Cat has enjoyed peeing/pooping on floor for YEARS

nickirows

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All right, everybody, I have a problem here and I'm hoping you guys can help me solve it! I've never tried a cat-help forum before, but you guys seem super amazing so my fingers are crossed! So, here goes.


This is Belle. She was born around 2009, I believe. In 2010, her original owner put an ad up on Craigslist advertising her as a purebred persian with two purebred kittens. Since our persian had just died and she wanted a new one, my mom went to check out the cat. The place was a mess. Belle was left outside all the time to be chased by their dogs and children, as well as to be knocked up by some feral cat. Belle was covered in fleas, underfed. The original owner had "lost" the papers, but my mom bought her and her two kittens anyway. She took them home, scrubbed the flea dirt off of them (the water literally ran red), de-parasited... One of the babies ended up dying of malnutrition (Belle hadn't been given good nutrition whilst pregnant and her milk wasn't enough, it seems). The other we hand-fed for a few weeks (he's now a healthy short-hair cat -- not purebred after all, what a surprise!)

Anyway, so Belle's always had (understandable) trust issues. She doesn't seem to be afraid of humans, but generally just hates them. You cannot get near her to pick her up. Once you get within four feet, she'll run (two feet if you don't make eye contact). She never hid during the day, but hangs out around you, sleeping everywhere and anywhere. My mom figured that was fine. She's a beautiful cat and she had a rough early life and hey, we didn't need a cat to pet and snuggle (we had her baby and another cat for that).

The real problem was that she peed on the carpet, and in front of the litter box, and pooped near the front door. Believe me, my mom tried everything to fix this (she used to be a vet tech). We tried multiple litter boxes in different locations. Various types of litter. De-scenting her peeing areas. We took her to the vet (no issues, and certainly not one that would last years). Eventually, my mom just gave up. We couldn't re-adopt her in good faith to someone else and frankly, we loved her despite her destructive tendencies and demon glare (I mean, look at that fluff!).

Anyway, so fast forward to August 2016. I'm in college and I have my own cat, and my cat's kinda lonely. Meanwhile, Belle is in a large home with a child and a dog and her peeing/pooping continues to stress my mom and stepdad out. So I offered to take her -- win/win, right? My cat (Missy) has a playmate and my mom can have a laundry room not covered in paper towels! I hoped that maybe since my apartment was small (single bedroom, no roommates), maybe Belle would be less stressed and would stop peeing/pooping on the floor (if stress was the cause of it).

Well, it's now January 2017 and that theory seemed to be moot. I have two litter boxes and I keep them spotless (one's in my bedroom, one's in the laundry room). I've tried different litter materials as well. Once in a while, she'll go in the litter box. But the majority of the time, she poops in front of the litterbox and pees in front of my oven. She doesn't seem stressed at all. She sleeps all day, a few feet away from me, and plays all night. She enjoys looking out the window and chasing balls of her own hair. Sleeping with her face smushed into the corner is a favorite pastime, as well as laying spread-eagle, belly-up on the floor.

I just can't seem to change or prevent her behavior. It's hard to, say, pick her up when she's about to go and put her in the litterbox because I can't get near her (and besides, she usually does it while I'm asleep).

So, I'm kind of at my wit's end? I love her, and I won't give her up to anyone ever. She's beautiful. She doesn't cause any other destruction -- uses the scratching post. She gets along GREAT with Missy and they play together all night long. But I don't want to spend the next 6 years wiping up cat pee and picking up poop every single morning...

Literally any suggestion would be appreciated. I'm considering a Feliway diffuser, but I'm hesitant. My other cat behaves just fine and I don't want them to be so calm that they never play or do anything again.

Thank you sooooo much for your help, you guys!
 
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animalangel1

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I have two thoughts that might help. 

1) get a large plastic tray of some sort and put the litterbox at the back of it. That way when Belle goes in front of the box, it's still in a contained area that is easier to clean up. Basically you'd have a litter box inside a bigger flatter box. Not sure I'm describing it well enough... Something similar to this: 


and for 2) have you tried Cat Attract litter? They sell it just about everywhere now....Walmart, Petsmart, etc.

