NationStates Jolt Archive

I know, I know that advice threads are look down on here but I figure since there are other cat owners on here, I could get some help. For the past two months, Amelia has went out of her litter box four times. Three time was #2 (pooping) with one being on my bed and the other two was in the office. Today she decided to pee on my bed and I am just confused. I mean the first two time she went out of her box we changed her food, started changing her litter more often (from every other day to every day). The third time she went out of the box wasn't any fault of her own, we accidentally left the bathroom door shut and well, she had no where to go. Today was perplexing though, she pissed on my bed with my door and the bathroom door being open and with fresh litter for her to use.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm thinking that we should try changing litter and maybe get a new box. I love Amelia and she is my little one but if she keeps this up she's going to become an outdoor cat.

Huh, never had a cat do that intentionally, had both mine trained to go outside instead of using a litter box.

Huh, never had a cat do that intentionally, had both mine trained to go outside instead of using a litter box.

Well she's strictly an indoor cat because we don't want fleas and ticks coming into our house.

First, make sure that her litterbox is clean, changed regularly, and doesn't smell bad. Cat's noses are better than ours, and she won't want to use a foul-smelling box.

Next, try putting the box in a different place. She may be associating the location with something bad, if she was scared or hurt there.

She may be doing this to get attention from you. Make sure she's getting plenty of time with you and you're paying her plenty of attention and playing with her often. She loves you and wants to be with you.

Finally, when she does a bad thing, act as though you're box-training a kitten. Be firm, but kind, and put her in her box after she eats or if she starts to poop.

If none of that works, I'd see a vet. They'll be able to diagnose if anything's wrong.

I googled and found this for you:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1310&articleid=158

I suggest taking your cat to the vet, just to be sure it's not something serious.

Maybe she's sick? How far apart have these incidents been?

Have you changed her diet recently?

sometimes cats go out of the litter box when they are sick, other times they will go out of the litter box because they are unhappy, if you have been away from home more often than usual the cat pooping on your bed is it's way of telling you that you are missed.

Wash your sheets more often so they don't smell like you as much or be home more.

If you haven't changed your schedule up recently you might check with the vet.

If it's pee, cats get bladder infections really easy. There are medications (I thing over the counter) that you can give.

Make sure she's wormed, etc. regular and isn't in need of laxative.

Sometimes a change of food helps. You need to have food specifically for indoor cats. They have to have the grass and other fiber that they would get outside.

Also, sometimes they seem to get upset with a change in routine. We have a cat that will do fine when we are on vacation but as soon as we get back she will punish us by going somewhere else.

one of our cats used to shit inside if it was too windy out or if there were too many seagulls. she stil does sometimes. maybe something scared her.

Both of my cats dump outdoors.

That said, we have an "emergency" litter box, because sometimes it's too cold for them to go out (or too hot - they are spoiled).

The litter box MUST be spotless.

The male cat has a tendency, when frightened by lightning, or anything else unexpected, to explosively poop in place (he hunches and out it comes).

Since it's quiet inside, it rarely happens there (except during a storm).

Outside, it's his defense mechanism against other cats (seen a neighbor's cat showered with poop).

Again, check for urinary tract infection. Local vets know me well enough that all I have to to is walk in and say "got one with a UTI" and they give me antibiotics. Under ten bucks and no charge for an office visit. But if you're not sure, you have to do the office visit.

I've had a couple who would act out similiarly if upset. Just move? Been gone a lot? Get your bed pissed on.

Cleanliness of the litter box also imperitive. Most cats would much rather use clean laundry than a dirty litterbox. But again, pretty much what everyone else has been telling you.

I've had a couple who would act out similiarly if upset. Just move? Been gone a lot? Get your bed pissed on.

Our female cat will shit in my shoes if I make her get up during the day.

Out of curiosity, are any of her *ahem* target locations similar in color to the litter? I've caught ana pawing at the tiles in the bathroom in preparation...

Out of curiosity, are any of her *ahem* target locations similar in color to the litter? I've caught ana pawing at the tiles in the bathroom in preparation...

Well the office carpet is gray like her litter, and when she pooped in my bed she went under the covers (her box has a lid on it so she can have privacy.) As for the peeing though, there's no real connection. She did it on top of my bed sheet out in the open and my sheets are plaid, not gray.

4 times in two monthes?

Hell, my kitty, Oreo (We call her Popo) is 9 and she shits around the house more than four times in two months.

My other kitty, Cooch (Don't laugh. I didn't know. I was 7) on the other hand, never does this. He did however, barf up some chili mac my brother fed him the other day.

Typically, the litter box just isn't to her liking even when it appears to be perfectly clean.

I dunno, all cats are different.

Well we brought a new litter box, and a new brand of litter (we were using Special Kitty and we're now using Tidy Kitty), and we'll see if that helps the situation.

The only times my cats poop outside the litter box, they poop like right next to the litter box and then wipe their paws on the side of the litter box and try to cover it up with any litter from the box that may have spilled onto the floor. I guess it's their way of saying I haven't cleaned their litter well enough....

