New to the cat world; advice needed for adopted cat

Hi Guys

Last night me and my partner adopted a 6year old Persian cat. Yay! 

He spent the night meowing; but ofcourse we expected that giving such a big change, we checked up on him once and the meowing stopped, as soon as we left he started again. 

This morning, my partner and I have come in to find, he has taken a poop on the sofa. (best good morning present ever!) I can understand its a very unsettling time for him. When he explored his area last night, he had smelt the litter box which I kept approx 4 metres away from his eating area.

So if you guys could be kind enough to help me out and let me know what am I doing wrong here. Should I move the litter box closer? I dont know what kind of litter box he had previously, the one I bought him was a flap one; should I remove the top half so its just a tray? I used the litter I was given (which was this pebbly type one)

This is our first cat, so we would immensely appreciate any advice you can give to stop sofa pooping! and promote litter tray pooping!

Many thanks

Usually a poop outside of a litterbox either means he dislikes the litter box or litter type, or it could be a health problem. If his poop looks normal (so solid but not pebbly and not runny), then it might be just litterbox perferences. I would go see the vet soon though if you can, just for a wellness check!

I would remove the flap/cover and see if he'll use it. When I adopted my cat, he didn't know how to open the flap (kept pawing at it and I would open it for him, but then he wouldn't know how to get out) so I just took it off. Some cats prefer a covered litter box, some don't.

A box further from the food is always best! 

When you say pebbly, do you mean the fine sand type or large pea sized balls? I do believe clumping is the best kind of litter and the finer the grain, the better so it's soft for your kitty's paws. You can also experiment with what kind of litter he might like. It may be costly and inconvenient, but it really helps. Try a different litter in another box and see which one he uses. 

I would also place the litter box somewhere he can look over the room and have an escape route, but also be secluded from high traffic areas so he isn't surprised by a passer-by. 

Otherwise, congrats on a new kitty! 

Congratulations on your new cat!  So you have a covered litter box? Some cats feel too confined in that type of box. Also the cat may be afraid of predator, and not able to see the area. Next, separate the food area from the litter area by a great distance. Would you want to eat your dinner on the toilet?  Hopefully your kitty still has his front claws. If cat was de-clawed (God forbid!) a hard litter could be very uncomfortable. The cat may want some affection...do you have any aversion to the cat sleeping with you on the bed?  I don't know where the cat came from, but it might just need to know somebody still loves him. Good luck, read all of the various threads on this site, as it is filled with many good advice tips!

The first thing to do is to take him to a vet for a check up and get a better health history on him, is he de-clawed, neutered, etc

The other thing to remember with an older cat is that they can be very set in their ways by then. Try a variety of litter and I would take the cover off to see if he prefers it. Also move the litter box away from the food (like well, well away). Cats are very clean and quite literally do not like to s**t where they eat haha

Keep the litter box somewhere quiet but with an escape route and minimal traffic, just like you like to keep the door closed when you do your business, cat's like privacy when doing theirs

The next thing is to just learn about your little furbaby. Maybe he likes cuddles and gets lonely, what toys or play does he like and what food does he prefer etc. They are little humans and getting to know their vast and distinct personalities is the absolute best thing about owning a cat... wait... you NEVER own a cat hahaha they choose you

Lotsa patience and love and I promise you he will be your best friend. Good luck and welcome to TCS!