my cat is peeing and pooping everywhere

can someone help me my cat is peeing and pooping everywhere and I dont know what to do I have tried everything from putting her in a room with just her and her litter box I have gotten her her own litter box so she doesnt have to share with our other cat I clean her box constantly NOTHING seems to work HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP me

Is she a kitten?? Is she litter trained??
When she poo's out of the box just place it in her litter box and show her. She should get the hang of it, if she isnt trained that is.



AShley

Maybe you're cleaning it TOO much. Try scooping up any misplaced poop and putting it in the litterbox. Then very gently set the kitty down so she can smell the box with its appropriate contents (don't force her into the box!).

Keep putting the poop where it belongs, and don't clean the box completely -- you want her to be able to smell it. Also, be sure to use something citrusy on the floor where she's pooped, so those spots won't smell right to her. She'll probably get the idea very quickly! Good luck...

Yes she is trained but maybe she needs retrained . She also likes to go on anything soft I am at my wits end I love her but I cant keep this up And my hubby is really starting to get annoyed since our other cat doesnt do it

thank you very much I will definitely try that

Call the vet, there may be something wronge with her. Explain it to the vet.

Ashley

I am having the same problem. I am going nuts cleaning up poop & pee daily!!

I have 3 cats, a 15-year old female, 14-year old male, and a 1-year old male. Everyone is fixed, indoor-only & declawed in front. The two older kitties are my boyfriend's - he's had them since kittens, I've only been in the picture for the past 2 years. They have 4 litter boxes - one in a busy hallway, the others in quiet corners. Ironically the hallway box is used the most.

Our 15-year old female is our culprit. She does not use the litter box AT ALL. She instead goes on the carpet in our rarely-used living room and in the master bedroom/bathroom area. She's very good about always going around the perimeter of the room, and has her favorite places.

We've tried confining her away from the other cats with her own box, food, water and toys, and she still only goes on the carpet. Last time we tried confinement she was in there for nearly two weeks (receiving regular visits from the humans) without progress. And her cries made us feel so cruel.

The vet suggested arthritis may be an issue, but 1) she has no trouble leaping up onto the bed, counters and such and 2) my boyfriend recalls that she's NEVER been a reliable litter box-user. She's always been in a multi-cat household, and the "cat family" has evolved over the years, but she's always been with the older male.

This morning I was in tears - less than 8 hours before I'd used Nature's Miracle and steam cleaned her spots and sprayed citrus spray and I woke up to find a fresh offering of urine and feces where I'd spent so much time cleaning last night.

Any suggestions?

One of the main causes of inappropriare urination is a urinary tract infection. I'd take the cat back to the vet and ask him to take a urine sample, see if that shows up anything first

I got this from the Oregon Humane Society... My cat wouldn't stop peeing on my bed. I got a plastic tablecloth with a fabric back and put it on my bed. Then I got some citrus smelling spray stuff and put it all over the tablecloth. It's worked so far. Good luck! _-_Trina_-_

Territorial Marking Behavior In Dogs And Cats
Dogs and cats are territorial animals. This means that they “stake out a claim†to a particular space, area or object. They let other people and animals know about their claim by marking it with a variety of methods and at many levels of intensity. For example, a dog may bark to drive away what he perceives as intruders to his territory. A cat may mark a valued object by rubbing it with her face.

Some pets may go to the extreme of urinating or defecating to mark a particular area as their own. Urine marking is not a house-soiling problem, but is a territorial behavior. Therefore, to resolve the problem, you need to address the underlying reason for your petâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s need to mark his territory in this way.

House Soiling Or Urine Marking? How To Tell The Difference!
Your pet may be urine-marking if:
The problem is primarily urination. Dogs and cats rarely mark with feces.
The amount of urine is small and is found primarily on vertical surfaces. Dogs and cats do sometimes mark on horizontal surfaces. Leg lifting and spraying are dominant versions of urine marking, but even if your pet doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t assume these postures, he may still be urine-marking.
Any pet in your home is not spayed or neutered. Both intact males and females are more likely to urine mark than are spayed or neutered animals. However, even spayed or neutered animals may mark in response to other intact animals in the home.

Your pet urinates on new objects in the environment (a shopping bag, a visitor's purse), on objects that have unfamiliar smells, or on objects that have another animalâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s scent.
Your pet has conflicts with other animals in your home. When thereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s instability in the pack hierarchy, a dog may feel a need to establish his dominance by urine-marking his territory. If one cat is intimidating another cat, the bullied cat may express his anxiety by urine marking.
Your pet has contact with other animals outside your home. A cat thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s allowed outdoors may come home and mark after having an encounter with another cat outside. If your pet sees another animal through a door or window, he may feel a need to mark his territory.
Your dog marks frequently on neighborhood walks.

