My cat has been shitting infront of the litterbox for a while now but the strange thing is, its always on the same place, and she still does shit in the letterbox, but also outside.
Many days i wake up and stand in shit and its been so annoying
When cats shit outside the box, they’re trying to communicate something. Unfortunately they don’t speak English and sometimes resort to speaking Catshittese.
Are there enough boxes? You should have n+1 litter boxes, where n is the number of cats in the home. Also they should be scooped two or three times a day (before work, after work, and bedtime is a good routine). The litter should be about 3”/8cm deep: they need enough to bury their piss and shit, but too deep feels unsteady beneath their feet.
Is she a really big cat? She might want a bigger box. I once had a big fuckoff tabby who needed jumbo boxes with extra-high sides.
Maybe she’s having digestive pains. Does her shit look normal? If not, put the misplaced turd in a zipper baggy and have your vet check it out.
It could also be an emotional issue, like loneliness or anxiety or dominance, but make sure the litter boxes and digestive health are all in order before deciding that’s what’s up.
Unfortunately we can’t have more litterboxes currently, we rn have one for that one cat, but when we have a bigger flat it might be possible
Her shit is normal
Totally understandable. When I lived in a small place, I only had room for one box, so I got the biggest thing that would fit and scooped as often as possible.
That reminds me, some cats are picky about litter too, just like some humans will only wipe their ass with certain brands of toilet paper. So it’s good to find a brand they like and stick with it, but I know how hard it is to experiment when there’s only room for one box.
We know that she doesnt like every litter, but this litter has been working for probably like 14-16 years, i dont think that changed. But thanks for the suggestion :)
14-16 years
Is that how old the cat is? If so, it’s probably arthritis. Mine is about that age and has problems squatting. It could be that she has trouble getting in and out of the box, or she’s inside but standing too close to the edge and not squatting enough. You could try a supplement or ask your vet. Mine offers monthly injections for arthritis.
Yes, 16, the thing with the too close to the edge is 100% impossible, its not JUST outside the box, its like a tiny bit further away, enough that it can’t work, but ill try some suggestions regarding her mavye not being able to go over it
Cats are quirky and can have many reasons to do that. If she is an older cat she may have arthritis and the walls of the box could be high for her to easily get over. Some cats hate covered litter boxes. If you changed litter brands recently she may not like the texture or smell. The box could be too small; I bought a large metal litterbox for mine before they quit peeing over the sides on the wall.
Emotional issues can cause outside box use too: new pet, roommate, someone moved out. All can have an effect.
Feliway has a pheromone spray or diffuser you can use that is supposed to help with issues like urinating outside the box which may help with the poop problem. Another brand called Comfort Zone has a “spray and scratch” that’s slightly cheaper.
If the vinegar or peroxide that others recommended to clean the potty spot don’t seem to do the trick, then you can buy an enzyme cleaner like Nonscents “stain and odor eliminator” to see if that will work.
Thanks for the suggestions, i will definetly try the vinegar like the others have reccommended, but if that doesnt work ill try that :)
Typically I would show dominance by taking my own shit in front of the box.
How bad does her shit smell? My cat has Inflammatory Bowl Disease. When she has a flare up, her shit smells absolutely horrific, she strains a lot, and poop often ends up outside the litterbox.
The other suggestions in this thread are great. I’d add take her to the vet and explain the situation. Also see if they can express her anal glands. My cat also had massively clogged anal glands which didn’t help anything.
Good luck.
Have you seen the cat take a shit outside the box? How close is the shit to the box? My cat sometimes craps outside the box but it is just due to him not walking far enough into the box before squatting, so his ass is sticking out. The poop ends up just outside the door or smeared on the lip.
its too far away for that, it seems intentional
Is your cat declawed? Sometimes cats that are declawed might not want to use the litter box. It’s one of the problems with declawing.
Declawing cats is a horrible practice and should never be done.
I am surprised many countries didn’t make it illegal yet.
Of course not, there was never even a need to do that because shes really really really well behaved, she only claws when youre a stranger (outside, but shes not and outside cat anymore) So no, but i agree, declawing cats sounds horrible
It’s also possible she doesn’t realize she’s missing the box… we had an older cat that started doing this… she would get all her feet in the box, squat and shit on the floor right next to the box, then try to bury it. Got her a bigger box with slightly higher sides (still low enough she could easily access), and it fixed the issue
Yup, it’s not their fault they have stormtrooper aim - they literally can’t see what they’re doing
Nope, too far from the box and someone already saw her doing it outside
I have 2 kitties and this happened all the time. I had to introduce a third litter box for it to stop happening. And as others have said, clean them out every day. #poofreefloor
What kind of car does the cat drive? Maybe its time for a new clutch?
Have you tried a larger litter box? Are you cleaning the box regularly?
1st, no but 2nd Yes every day usually
Maybe try changing her litter? Sounds like she doesn’t like it.
Buy a second smaller litter box and put it where she keeps shitting and then, once she is used to it, slowly move it into the normal litter box.
Unfortunately not possible unless i wanna stand in the litterbox
Already some good suggestions about making the litterbox way cleaner than your human senses would be able to appreciate. But I was just wondering if your cat is a tortoise shell? Seems to be a common behavior in those quirky girls.
Our 16 year old cat with worn out hip joints started doing the same a while ago. A much bigger litterbox solved the problem.
the cat is about the same age so i might consider that
Is the cat older? My oldest cat couldn’t step up into the litter box anymore so I ended up cutting the front of it so the step over was much smaller. You could also put a brick or build a wooden step which makes it easier for her to step into the box. It has to be heavy and sturdy enough to where it won’t move when the cat steps on it.
Also check that the box is clean. I would dump qll the litter and hit the inside with a hose to make sure it is clean. Dey it, and then refill it with fresh litter. And make sure you scoop out all the poop out of it every day. Cats tends to be very clean animals and don’t like a dirty box.
Another thing to consider is if the box is too small for them. One of our cats is rather large so we had to get a larger litter box for them.
Well it is older but they do shit in the litterbox too so they are able to step up into it
I might try doing that with the hose or something but it is scooped out every day ofc
They might still have mobility issues. If you don’t want to cut the front of the litterbox open to make it lower and bigger, than maybe get a piece of wood or a brick or something else to act like a step to make it easier for them to get into the box.
Also, I assume the litterbox isn’t just the bottom. Those are usually terrible. I am guessing that there is a top/cover to it, right? They could be pooping in the box near the edge and it just falls out if there is no cover.
(something like this: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/so-phresh-geometric-covered-cat-litter-box)
I might try doing that, thanks
No its without a cover (probably, i can’t click the link, 404 error)
But its too far away to be the reason
If this continues with a new litterbox with a cover, then you should consider bringing them to a vet. Cats are very clean animals so if they are pooping outside the box, it is usually for a good reason.
