Why is one of my cats pooping on the floor?

This past week I've been finding little turds in my living room and bedroom and I have litter boxes and both rooms. Some are close to the litter boxes and some aren't. I have 6 indoor cats that are 6 & 7 years old and I don't know which one is doing it. Does anyone know why a cat would start doing this?

Could be health reasons, could be the cat is getting ambushed in the box, could be the boxes need to be cleaned better. You need to find out who is missing the box and go from there.

Sometimes I will find a turd near the litterbox on the floor. I think she flicks it out of the litterbox by accident though. Maybe your cat isn't pooping on the floor, but maybe they are getting flicked out of the box and then played with? I'm not sure.

Originally Posted by hissy

Could be health reasons, could be the cat is getting ambushed in the box, could be the boxes need to be cleaned better. You need to find out who is missing the box and go from there.

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I think it's Muffie doing it. She seemed to be straining in the litter box yesterday and she has had a problem with dry stools before. I'll be taking her to the vet on Tuesday for her shots and I'll have the vet check her over. Of course, if I think she is becoming ill before then I will take her to the ER.

She gets ambushed by her brother, Buddie, but I never seen him do it while she was in the litter box.

I scoop the boxes everytime I see one of the cats use them and I change the litter every week so I don't think a dirty litter box is the reason.

Thanks for your help.

How many litterboxes do you have, and how often do they get cleaned? Are they hooded litterboxes? Do you use litterbox liners?

Once these questions are answered, I should know better how to help you.

Straining in the litterbox is a really really bad sign and it cannot wait until Tuesday. Or even tommorow. Go. Now.

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Sometimes I will find a turd near the litterbox on the floor. I think she flicks it out of the litterbox by accident though. Maybe your cat isn't pooping on the floor, but maybe they are getting flicked out of the box and then played with? I'm not sure.

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My cats are so big, sometimes their tail hangs over the edge of the box and they wind up pooping on the floor. But the last few days I've been finding little turds all over the living room. My eyesight is so bad, I'm just glad I haven't been stepping on them.

Thanks for replying,
Ellen

I would agree that straining is not a good sign. Try giving the cat wet food, and add about a half of a teaspoon of canned pumpkin to the food to help it along. If you have any laxatone, try that. Failing that, a really small amount of mineral oil gently syringed into the cat's mouth might move things along.

Click here to read a thread about poop problems.

I agree that it sounds as if your cat is constipated, which leads to just this type of problem. As Hissy said, Libby's pure canned pumpkin (just pumpkin, no other ingredients) is wonderful for softening stools and most cats actually think of it as a treat. If your cat won't eat it straight, you can mix it in with canned food.

I am glad that you are taking your cat to the vet. Please let us know what the vet says about the problem.