Expert: Dear Tabbi - 5/27/2008

Question
Hi
My question is bit different from most in that my cat poops in his box most of the time, but has recently started doing it out of his box.  He started it after I went away for 2 weeks, but my husband was home for all but the last few days - then he had friends come over to visit him.  We have both been away for longer periods at the same time.  Soon after this started, he ended up getting congestive heart failure, triggered by a surgery he had to remove some bumps (he has this surgery previously too.)
No changes to litter box, litter or anything I can think back to when this all started.  Some days he has done it twice out of the box - then go for a week with all in his box, then out/in/out/in etc.  Very random.  Since it started his life has been incredibly stressed with his heart problem, and then, as soon as he was acting normally (yeah for my kitty to make it) my husband left for work - and he LOVES his daddy.  So i dont know if this is one stress after another that has caused it?  But why would he have started it at all? I guess if it had not happened before surgery I would not be wondering - anyhow, no clue what to do now.  I have cleaned each time with enzymatic cleaner too.  He got caught in the act once and he saw me and turned and immediately went to his box with no prompting from me - he gets tons of praise when he goes in the box.  I was telling him NO when i showed his poop to him out of the  box, but have stopped because i was told he may associate NO with pooping in general.
any ideas?  
Thanks

Answer

Toby,

Has the cat seen the vet lately? A lot of times if they have pain when they defecate they will associate that pain with the litterbox and go elsewhere. He may be constipated or have some other medical issue. He may have urgency problems and can't get to the litterbox in time.

When a cat is very upset at you that is a way of telling you. Yes, it could stem from him being left alone for the longer periods. And he could also be stressed from the surgeries. Or it could be a combination of everything.

I would try a bigger litterbox with deeper litter and move the litterbox to an area that is private. Sometimes that combination will work. Possibly a litterbox with very low sides on it if he is still having pain. Or even try a puppy pee-pad laid next to the litterbox. Some cats don't want to dig, they prefer a flat surface. If doing any of those things stop the improper elimination then you know it's a litterbox problem and not a behavioral one.
Sometimes you have to be a detective to figure out the reason.

If he is doing it because he is upset at you leaving him then the behavior should stop once he sees that you aren't going to leave again. If you are, you might want to get him a kitty friend about his age for company and comfort when you are gone.

I am including a couple of links that have good articles on improper elimination that you may find informative. Copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar:

http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

I hope this helps.

Tabbi