Cat pooping problems of a different kind

madpiano

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Hello

my cat is an indoor/outdoor cat. He has a cat toilet and uses it fine, never really has any accidents in the house (apart from when changing bed-sheets, but thats a different issue). For a while i had a cat litter which he didnt like and he started to go outside more, which was fine by me. But he has started a habit which is now very difficult to break: He is pooping on the Patio. Not behind anything, not trying to bury it, just all over the Patio. It's really disgusting, and I don't know how to stop him doing that. I tried to keep him inside for a couple of days, but he isn't happy about that and keeps crying in front of the garden door, especially now it is spring....I thought cats want to bury their waste ? Is there anything I can spray on the Patio to stop him going there ? He can have the rest of the garden to do his business (as long as he digs it under)....
 

larke

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Can you buy a big piece of that bright green outdoor carpet (the flat kind used for front stairs) and double-sided-tape stick it over as much of the patio as you can and see what happens? He may move to the grass. The stuff is really cheap, however crummy it may look temporarily. He may be doing what he's doing to make SURE no other cats come along and usurp his territory, and burying might not achieve that.
 
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madpiano

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we already have a piece of old carpet out there, he goes on that mainly, but will use the rest of the Patio when it's full (I tried the not-cleaning-it-up method for a while to make him stop, as he hates dirty cat-toilets). But I think u have an idea there, cat's don't like fake plastic grass, do they ? Maybe I can buy some of that, allthough if it doesn't work, it will be worse to clean....
 

yayi

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Cats do bury their wastes but not in places already "occupied". If there is poo in the spot they intend to use, they find one next to it. My cats are all indoor/outdoor. They do their toilet on soil, burying it, and coming back after some days when the poop has disintegrated. They sometimes urinate on grass. I think peeing is the preferred "territorial" claim not poop.
Are you sure it's your kitty? if so, how do you clean up after? Any traces left, will make him do it again. The fact that you let it go on the old carpet without cleaning it, your cat went elsewhere. You knew he didn't like a dirty toilet, no decent cat does.
Start by making sure all outside traces of poop are removed. Keep your cat indoors until he does his business. See if he buries it in the litterbox. You must get him used to burying it again. Then you can let him out. Do this everyday until you see no poop (unless of course, he is not the perpetrator).
BTW, is he neutered? When was his last checkup? You must rule out health issues too.
 
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madpiano

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He does use his indoor box fine. Buries it meticiously (not to say obsessive...). He is indoors when I am at work and allowed out when I am here. I do make sure he has done his business before going out, but he does go several times, once the door is open, it stays open, so he comes in and out as he pleases.

I wouldn't say that there are any "occupied" spaces. The flower beds are not really suitable, as the soil is very hard there, but he has access to his box, it's right next to the Patio door....

I am not 100% sure it's my cat though, as there seems to be an awful lot of it, for the fact that he is also using his indoor box. And the only reason I didn't clean it (apart from the weather) was to make him stop doing it, but it doesn't seem to help.

I will borrow a high pressure cleaner, as soon as the weather gets better and clean the patio, the rug is going in the skip anyway (hence it's currently rotting on the patio, allthough it looked nice there last summer), but I am not sure it will help.

I am just baffled why he does it. It's not a small Patio, so he is quite openly exposed when he does his business there, he can't bury it and he is obsessed with that bit when he does his business in the litter box. And we have long switched back to his preferred litter and the litter box is right next to the Patio.....He comes running in to do his wee-bit in the box, so he knows where it is...

He isnt neutered yet. Allthough I will do it soon. Probably end of next month, when I have a couple of days off, but he hasn't started marking yet and I am broke as hell, so I have been putting it off.

Health wise he is fine. He has been to the vet a month ago and was given a clean bill of health, and the problems started before that. The poo is also not very smelly and not runny Looks like healthy cat-poo to me (too big for hedgehog and too small and not stinky enough for Fox and I don't think we have badgers here). I might try fake grass.... at least it wont need mowing and he can access the garden via the other patio door, so he doesn't have to cross that bit. Is it expensive ? it would have to cover about 15 sq metres
 

maherwoman

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I would suggest spraying the patio with vinegar. Cats don't like the smell.

I researched a little, and apparently cats don't like the smell of oranges, either. You might try diluting some orange juice and spraying the carpet with it.

Also, apparently they don't like the smell of garlic, so you could I guess mince up some garlic and let it sit in some water and spray your patio with it. You could also just put out a bowl of it on the carpet, and put some minced garlic around the area(s) he likes to poop on most often.

I hope that helps!
 
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