cat pooping outside litter box

something new has been happening as of late my one year old has been pooping outside litter box from time to time. litter is the same and box is clean. i have two cats one litter box very large . he is pooping on litter mat only in same place i bleach it out every time he does it. this has happened four times in last months and is always at night while iam asleep

First you should take him to a vet to make sure there isn't anything wrong. Behavioral changes can be a symptom of medical issues.

Second, add another litter box. Most people recommend one per cat and plus an additional one.

Use an enzyme cleaner to clean up where he has gone. He may be associating the area with an acceptable place to go because he can smell it. You can also put the poop you find on the floor in the litter.

I totally disagree with first part my mom has a cat since kitten now 9 and refuses to use litter box craps on floor and my mom has 6 exlarge boxes for 3 cats.. She believes that the cat is just a little bleep,bleep.lol.


I'll lookin to getting another box . he does it on occasion ...

You disagree that it could be a medical issue? It absolutely could. He could be constipated and associating the litter box with pain, he could have crystals in his urine, etc. it's always worth a vet check when there is a new issue. Cats only have limited ways to communicate to you that something is wrong, after all.

It's always worth seeing a vet with any kind of litterbox avoidance. It can very often be related to physical issues.

Also - don't use bleach for cleanup. Always use an enzymatic cleaner. To cats, bleach smells very similar to cat urine, so you can actually end up confusing/exacerbating the issue.[article="32366"][/article][article="32341"][/article]

This is a update to another post of mine. My last post I didn't elaborate enough. So my kitten who is 8 months old has occasionally pooped just outside his litter box. I had only one litter box for two cats and using pine fresh pellets . I find that he is pooping outside box when litter box has several pee spots and feces in it. I bought another jumbo sized litter box with hood and find he is still doing it. I called vet the tech seems to believe it's a litter issue and that the original litter box needs to be totally cleaned out.

So question is what product are recommended to disinfect box besides Petco/petsmart labeled products the vet suggested?

As for litter I need something that is practically dust and scoops easily... Neither of my cats bury their feces. My older cat did when I wasn't using pine pellets

Some cats don't like hooded litter boxes. It makes them feel trapped and unsafe, so you can take it off and see if that changes anything.

Most cats prefer clean litter boxes, so scooping them daily is suggested, although some cats are more finicky than others. The rule of thumb is to have as many litter boxes as you have cats plus one, so everyone has a chance to use a clean litter box when they want to.

Warm water and dish detergent are fine to clean a litter box with thoroughly. It's recommended to do this about once a week to keep odors at bay, to keep the cat happy, and to prevent disease. If you're worried about a specific pathogen you can clean more thoroughly with diluted ammonia (bleach doesn't kill coccidia), but that's not usually necessary.

I like World's Best Cat Litter. It's corn based, so it's nontoxic, and it clumps pretty well. You can also flush it which I love. Some people think it smells a bit too earthy for their tastes, but I don't notice it. 

It does sound like your cat just wanted a cleaner litter box, but if the issue of pooping outside of the box continues you might want to bring him in to the vet, because that can be a symptom of constipation as well.

@Molly92  has some great advice.  When it comes to washing the litter box itself, I often add a step by wiping it down with Nature's Miracle to make sure I get any odor out of it.  I'm not sure this is really necessary but just mention in case you find it useful.

I also use World's Best Cat Litter for the same reasons Molly92 mentions - it's corn based and non-toxic, it clumps well, it produces very little dust, it has good odor control and it's flushable.  Unfortunately it is also quite expensive, which is the main complaint about it.
[thread="184378"]Litter Recommendation  [/thread]
Above is a thread I found on litter recommendations.  A quick search will show many similar threads on the site.   

I don't remember from your other thread if anyone suggested you try Dr Elsey's Cat Attract products?  You might want to check them out on the company website.  http://preciouscat.com/product/    Many members have had great success with the litter. 

Thanks for the advice and for the link too the litter recommendations margd i took a picture of how i have my cat boxs setup

Hmmm maybe those boxes are too small? They look kinda tiny.

robert707 said:

Thanks for the advice and for the link too the litter recommendations margd i took a picture of how i have my cat boxs setup

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Have you tried taking the top off of one of the boxes to see if that is the problem?  Some cats really don't like to feel enclosed.  I can appreciate all the reasons for having a hooded box, especially if your kitten doesn't bury his waste - I've used them myself.   Still, it might be worth a try.

Just witness him ( my kitten) go onto one box pee then go into other and poo... Someone want to explain that? Boths boxes where soaped and scrubbed and rinsed out..

It sounds like it's just him being a little eccentric. Some cats like using one litter box for peeing and one for pooping.

