Hey everyone,
As the title suggests, I have scoured over these forums for weeks to try and find a solution to my cat pooping on the floor problem, but most of them don't seem to have happy endings. Is it at all possible to fix this issue once it starts? And in my case, has gone on for almost 2 years?
A little back story... I have 4 cats currently, but only one of them has litter box issues. Her name is Vera and I've had her since she was 10 weeks old. She is 3 years old now. I also adopted her littermate, Chanel, and have 2 other cats that have come into the picture after the litterbox issues started, so I don't think they are to blame.
When Vera was a kitten she used to pee on my bed every night for almost a month. At this point, she was pooping in the box with no problems. When I asked my vet for advice, he suggested I separate her and her sister (Chanel) for a week because they may be having "issues". I did this and then a couple days later she no longer peed in my bed and we have not had a pee related incident since.
Fast forward a few months later, I moved out of my parent's basement to a new city, in a new apartment, with my boyfriend. Shortly thereafter the pooping outside of the box began. She would either poop directly in front of the box or in the bathtub. This has continued for almost 2 years now. I now live in a house with fiance and two additional cats. We have 5 litter boxes. 2 are in the basement, one is in an office on the ground floor and the other 2 are in a guest bedroom on the same floor. They are all large, uncovered boxes. I scoop them daily. I primarily use the cat attract litter, but have recently tried some other options.... non clumping, crystals, corn based (this is what I'm trying currently in one box).
Vera will consistently poop every night right in front of the boxes in the guest room, on our hardwood floors. I have litter mats around the boxes, but she seems to prefer going on the wood floors. I try every night to catch her in the act, but it's as if she knows she needs to be sneaky. She has a nightly ritual.. she will come downstairs, eat, go back upstairs, and repeat a few times until she is ready to "go". If she notices me watching her walk to the guest room, she will turn around and run towards me acting sweet and not go. She will only poop on the floor when she is absolutely sure that no humans are watching her. She doesn't seem to mind if other cats are in the room. My fiance and I have literally set up booby traps and mirrors so we can be alerted when she is walking towards the room without her knowing, in hopes that we can place her in the box. If I put her in the box right before she is about to "go", she will poop in the box, but then immediately jump out when she is done and not cover her poo. However, if she poops on the floor, she will attempt to cover it... so from what I read, I do not think this is a dominant behavior.
I seriously am thinking she has a fear of pooping inside a box. I have tried putting empty litter boxes out, litter boxes with carpet scraps, newspaper shreds... she will not go in them. She also hates when we watch her doing this. If she can't find time without me watching her at night, she will wait until I'm at work to poop on the floor.
I'm really out of ideas. I am thinking as a last resort to seclude in one room with a box, but I just don't think this will work and honestly I would hate to keep her locked in a room all alone. She is very attached to me and is a great cat, despite these litter box issues.
Is there any hope for me???
Also, I forgot to add that she does not seem to have any health issues. She has seen 3 different vets and all are clueless about what I should do. One told me to see a behaviorist, but I am not sure that I can really afford that, and the closest one is 2.5 hours away.
As the title suggests, I have scoured over these forums for weeks to try and find a solution to my cat pooping on the floor problem, but most of them don't seem to have happy endings. Is it at all possible to fix this issue once it starts? And in my case, has gone on for almost 2 years?
A little back story... I have 4 cats currently, but only one of them has litter box issues. Her name is Vera and I've had her since she was 10 weeks old. She is 3 years old now. I also adopted her littermate, Chanel, and have 2 other cats that have come into the picture after the litterbox issues started, so I don't think they are to blame.
When Vera was a kitten she used to pee on my bed every night for almost a month. At this point, she was pooping in the box with no problems. When I asked my vet for advice, he suggested I separate her and her sister (Chanel) for a week because they may be having "issues". I did this and then a couple days later she no longer peed in my bed and we have not had a pee related incident since.
Fast forward a few months later, I moved out of my parent's basement to a new city, in a new apartment, with my boyfriend. Shortly thereafter the pooping outside of the box began. She would either poop directly in front of the box or in the bathtub. This has continued for almost 2 years now. I now live in a house with fiance and two additional cats. We have 5 litter boxes. 2 are in the basement, one is in an office on the ground floor and the other 2 are in a guest bedroom on the same floor. They are all large, uncovered boxes. I scoop them daily. I primarily use the cat attract litter, but have recently tried some other options.... non clumping, crystals, corn based (this is what I'm trying currently in one box).
Vera will consistently poop every night right in front of the boxes in the guest room, on our hardwood floors. I have litter mats around the boxes, but she seems to prefer going on the wood floors. I try every night to catch her in the act, but it's as if she knows she needs to be sneaky. She has a nightly ritual.. she will come downstairs, eat, go back upstairs, and repeat a few times until she is ready to "go". If she notices me watching her walk to the guest room, she will turn around and run towards me acting sweet and not go. She will only poop on the floor when she is absolutely sure that no humans are watching her. She doesn't seem to mind if other cats are in the room. My fiance and I have literally set up booby traps and mirrors so we can be alerted when she is walking towards the room without her knowing, in hopes that we can place her in the box. If I put her in the box right before she is about to "go", she will poop in the box, but then immediately jump out when she is done and not cover her poo. However, if she poops on the floor, she will attempt to cover it... so from what I read, I do not think this is a dominant behavior.
I seriously am thinking she has a fear of pooping inside a box. I have tried putting empty litter boxes out, litter boxes with carpet scraps, newspaper shreds... she will not go in them. She also hates when we watch her doing this. If she can't find time without me watching her at night, she will wait until I'm at work to poop on the floor.
I'm really out of ideas. I am thinking as a last resort to seclude in one room with a box, but I just don't think this will work and honestly I would hate to keep her locked in a room all alone. She is very attached to me and is a great cat, despite these litter box issues.
Is there any hope for me???
Also, I forgot to add that she does not seem to have any health issues. She has seen 3 different vets and all are clueless about what I should do. One told me to see a behaviorist, but I am not sure that I can really afford that, and the closest one is 2.5 hours away.
