My cat likes to peeing and pooping on the "edge"

[pedro]

Hello everyone, on march I've adopted a cat on our local shelter and she has the most peculiar way of going to the litter box. She goes on the edge of the box and urinates with her bum right next to the box edge. Now, urinating isn't the issue, since she sits down on the sand (granted its a kind of an awkward position), but when it comes to pooping sometimes she misses her mark and end up leaving one of the droppings outside of the box. 

You might think the box is too small, but it isn't, and there are other 2 litter boxes in the house, my other cat goes on the center of any box without any problem. At first I though since she is female that it was probably a territorial marking behavior, but I'm not really sure, since she was 5 months old when we adopted her and 45 days ago we had her neutered.

I though stress could be a factor, but now that she's familiar with the place and getting along nicely with my other cat (She's dominant on several aspects of their relationship) I don't know if that's the case anymore.

She's also untidy with the litter box (different from my other cat, who's rather obsessive) but that has been improving recently (or the other cat has been cleaning after her).

Should I try to switch the boxes for ones with a lid so that doesn't happen? Or is there an easier way of making sure she does it in the center of the box?

I'm really just trying to understand this weird behavior of hers.

Thanks

 

[katluver4life]

Perhaps trying a higher sided litter box. Many people, myself included, use rubbermaid or sterlite storage containers. They are usually cheaper then bigger litter pans and you can buy any size that's right.  Can use as is if they have no problem jumping in, or cut down one side for an opening.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My Noodles goes on the edge.  We have a LitterMaid and the edges are really wide so she stands on that.  Fortunately she always goes inside the box and not actually on the edge of it itself.  Also; being a LitterMaid, it cleans up after her. 

I like the suggestion of the storage bins as a litter box.  Its much less expensive than the LitterMaid; that's for sure!  

 

[tulosai]

If you add a box with a lid I would definitely add it in addition to, and not as a replacement for, the current boxes.  Some cats don't like and won't use them, and you do not ant a cat who now won't go anywhere. 

I'd also try a box with higher sides as suggested above, but at the end of the day this may just be something you have to live with.  Be grateful she is at least going in the box and put some rags or newspaper around it for easy cleanup.  As for her being 'messy' you are so lucky your other cat isn't.  My one resident cat in particular LOVES to dig like he's out for buried treasure or something, carelessly throwing the litter everywhere he possibly can, especially outside the box.  I haven't time to clean it every day, but really ideally I would- it is just so messy around the box all the time.  I've learned to live with it though

 

[pedro]

Thanks for the replies guys, I'll definitely look for a higher side box or boxes and swapping mine for those one at a time.