What You Can Do:
Spay or neuter your pet as soon as possible. Spaying or neutering your pet may stop urine marking altogether, however, if he has been urine marking over a long period of time, a pattern may already be established.
Resolve conflicts between animals in your home (see our handouts: “Canine Rivalry†and “Feline Social Behavior and Aggression Between Family Cats.â€)
Restrict your petâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s access to doors and windows through which they can observe animals outside. If this isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t possible, discourage the presence of other animals near your house (see. our handout: “Discouraging Roaming Cats.â€)

Keep your cat indoors. Heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll be safer, will live longer, and will feel less need to mark his territory.
Clean soiled areas thoroughly (see our handout: “Successful Cleaning to Remove Pet Odors and Stains.â€) Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t use strong smelling cleaners as these may cause your pet to over-mark the spot.
Make previously soiled areas inaccessible or unattractive (see our handouts: “Aversives For Dogs†and “Aversives For Cats.â€)
If making soiled areas inaccessible or unattractive isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t possible, try to change the significance of those areas. Feed, treat and play with your pet in the areas he is inclined to mark.
Keep objects likely to cause marking out of reach. Guestsâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] belongings, new purchases and so forth, should be placed in a closet or cabinet.
If your pet is marking in response to a new resident in your home (a new baby, roommate or spouse), have the new resident make friends with your pet by feeding, grooming and playing with your pet. Make sure good things happen to your pet when the new baby is around (see our handout: “Preparing Your Pet for Babyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s Arrival.â€)

For dogs: watch your dog at all times when he is indoors for signs that he is thinking about urinating. When he begins to urinate, interrupt him with a loud noise and take him outside, then praise him and give him a treat if he urinates outside. When youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re unable to watch him, put your dog in confinement (a crate or small room where he has never marked) or tether him to you with a leash.

For cats: try to monitor your catâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s movements. If he even sniffs in an area he has previously marked, make a loud noise or squirt him with water. Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s best if you can do this without him seeing you, because then heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll associate the unpleasantness with his intent to mark, rather than with you.

Practice “nothing in life is free†with your dog (see our handout: “Nothing In Life Is Free.â€) This is a safe, nonconfrontational way to establish your leadership and requires your dog to work for everything he wants from you. Have your dog obey at least one command (such as “sitâ€) before you pet him, give him dinner, put on his leash or throw a toy for him. Establishing yourself as a strong leader can help stabilize the hierarchy and thus diminish your dogâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s need to mark his territory.

What Not To Do:
Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t punish your pet after the fact. Punishment administered even a minute after the event is ineffective because your pet won't understand why he is being punished.

Pets Aren't People:
Dogs and cats donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t urinate or defecate out of spite or jealousy. If your dog urinates on your babyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s diaper bag, itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s not because he is jealous of, or dislikes your baby. The unfamiliar scents and sounds of a new baby in the house are simply causing him to reaffirm his claim on his territory. Likewise, if your cat urinates on your new boyfriendâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s backpack, this is not his opinion of your taste in men. Instead, he has perceived the presence of an “intruder†and is letting the intruder know that this territory belongs to him.

Dominance Or Anxiety?
Urine marking is usually associated with dominance behavior. While this is often the case, some pets may mark when they feel anxious or upset. For example, a new baby in the home brings new sounds, smells and people, as well as changes in routine. Your dog or cat probably isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t getting as much attention as he was used to getting. All of these changes cause him to feel anxious, which may cause him to mark. Likewise, a pet that is generally anxious may become more so by the presence of roaming neighborhood animals in your yard, or by the introduction of a new cat or dog into your household. If your pet is feeling anxious, you might consider talking to your veterinarian about medications to reduce his anxiety while you work on behavior modification.

Aversives For Cats

Determining an effective aversive reaction for your cat is definitely a case of trial-and-error, as individual preferences will vary with each cat. This is often the best method to discourage a cat from a particular action or place, but will seldom work effectively without offering an alternative that is both convenient and rewarding.

Texture
You may need to weight the “material†firmly or tape it in order for it to stay put. To protect furniture or floor finish from sticky substances, attach them to a piece of foil or heavy plastic and secure that with weights or light tape.

Indoors:
Shelf paper (sticky side up)
Double-sided carpet tape
Heavy foil

Outdoors:
Irregular or sharp rocks, firmly set into dirt
Chicken wire, firmly set into dirt (sharp edges rolled under)

Both:
Heavy plastic carpet runner (pointed side up)
Smell
Soak cotton balls, rags or washcloths in the “stinky†substance. To help protect carpets, upholstery, floors or furniture, place the saturated object on a piece of weighted foil or heavy plastic. To prevent the substance from seeping into the ground, use the same precautions. Outdoor substances need to be reapplied daily, due to quicker dissipation into the air.