One other possibility is that she doesn't like whatever kind of litter you are using. Have you and your mom tried a bunch of different ones and had the same issue? 
 

moorspede

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Three litter boxes is the general rule for two cats.

You could buy a third one and place it in front of the oven and see if she will pee there. You'd have to move the other litter box gradually to where she is pooping. You could try some litter which has cat attract in it or, if you don't want to buy more litter and you use clumping clay litter, buy some cat attract in a jar. Some people use cat nip sprinkled on the top of the litter but I don't know how effective it is. 
 
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nickirows

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Thanks for the reply! My mom's tried three litter boxes in the past and it hasn't made a difference, but I'll consider buying another (:

As for moving the litter boxes over where she goes, I've tried that as well, but she's got the aim of Robin Hood and will manage to expertly poop/pee directly next to the box.

And I haven't heard of Cat Attract but that sounds SUPER helpful!! I won't put catnip in, since Belle has a tendency to straight-up eat it and I don't want her ingesting litter. But the Cat Attract sounds like a really good idea -- to the point where I'm probably going to go out and buy some tomorrow! Thanks so much!

If anyone else has any other advice, I'd appreciate it too :)
 

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people here have had great luck with cat attract.  i haven't tried it, but when i had a younger cat (not a kitten) who often went outside the box, i'd just pick her up and put her in the box anytime she started going.  at first she yowled at me every time i did it, but over time she started using the litter box most of the time.
 

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I'd buy the Feliway diffuser as well, as it won't over chill your other cat, and is worth a shot.  They're perfectly fine for use in multicat households where only one cat is showing signs of stress.  

Has Belle been spayed?  

I like the litterbox inside a litterbox plan.

Make sure your litterboxes big enough and are placed where there are multiple escape routes but with privacy.  

If she learnt to go to the toilet outside, try using soil, sand, wood chip, newspaper, or whatever it is she peed on in a litterbox.  My mum had a cat who had lived outside in his early years and point blank refused to use the litterboxes (multicat household), instead choosing the bath mat next to the bath.  In the end she gave up trying to discourage him and got a load of cheap bath mats, which she changed every day.  

Keep scrubbing her scent away from the floor with white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda etc.  My mum swears by surgical spirit (or US equivalent, rubbing alcohol?) for neutralising cat pee smell.  

I've not heard of 'cat attract' either but it sounds like an excellent idea 
  

Good luck, I'm proud of you for sticking in there.  

 
 
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nickirows

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people here have had great luck with cat attract.  i haven't tried it, but when i had a younger cat (not a kitten) who often went outside the box, i'd just pick her up and put her in the box anytime she started going.  at first she yowled at me every time i did it, but over time she started using the litter box most of the time.
I just bought some today so fingers crossed Cat Attract works!! And I wish I could do that with Belle, but she's so skittish that if you try to pick her up, she'll run. She's even run mid-pee before, haha.
 
I have two thoughts that might help. 

1) get a large plastic tray of some sort and put the litterbox at the back of it. That way when Belle goes in front of the box, it's still in a contained area that is easier to clean up. Basically you'd have a litter box inside a bigger flatter box. Not sure I'm describing it well enough... Something similar to this: 


and for 2) have you tried Cat Attract litter? They sell it just about everywhere now....Walmart, Petsmart, etc.

One other possibility is that she doesn't like whatever kind of litter you are using. Have you and your mom tried a bunch of different ones and had the same issue? 
That's a good idea! As it is, I've tried something similar and she just poops in front of the new structure instead, haha. And I bought some Cat Attract litter today, so fingers crossed that helps the problem. I soooooo want it to work because I am very tired of cleaning up pee, haha. And yes, we tried just about every type of cat litter and nothing seemed to placate her moody butt.
 
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nickirows

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Quote:
 
I'd buy the Feliway diffuser as well, as it won't over chill your other cat, and is worth a shot.  They're perfectly fine for use in multicat households where only one cat is showing signs of stress.  

