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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Pooping (and now urinating) on couch

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 1/15/2009


Question
My cat is a 2 year old, spayed (since old enough), raised her from kitten.  Recently, the past 6 months, she has been randomly pooping on the couch, no consistent time of time.  She has probably done it 20 times now.  Her cat box is clean, she doesn't have worms, she is healthy.  She cannot see out the window from where she is pooping, however, a male stray cat has sprayed my front porch and possibly other parts of the house outside--could that be related.  A few days ago was the first she has EVER urinated somewhere other than her box.  I've cleaned the furniture cushions thoroughly, tried locking her up with her litter box when we weren't home, etc., nothing will do.  What do you suggest?

Answer
Candi,

She may be reacting to the smell of the tom cat. She sounds like she is marking her territory because she can't get outside to defend it.

The cat may also be telling you that she is upset with someone or something in the home, or that she is upset about her litterbox for some reason. Have you tried a 2nd litterbox in another area of the home? Some cats prefer privacy and don't like to use one out in the open. Try a larger litterbox with deeper litter. Sometimes that will help too.

I am including some links to good articles about improper elimination that you may  find helpful:
(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

http://www.apbc.org.uk/article10.htm

I hope this helps.

Tabbi  

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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