I know, I know that advice threads are look down on here but I figure since there are other cat owners on here, I could get some help. For the past two months, Amelia has went out of her litter box four times. Three time was #2 (pooping) with one being on my bed and the other two was in the office. Today she decided to pee on my bed and I am just confused. I mean the first two time she went out of her box we changed her food, started changing her litter more often (from every other day to every day). The third time she went out of the box wasn't any fault of her own, we accidentally left the bathroom door shut and well, she had no where to go. Today was perplexing though, she pissed on my bed with my door and the bathroom door being open and with fresh litter for her to use.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm thinking that we should try changing litter and maybe get a new box. I love Amelia and she is my little one but if she keeps this up she's going to become an outdoor cat.


Could be a number of reasons:

1. Is the litter box clean? I mean immaculate. I have a cat who will not use the same litter box for feces as she does for urine: she won't share a box with other cats: she won't use the box more than once without it being scooped out. Amelia could just be hyper-fussy.

2. Has she been traumatized recently - did you change her food: did you go away and leave her in the care of others for a time: did you introduce another animal into her territory.

3. Is she sick? Take her to the vet and have him/her check her out. My 14-year old tom was urinating everywhere. When the vet checked him out, he was found to have diabetes. Insulin shots and a high-protein diet took care of the problem.

One last thing. I really must recommend a book called "Cats on the Counter." It's behavior therapy for cats. Most of it you can do yourself, though it can be time consuming. Came in real handy when I had a couple of males with some serious aggression problems. It's by *looking up* Dr Larry Lachman. Nothing fancy needed in most cases, just a fairly strong commitment to persuading your cat it wants to do things your way.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm thinking that we should try changing litter and maybe get a new box. I love Amelia and she is my little one but if she keeps this up she's going to become an outdoor cat.
I'm no cat expert, but I believe it means that your Amelia is now thinking herself as the top cat in the house.

I remember reading that cats generally bury their business because they see themselves as the submissive ones and thus they are 'hiding' their scent as the dominant figure spays and marks his/her territory.

your bed is the best marker of your scent, your office might be the second best place. so it does sound like your cat is asserting it's dominance.

I would confirm that with an animal expert tho.

One last thing. I really must recommend a book called "Cats on the Counter." It's behavior therapy for cats. Most of it you can do yourself, though it can be time consuming. Came in real handy when I had a couple of males with some serious aggression problems. It's by *looking up* Dr Larry Lachman. Nothing fancy needed in most cases, just a fairly strong commitment to persuading your cat it wants to do things your way.

*goes to the library*

I have a male cat who thinks the other male cat is a chew toy....... >.>

*goes to the library*

I have a male cat who thinks the other male cat is a chew toy....... >.>

my cousin has a small kitten that thinks the other adult cats are his personal moving toys.

the other cats are now afraid of that kitten... really afraid... to the point of hiding when he walks into the room...

I'm no cat expert, but I believe it means that your Amelia is now thinking herself as the top cat in the house.

I remember reading that cats generally bury their business because they see themselves as the submissive ones and thus they are 'hiding' their scent as the dominant figure spays and marks his/her territory.

your bed is the best marker of your scent, your office might be the second best place. so it does sound like your cat is asserting it's dominance.

I would confirm that with an animal expert tho.

Cats bury things because they're ambush predators, no reason to leave excessively aromatic things lying about. It's also the reason they're such clean freaks. Dogs are pack hunters and the smell they have lets the rest of the pack know where they are.

Cats bury things because they're ambush predators, no reason to leave excessively aromatic things lying about. It's also the reason they're such clean freaks. Dogs are pack hunters and the smell they have lets the rest of the pack know where they are.

... actually, not quite. yes, I can see how being an ambush hunter requires being a clean freak, but not hiding their kills. normally, cats (big cats) hid their kills to 1) prevent them from being stolen and 2) for consumption later. House/alley cats tho, scent mark their territory. and the dominate or King Cat is the one that has their scent promenantly displayed for other cats to know. a cat that hides their scent is aknowledging that the dominant scent is the head honcho. and burying feces and other fecal material does nothing for hunting.

our garage is frequently used as a feline maternity ward. and trust me when I say that cats do not hide their scents because they are ambush hunters. if they stake a territory as theirs, they will let you know about it.

Wilgrove,

here some sites to look at...
http://www.hdw-inc.com/litterbox.htm#fecal

http://home.ivillage.com/pets/cats/0,,mj3g,00.html

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/whydo.html
to Khadgar...
Why do cats cover their feces?
Many people believe they bury their waste products because they are fastidious. That isn't necessarily so. In the wild, only secondary cats bury their waste to protect their trail from predators. The dominant feline will actually display his or her feces prominently. This sends a strong message of dominance. In the world of house cats, you are the dominant animal and the house cat chooses not to offend you. They will carefully bury their feces to eliminate interfering with what they perceive as the natural order.