Has Belle been spayed?  

I like the litterbox inside a litterbox plan.

Make sure your litterboxes big enough and are placed where there are multiple escape routes but with privacy.  

If she learnt to go to the toilet outside, try using soil, sand, wood chip, newspaper, or whatever it is she peed on in a litterbox.  My mum had a cat who had lived outside in his early years and point blank refused to use the litterboxes (multicat household), instead choosing the bath mat next to the bath.  In the end she gave up trying to discourage him and got a load of cheap bath mats, which she changed every day.  

Keep scrubbing her scent away from the floor with white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda etc.  My mum swears by surgical spirit (or US equivalent, rubbing alcohol?) for neutralising cat pee smell.  

I've not heard of 'cat attract' either but it sounds like an excellent idea 
  

Good luck, I'm proud of you for sticking in there.  

 
I bought some Cat Attract today, so Feliway's going to be my back-up option! I'm not certain if Belle is stressed or just prefers peeing on the floor. She goes even when I'm not home, the windows are closed, and it's dead silent. She tends to sleep on her back too, legs splayed open, which seems to me that she's fairly comfortable here.

She is spayed, yes. She was spayed around 3 years old, I believe.

They're quite big! One is in the laundry room with the door wide open, and it's out of sight from me unless I'm like in the room. The other is in a wide corner.

I don't really know what she used to pee on outside, as I never visited her original home. Apparently I just need a litterbox with fake wood flooring in it lololol. And my mom used to do that with her too. Just put down paper towels every day in front of the litter box and deal with it. I'll do that too if I have to, but I'd prefer not, y'know? haha

I scrubbed the floor today with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol, so hopefully that works. I'll get an enzyme cleaner on there too later.

Thanks!!
 

moorspede

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Enzymatic cleaner is very important, if your cat smells any of her pee or poop outside the litter box all your best efforts will be wasted as she will see the that place as her toilet.
 

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Puppy pee pads are better than paper towels. I have a couple kitties who only use pee pads :sigh:. But at least using pee pads is bettter than using the floor. . .
 

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This might be an obvious suggestion, but have you tried covered vs uncovered litter boxes?
 

mio-nozawa

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If there is a certain place she is going to outside of the litterbox, I have heard putting down aluminum foil in those places helps because the cats hate it and won't go there.
 
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Brian007

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If there is a certain place she is going to outside of the litterbox, I have heard putting down aluminum foil in those places helps because the cats hate it and won't go there.
This sounds like it may be worth a shot.  I know many a cat who love aluminium foil scrunched into balls to chase but hate it to walk on.  I wonder what other surfaces paws dread to tread?  It may simply encourage her to find another spot, however.  But then at least you could choose which spot 
 
 
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nickirows

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@Willowy, pee pads would definitely be better! I think they cost more though, and as a poor college student, I have to stick with paper towels haha. Plus I buy a pricier pet food because my other cat, Missy, has FIV and I wanted a food that gives good immune system support (:

@talkingpeanut, I have, actually! (: One of their litter boxes is a typical litter box with removable walls. The other is one of those round ones that looks like an igloo and the top is removable. When the top is on, neither of my cats will touch it, haha. I guess they feel like they'll be trapped in there.

@mio-nozawa, @Brian007, We've tried that, actually! Or rather, my mom tried that with both aluminum foil and a Scat Mat. Belle just rolled her eyes and pooped/peed next to the foil/Scat Mat instead of on it, hahaha. I don't really mind where she's going so far. It's on the hardwood floor (well, fake hardwood) and not on my furniture or bed or anything!

Good news, so far! Day One with Cat Attract was a success and she didn't pee or poop on the floor last night after doing it every night for a couple weeks straight. Could be a fluke. Could be she likes the Cat Attract litter. Either way, I was glad to wake up this morning and not have to clean anything up, haha. I'm gonna die if this ends up being the solution -- such an easy one -- after we suffered for so many years lolololol but it will be a happy and not-smelly death!
 