Wondering if putting the litter boxes in my bedroom would be better? I live in a town home and food water is downstairs along with both boxes.

robert707 said:

Just witness him ( my kitten) go onto one box pee then go into other and poo... Someone want to explain that? Boths boxes where soaped and scrubbed and rinsed out..

Click to expand...

This is really not uncommon. A lot of cats require a different box for each function.  

I suggest the following:

- Remove the lid of one or both boxes.

- Move a box to a different part of the house.. maybe the current location has too much commotion going on. Some cats like to go in peace and quiet

- if you change litter, leave one box with the pine, and use new litter in the other box

- Move the food/water far from the boxes.. cats don't like to eat where they use the bathroom.

I also use World's Best cat litter.. minimal dust and controls odor pretty well.

Keep us posted!

I had a problem with Midi a while ago when he would occasionally poop on my bed. I was stunned and baffled. I didn't know why he did it. I know if he got mad he would poop on the bed. He would poop on my guest bed when my sister came over. She had a big personality and was very loud. But I didn't do anything to offend him so I was not sure what was going on. Then one day I heard him go downstairs to his litter box and 3 seconds later he bolted out of the basement and shot up to the second floor. I rush up to see what he was doing and sure enough he pooped on the bed. I went downstairs to see why he decided he needed to use my bed. I saw that there was a poop already in the box. He was punishing me for not keeping a tidy litter box. I picked up a second litter box and now clean them at least 3 times a day and all has been quiet on the western front. 

Zed Xyzed said:

I had a problem with Midi a while ago when he would occasionally poop on my bed. I was stunned and baffled. I didn't know why he did it. I know if he got mad he would poop on the bed. He would poop on my guest bed when my sister came over. She had a big personality and was very loud. But I didn't do anything to offend him so I was not sure what was going on. Then one day I heard him go downstairs to his litter box and 3 seconds later he bolted out of the basement and shot up to the second floor. I rush up to see what he was doing and sure enough he pooped on the bed. I went downstairs to see why he decided he needed to use my bed. I saw that there was a poop already in the box. He was punishing me for not keeping a tidy litter box. I picked up a second litter box and now clean them at least 3 times a day and all has been quiet on the western front. 

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Maybe my friend was right about getting a nanny-cam to figure out Maple's habits (while we're trying to correct them).

Zed Xyzed said:

I had a problem with Midi a while ago when he would occasionally poop on my bed. I was stunned and baffled. I didn't know why he did it. I know if he got mad he would poop on the bed. He would poop on my guest bed when my sister came over. She had a big personality and was very loud. But I didn't do anything to offend him so I was not sure what was going on. Then one day I heard him go downstairs to his litter box and 3 seconds later he bolted out of the basement and shot up to the second floor. I rush up to see what he was doing and sure enough he pooped on the bed. I went downstairs to see why he decided he needed to use my bed. I saw that there was a poop already in the box. He was punishing me for not keeping a tidy litter box. I picked up a second litter box and now clean them at least 3 times a day and all has been quiet on the western front. 

Click to expand...

I don't think this was exactly the same, I know it wasn't actually but it made me think of your post!

So this morning, after I was done scooping all the litter boxes, Penelopy jumped in and did her thing in the Cat Attract box. Actually, she jumped in there WHILE I was scooping, and I had to shoo her out. But then when I was done, she jumped right in, and *dig dig dig* and then she pooped. Yes, I watched - I want to know my cats' litter habits, and she could actually care less if you watch (she's the ONLY one I have like that, or ever have had). Anyway, I noticed Maple watching her from under the small table in my room, very intrigued actually.

So, I got out of my bedroom, and stood in the mudroom doorway (right across the hall from my bedroom door) and just watched. Sure enough, after Penelopy was completely out of the room I actually saw Maple go in there! I was so happy! And then when she was done with whatever she was doing, she absolutely BOLTED out of there, as if her own poop scared her or something. Didn't bury it or anything. Ok, note to self, if I see unburied poops - they might be hers. Of course, Penelopy will always bury any unburied poops if she sees them before I clean it out. Thanks Pea-Pea! So I wonder if seeing poop also makes her not want to go in the litter box? Even if it means she literally JUST pooped? I'm not kidding, this cat 17-lb cat jumped over the tall side of the litter box to get out of there faster.

@ draco i will try that. in regards too there food bowls there about 20 ft away from boxes and yes the location is not very quite main living room next too window and cat tree but they have been there for years. 

which worlds best cat litter do you use draco? i watched a video of someone doing a demo of how dusty it is and turned out too be 1.4 lbs of dust in a 28lb bag.