Indoors & Outdoors:
Insect repellent, especially those containing citronella and/or citrus odors (check for toxicity - if safe for young children, it's generally safe for pets)
Citric odors - colognes, concentrated juices or fresh peels
Annoying colognes
Some muscle rubs (NOTE: some cats react to menthol as they do to catnip - beware!)
Aloe gel

Taste
Some of these substances may damage furniture or floor finishes, so be sure to test them in a hidden location before wide-spread use. Except for hot sauce and cayenne pepper, these substances should be safe to apply to most peopleâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s skin; however, some individuals may be sensitive to them.
Bitter Apple or similar sprays and gels marketed specifically for taste aversion

Insect repellents, especially those containing citronella or citrus odors (check for toxicity, if it's safe for young children, it's generally safe for pets)
Some hot sauces
Cayenne pepper
Some muscle rubs
Citric odors (colognes, concentrated juices or fresh peels)
Aloe gel
Surprise!
Remote Controlled Aversives:
Motion detector that reacts with a startling sound
Snappy Trainer (upside-down mouse trap thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s securely taped under paper to avoid contact)
Aluminum pie plate containing water, beans or pebbles -- preferably balanced precariously on a counter or other undesirable “jumping†surface
Scat Mat (very slight electrical shock)

Human Controlled Aversives:
Use these to get your cat's attention, and thereby offer an appropriate alternative.
Spray bottle or squirt gun filled with water or a combination of water and vinegar (NOTE: avoid the super-duper water guns that have a very forceful spray)
Loud air horn
Whistle
Shaker can (soda can containing nails, pennies, beans or pebbles - securely taped shut)

WARNING: For fearful cats, try everything else before trying surprise techniques, especially those using noises!

Why would a cat pee there? nmhpforum
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Question from Alma:

What is it about fresh laundry and plastic bags that entices cats to pee on them? I don't dare set a plastic grocery bag on the floor and take my eyes off it. A couple of my cats think that's far better than the litter! It's the same with freshly dried laundry. They normally won't pee on the bed or sofa, but if I drop laundry there, before I can get back to fold it, chances are good that it will have been peed on. What gives?





Response from Dr Patricia Simonet:

I find that cats are most mysterious when it comes to substrate preference. That is the fancy way of saying what cats pee on. Some cats that have lived outside and then are made into inside cats, will seek out potted plants. Some cats that have had urinary tract infections (UTI), will seek out substrates that are soft (and warm). Even when the cat no longer has an UTI, s/he will return to and potty on the substrate that was most comfortable.



Here is how it works: Cat has an UTI. It is painful to urinate (anywhere). It is less painful to urinate in a soft, WARM pile of laundry. Cat potties in the fresh warm pile of clothes. Cat does this for some time before human figures out that cat has UTI. Cat either battles UTI or human figures it out and takes cat to vet. Cat is better. Cat continues to urinate on fresh pile of laundry. Aargh! Why? Because the cat has developed a substrate preference based on conditioning. The cat is avoiding painful elimination, even when the cat no longer has the UTI. The cat has developed an association with the old litter box and pain. To fix this problem, take a small, freshly laundered rag and place it in the catâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s box. Encourage the cat to use her box again by limiting her access to anywhere away from her box. A laundry room – keeping all fresh laundry away from the cat – or low traffic bathroom is good for this training). She can only come out of her training room when she is being supervised. Do this for about 3 or 4 days. She will be retrained to use her box. Of course you will be cleaning her box frequently (at LEAST once a day) as cats hate messy boxes.



With all of the above being said (and true for many cats), some cats will just decide that the fresh laundry has odors that need to be modified. There are mixed theories that try to explain this behavior. Here is the one I most agree is correct. We humans secrete ammonias through our sweat. We also try to modify these odors in our garments with detergents and perfumes. These detergents and perfumes mask the odors effectively for our mere human noses.



However, the perfumed detergents do NOT mask the ammonias from our cats. As a matter of fact, these odors need further modification by the cat, because we have been ineffectual at modifying it ourselves. Cats are so helpful. I wish they could modify used car salespeople. Could you imagine shopping for a car armed with your cat? “Could you knock a couple thousand off that price, I have a cat!â€



Regarding plastics, I suggest that plastics have odors like ammonia. They are made from processed petroleum products. In the manufacturing process many chemicals are used that produce ammonia-like odors. I am certain that many of these odors are causing the same responses in cats, as would another cat marking in their territory.



Whoever said “better living through chemistry†probably didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have cats.

Just a few questions to help figure things out:

1. Has she always done this or did it suddenly start?

2. If it started at some point, what was going on in your family's life at that time? Meaning - did you move, get a new pet, have someone move out or move in, have a baby, were you working a lot of overtime, were you traveling, did you have a petsitter who maybe wasn't diligent about litterbox cleaning?

3. How old is she?

4. Is she spayed?

5. Is she declawed?

6. What kind of litter do you use?

7. Is there anything she seems to prefer to potty on/in - piles of laundry, potted plants, or anything else?

We had a situation with the younger of our two kittens a couple of years ago. They are seven months difference in age. We switched to fragrence free litter (arm & hammer) and locked him in a room when unsupervised. We didn't let him out until he used the box and only for short times, one hour or so. That took about two weeks. Also he was peeing on one common spot, a sheet we had on a futon. No matter how often we washed it. Eventually we threw the sheet away and he was fine.