Kore

[kore]

For the past  couple of months my cat Kore randomly poops on different spots through out the apartment. Her litter box is in my bathroom. At first I thought it was because my shower wasn't working properly and she was afraid of the noise it was making, but today she was making a lot of noise and I got up to see what she was doing and as I came out of my room she squatted and started pooping. We also have an elderly dog that stays with us during the week, but I'm not sure he's the issue. He has been with her for a long time and the pooping did't start until recently. The only other thing that has changed is that I use a spray bottle to spray her when she's clawing at the carpet. We've been trying to fix that behavior too. She has scratch pads all over the place and in the place she likes to claw at the most but she still likes the carpet more. Could she be upset that i'm spraying her with the water? I'm always showing her love and affection.

 

[momofmany]

Two thoughts come to mind when I read your post. First of all, some cats don't like to pee and poop in the same litter box, therefore it is recommended that you have at least 1 box per cat plus an extra, so in your case, you need 2 boxes in your home.

Second thought is that your use of the spray bottle is stressing her out, particularly if you've never used one with her before. Stress can cause physical illness, which could also be a reason why she's pooping outside the litter box. I've never found that spray bottles work that well for behavioral issues, as it only confuses a cat. You spray the bottle as punishment, and it does nothing to teach them what you want them to do. When you catch her scratching the carpet, give her a sharp NO (to grab her attention), then carry her over to a proper scratch place, place her paws on it and show her what you want her to do. Reward her with treats or extra affection when she does things right. Redirecting them to the proper behavior will teach her, which is very different than blasting her with water and expecting her to figure it out for herself.

If you do both of these things (consistently) and she still poops outside the litter box, then a vet visit is in order to see if there is something physically wrong with her. Cats don't change their behaviors for no reason at all. Something has set her off.

 

[kore]

I give it a try. Thank you!