside down......he just does it.

So.....what kind of litter are you using? Does your baby like it? If you have to get rid of the mats, then she will not have anyplace like that to pee. If she continues to pee outside the box, you may want to call your vet and talk to him/her about the situation. Sometimes, cats peeing outside the box indicates an infection.

Have you tried using bleach on the spots that she poops? (if you can) Perhaps an enzyme cleaner would help you there.

All of us here at TCS have had to deal with this problem to one degree or another. If you have any other questions, please feel free to post them and someone will be along to help you.

By the way, welcome to TCS and happy to know you headbuts and hope we can help you licks from KittenKiya's Clan.

i agree with the advice you have been given and would add that you should look for any particular stressors on the days your cats doesn't use the litter box. I dont think cats defecate to show anger at their owners. there is something else going on and you need to find a way to think like a cat to get to the bottom of this (no pun intended).

goodluck, hope the turds are dry and not too messy --- sorry TMI

I found that my cat would always go outside his box when using the pellet type litter that goes sawdust like when wet. He wees fine in this litter but doesn't like to pooh in it.

yes, the bathmats have those rubber bottoms...places i know to her be her problem spots ive rearranged and bleached those old spots..but shes done it again, and once is enough..if i dont bleach right away, its poops for a week. shes not peeing as much is pooping. she seems happy with the litter, i hear her scratching away. it fresh step clumping litter. do you have any other reccomendations? for now ill bleach everything and make sure not to big,. blankety digging piles, and hopefullythings will be fine again.

thanks so much for your help!!
best
nora