Cat pooping outside of the litterbox.?

Question

We have two cats. One we have had for two years and the other we have had for about a month (Sadie). When Sadie came she used the litter box just fine but now she poops outside of the box and pees in it. I am not absolutely sure that it is her and not my other cat. I just have my suspicions. They have two litter boxes. What can I do to get her to go to the bathroom in her litter box again. She is heavier than my other cat but not massive. She is 16 pounds and the litter box is big. Also if this could be a medical problem what other symptoms would she have. I don't want to take her to the vet if she doesn't need it. Because of the extra unnecessary money.

Answer 1

The only thing i can think of is that your litter box needs to be clean more often. I have a 14 year old cat that goes out side the box when it is not clean enough for her. Or maybe she is getting too old, when one of my cats got really old she had stop using the litter box.

Answer 2

make noise and put him in the litter box everytime you see him doing that  

Answer 3

Well is she an outdoor cat?? Because my cat is an outdoor cat and he doesn't seem to like using the litter box.  It could be just that the cat has forgotten what the litterbox is for and you need to teach her to use it.  When I first got my cat I had to keep putting him in the litterbox so he knew where to go to the bathroom

Answer 4

i once heard of a cat doing this when his owner

made several big changes to the house.

if you've made any changes that could be the reason.

Answer 5

My guess is that one or both are unhappy about something ( new cat, new litter, changes in arrangement of box or other things in the house0.

iI am wit's end because manufacturer of "Fresh Step" changed the comoposition (added charcoal) and my kids don't like it at all - are going NEAR the box.

Answer 6

Well, of course it could be any of several issues your cat may be having.

First thing you'll need to do is determine which is your cats is not using their liter box by using a camera or by simply paying really close attention to your cats.

Once you find out which cat is making the floor smell like the litter box than you second step absolutely has to be to take kitty to the vet. It may seem to be just a drain in money but it's not that bad when it comes to kitty's health.

If the vet determines that it's not a medical problem than it could be any of a number of things.

Maybe your cat doesn't like the litter you use. This could be due to the texture of the litter or the smell of the litter. In which case, you should not fragrance the litter box or change the type of litter you use. The size of the litter box might also be a problem. There could be sanitation issues with the litter box. If you scoop your litter boxes every day and keep nice, tidy boxes, have you used any cleaning products that you haven't normally used on the litter boxes? Is there any litter scattered outside the box? Is your other cat blocking the box when kitty tries to poo? Is the box in a convenient location?

Your cat may be stressed as a result of a change. Maybe it's your older cat a little worried about the new cat roaming around, or it could even be as simple as adding new furniture around the area of the litter boxes. Try to determine when the problem started and think of any little thing that may have changes at that time to cause this response.

To get the cat to start using its litter box properly again, you might need to move the cat into an enclosed space much like the one you may have kept it in to help the cat get used to it's new home. Then, letting it out for supervised periods every now and again until you're confident that kitty can be trusted with the litter box again.

If all else fails, than you may need to seek outside help by contacting a cat behaviourist or cat psychologist.