Behavior or Health - I'm not sure

It reads to me as if your husband doesn't like the cats and is looking for an excuse to get rid of them, at least one.  Before branding her the guilty party and shipping her off... Only to find out he is wrong.... Make sure who the guilty party really is!!  Animals, especially cats, are good at hiding pain and illness.  Pets are a responsibility and saying you can't take them to find out for sure and rule out medical problems concerns me.  Maybe you do have too much on your plate?  It could be something very serious. 

 

If it's one of the cats, and it's not an illness it could be a trauma, maybe one of the other cats or the dog is pouncing on them in the litterbox?  Or it could be with so many animals, that they feel it's not clean enough.  How often do you clean the box?  I know it sucks to do so but cats will start using inappropriate places if the box is too dirty.  And with 3 cats, it gets dirty pretty fast.  I would recommend at least twice a day.  Also 4 is  good, one plus and extra for each cat.  My cats, however, like to go #1 in one of their boxes and #2 in another.  So I have to have 2 per cat!   

 

If it's the dog, he may be watching the cats using the box and is trying to do so himself?  More than likely he is not being walked enough and when he's out there he is not given enough time to really finish. Maybe take him out for walks more?   Anyway, there are ways to correct this, you just have to be willing to do the work to do so is all. 

 

I know having a toddler makes this all a bit tough but have your husband get involved.  In my experience, one partner usually isn't pulling their share of the pet care.  They feel it is the others responsibility.  Well, remind him it's his home, too... If he wants it to be clean and free of mess he needs to walk the dog more and clean the cat boxes once in awhile.  It only takes a few minutes.

 

Please do not abandon any of your cats at a shelter... Unlike what people think, good animals do not get adopted all the time.  They often have 3 days to be adopted, if they are not, they are put down.  If they sniffle or sneeze, they are put down.  If they are told the animal has issues, they are put down.  If you have to give them up, please find them a HOME with responsible people who can care for them properly and lovingly.

You can perhaps find a cheaper vet? http://www.thecatsite.com/t/203204/list-of-low-cost-free-spay-neuter-clinics-in-the-us.  You can perhaps find one here.   I suspect they are mostly for rescue cats, but if you find a vet nearby, do ask.  Even if you as private owner will prob pay more, it will surely be still cheaper than your current vet.

 

I agree IF you do rehome this your mobbed cat - may be a good idea as it goes now - find her yourself a new home.  A good no kill shelter only as last resort.

A bad, kill shelter is a big no no.

 

You know there is the Feliway diffuser for cats, and  DAP diffuser for dogs?  They may be useful in some cases.

 

Good luck!

A common cat litterbox problem occurs when a cat or other pet decides to use the litterbox for something besides its intended purpose. Dogs and cats have been known to use the litterbox as a playground and, worse, some dogs and cats use the litterbox as a snackbar.  Are you certain that this isn't the case?  I know of several people who thought their cats were the problem and it was actually the dog taking it out of the box and either eating it or playing with it!! 

 

Another case of cat litterbox problems is the cat who eliminates outside of the litterbox. This affects many cats, and several reasons could lead a cat to urinate outside of the litterbox. Causes such as an overcrowded cat box, a dirty litterbox or a litterbox in a vulnerable location are a few.  Feliway diffusers can help but you have to be certain it's the cat first.  Get some more boxes, clean them more, and try this....

Comfort Zone from Feliway, it is supposed to encourage litterbox use again... But again it won't work if it's not the cats!

http://www.catfaeries.com/feliway.html

 

 

I have a multi-pet household also, and it is hard to isolate the one going outside of the box at times.

If you have 4 litter boxes in the house, start isolating the cats in one of the rooms with a litter box. If the problem occurs elsewhere in the house, you can rule out the isolated cat. If the cats get along, isolate them in pairs to work thru the process more quickly. If you want to prove it is the dog doing it, isolate all of the cats away from the dog and see if the dog is doing it. When you find the culprit, then take that one to the vet to rule out health issues. If cleared of health issues, then you can start working on the behaviors.

That is awesome!  Is she playing with or eating poop or pooping herself?  Either way, it's probably normal dog behavior.  Easily handled but if she is walking enough, take her to the vet to rule out anything medical.  If she's eating it... Don't freak.  This is normal for dogs.  Cat food and cat waste has more meat in it and dogs can't resist eating it.  Just deny her access to the litterboxes.  As for your husband, usually someone who doesn't like a certain species, won't change their minds... But, this is not always the case.  I know plenty of people who have changed their minds about cats after a lifetime of disliking them.  My mom is one example.  I begged and begged for a kitten as a little girl and she finally caved eventhough she hated cats.  However, she bonded with and grew to love that cat as much as I did... And each one after that! 

 

Just wait for the "I bet the cats made the dog do it" speech. One of my friends had to deal with that when her roommate's dog started pooping on the floor, and the roommate first blamed my friend's cat (this poop was multiple times the size of any cat poop I have ever seen) then blamed the cat for riling her dog up when they caught the dog red-handed.