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Excellent news. Now be super diligent and keep the litter box immaculate. You probably are already but just tossing it out there. Cleaning it 2-3 times a day does encourage them to use it as most cats are neat freaks.

If today is a one off and you need to buy pee pads, the ones in Big Lots and Sam's club are actually inexpensive and will save your flooring. Sam's club brand is 15.99 for 120 pads, a friend's pup uses them and I've picked them up for her. Paws crossed continued use with the cat attract and this won't be necessary.
 

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You can get pee pads cheaper on Amazon, too, if you don't have a warehouse club membership. If you can't find a good price on puppy pads, look for underpads made for humans with incontinence. Just search for "underpad", that should find the right thing. They're bigger and more absorbent than puppy pads too. They have plastic lining so they protect the floor better than paper towels, if it saves your floor it will come out cheaper!

Cat Attract litter/additive is worth a try too. Also try a large shallow flat container, like an underbed sweater container (they don't cost very much). Some cats don't like deeper boxes and like to have lots of room to turn around.
 

Brian007

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Good news, so far! Day One with Cat Attract was a success and she didn't pee or poop on the floor last night after doing it every night for a couple weeks straight. Could be a fluke. Could be she likes the Cat Attract litter. Either way, I was glad to wake up this morning and not have to clean anything up, haha. I'm gonna die if this ends up being the solution -- such an easy one -- after we suffered for so many years lolololol but it will be a happy and not-smelly death!
Hurray! 
 
 

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Do you have an update on how the litter is working for you, and did you buy the litter or the additive? 

We are long-term cat sitting (6 months) my friend's cat who has been pooping in front of her box (unless you watch her). We have tried other things (the things that have been suggested), and her owner has said the vet has said she is healthy. I want to try this out but not sure whether the additive is enough, or if we need to get the litter.

Does anyone else know if we would be able to eventually ween her off this litter and back onto regular litter later, but still with the good habits of pooping inside the box?
 
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nickirows

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Do you have an update on how the litter is working for you, and did you buy the litter or the additive? 

We are long-term cat sitting (6 months) my friend's cat who has been pooping in front of her box (unless you watch her). We have tried other things (the things that have been suggested), and her owner has said the vet has said she is healthy. I want to try this out but not sure whether the additive is enough, or if we need to get the litter.

Does anyone else know if we would be able to eventually ween her off this litter and back onto regular litter later, but still with the good habits of pooping inside the box?
So far, so good! Today is Day Six and so far, she has only pooped on the floor once -- about 3 days ago. A big contrast to both No. 1 and No.2 every single day! I even saw her using the litter box today, which filled me with joy. It's a subjective observation, but she seems happier as well. She used to skulk about my kitchen in the evening, waiting for an opportunity to relieve herself. Now I never see her in there at all, apart from on her way to the food bowl, haha.

I bought the actual litter. I'm sure every cat is different, but if I were you, I'd buy the additive first. It's cheaper and your cat doesn't seem to have such a long-term, infuriating problem that mine had, haha. Mine wouldn't even use the litter box if I watched her. She'd just look me in the eye and pee right in front of me lmao. It's like she didn't even realise that the litter box was The Place to go.

I'm hoping they're possible to wean! The Cat Attract litter was not much more expensive than the Tidy Cats I usually buy, but it was still more expensive regardless. However, I feel as if it will last longer as well. The litter clumps like cement (seriously), which makes it much easier to get all the dirty litter out and leave the rest spotless, whereas with other litter there's little bits left over and in a few weeks, you have to toss it all out and start over. Theoretically, you could just mix in Cat Attract litter with normal litter and gradually move her back to normal litter. However, that's a lot of work for a cat that you're not going to have very long (very nice of you to do that for your friend, by the way!)

You might want to try Feliway too/instead? Maybe the cat is stressed because her owner disappeared and she's in a brand new house. Just a thought. (:
 

slee123

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That's good to hear that it's a dramatic difference. This has been this problem for the cat before she came here to us, but my friend was home more than we are so pooping outside the box wasn't as much as it is here.

We have only had her a short while but love her already!
 
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