Bad bathroom behaviour

[grayfluffy]

I have a cat that has started using the top of the dryer for a litter box. I have scolded her and it worked for about a day, then she was back at it. I have to clean it daily. Help Please!!

How do I get her to stop?? I have tried foil and she just went on top of that. I thought foil was supposed to deter cats from going where you didn't want them to.

I need some suggestions, please. This is driving me crazy. I don't want to have to get rid of her.

 

[stephanietx]

Scolding never works! Your cat is trying to tell you something, either s/he's sick or s/he doesn't like the placement of the litter box or the litter you're using or you don't clean it often enough. First of all, get the cat to the vet to rule out any medical issues, then start looking at the box. Have you changed litter types recently? Have you moved the box? Has anything changed in your recenlty (new people, change in schedule, new kitty...)?

 

[grayfluffy]

I only scolded once, when I actually caught her in the act. A while back she was sick and I took her to the vet, she was treated for intestinal problems with an antibiotic, she is fine now, she has put on weight from before she went to the vet. I had isolated her while she was sick with a temporary litter box. In the meantime I had replaced her litter box with a new bigger one and moved it to a different location about two feet from the original place. I haven't changed brands of litter and I change the litter the same as always.

 

[cat person]

If that cat is medically "sound" then it is a behavioral issue. Having worked for no kill shelters around the USA, I can say I have worked with thousands of domestic cats. Plus being a vet tech and doing fostering/rehoming for people/or myself I can say that there are many reasons why cats do what they do. Not always reasons we know.

I would simply put him/her in a dog crate with a litter box, food, water, and towel. Then after a week of using the litter box 100% put her in a small bathroom for a week. Once she going in a small bathroom for a week 100% then put her in a room that is larger. You get the idea right

?

Also if you do not want to do the above suggestion and many "cat lovers" do not you can simply try and deny her/him access to the area they are voiding inappropriately in or on.

Lastly some people swear by cat attract litter. I have used it but not for behavioral problems

.

 

[ldg]

Originally Posted by GrayFluffy

I only scolded once, when I actually caught her in the act. A while back she was sick and I took her to the vet, she was treated for intestinal problems with an antibiotic, she is fine now, she has put on weight from before she went to the vet. I had isolated her while she was sick with a temporary litter box. In the meantime I had replaced her litter box with a new bigger one and moved it to a different location about two feet from the original place. I haven't changed brands of litter and I change the litter the same as always.

How long ago was the intestinal problem? Even though you say it was treated with antibiotics - was it parasites? Is she indoor-only - or a rescue kitty? Because if she had round worm, it wouldn't be gone with just one treatment.

Given that she had an intestinal problem before, I think the chances are very high that her pooping on your dryer is a medical problem. Don't forget - even if she was at the vet 3 months ago, that's the equivalent of one year ago in terms of her aging if you compare it to a human.

It's great she put on weight! But even if her intestinal problem was just last week, I'd be taking her to the vet. Something is wrong. Perhaps it came back. Perhaps it wasn't what they thought it was. Could be so many things. It's quite important to rule out medical causes before chasing behavioral ones, or your kitty may suffer.

 

[grayfluffy]

She was at the vet a few months ago. She is an indoor only cat. I might try the cat attract to see if it works. It seems the simplest, then maybe try the secluding in a carrier, then to a room, if the cat attract doesn't work first.

 

[cat person]

Originally Posted by GrayFluffy

She was at the vet a few months ago. She is an indoor only cat. I might try the cat attract to see if it works. It seems the simplest, then maybe try the secluding in a carrier, then to a room, if the cat attract doesn't work first.

Yes cat attract would be the easiest solution. If it works in this case

! Also use a dog crate like this if possible http://www.extralargedogcrateshop.com/Articles.html and not a cat carrier like this http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-imag...-image14286284. Since most carriers are not big enough for the "necessities" needed for retraining IMO. Also the cat has been castrated correct?

 

[arlyn]

A few months ago.

Essentially, you may, or may not be dealing with an illness.
If you proceed, based only on the assumption that she is still healthy, and treat this as if it is behavioral, when in fact, it may not be, then you could only be making the entire situation worse.

Peace of mind today is worth so much more than hindsight will be tomorrow.

 

[cat person]

Originally Posted by Arlyn

A few months ago.

Essentially, you may, or may not be dealing with an illness.
If you proceed, based only on the assumption that she is still healthy, and treat this as if it is behavioral, when in fact, it may not be, then you could only be making the entire situation worse.

Peace of mind today is worth so much more than hindsight will be tomorrow.

Yes as I say with all my behavioral posts this information assumes the the cat is healthy/medically sound. To determine this it needs to be checked by a licensed veterinarian

!

I am not sure if I was supposed to answer you now but I did

. Sorry if you did not want me to

.

 

[stephanietx]

I would start with a trip to the vet to rule out any medical problems. Have her checked for worms again, just to make sure. Then start working on the litter box issue. How many cats do you have in your house? How many boxes? What kind of boxes?

 

[grayfluffy]

In thinking back to when the problem started. My dog is older and I had to start leaving her outside more due to having stairs in my home and her not being able to go up and down them. My cat is very attached to my dog, they slept together. It seems it started around the time I started leaving my dog outside more often. Maybe my cat is not happy about not having as much company from my dog.

 

[stephanietx]

Oh bingo! I bet that's at least part of the problem! Good thinking! The stress of missing her friend may be the culprit. Is there a way you can bring the dog in and set up a nice living area for him/her?

Edited to add: Look into getting some glucosamine treats for your dog to help with arthritis.

 

[grayfluffy]

I never thought a cat would get so attached to a dog. My dog is not as attached to the cat. My dog is older and may not live much longer. I'm guessing this could be an ongoing problem when my dog goes. I have been letting my dog in more this past week and it seems the problem has slightly decreased.

Just to give you picture in your head about this cat and dog. My dog is a lab, a smaller lab about 50 lbs., my cat weighs in at under 5 lbs. This is an odd 'friendship'. A big dog and a small cat.

Is there a way to correct this behaviour? Will the cat attract still be the easiest at this point?

 

[ldg]

In answer to your question, MANY dogs and cats are friends, it's not odd at all!

I know this isn't what you want to hear, and it seems you've already decided the problem is behavioral. But if she is attached to the dog, the stress of being separated could trigger a lowered immune system, allowing whatever bacteria or virus she was fighting before to cause a medical problem.

A few months is a long time in a cat's life. Three months is equivalent to one year in a person. If you'd been to a doctor one year ago for a gastrointestinal problem, and you had a problem again a year later, you'd likely go to a doctor.

Pooping outside of the litter box, when behavioral, is usually a "territory marking" problem. But she keeps going in the same place, and it is not carpet or clothing. It is a smooth (warm?) surface. If going poop causes her pain or distress, she would come to associate the litter box with that pain. Going to the bathroom outside of the litter box on smooth surfaces (like a bathtub ... or dryer) is usually a sign of a medical problem. Not always. But I prefer safe to sorry.

Vibes for you and your baby.

 

[stephanietx]

Something else you might try is a feliway diffuser or 2 in your home. That helps lower the stress level of the kitty. You might not want to think about this now, but adopting a kitty friend might also help with the separation anxiety she has with the dog.