Expert: Dear Tabbi - 10/6/2009

Question
my cat is 16 weeks old and has been litter trained. but lately he has stating pooing behind the TV and in the bathroom! how do i stop this from happening ?

Answer
Carly,

Your cat is still a baby yet so don't be too harsh on him. There are any number of reasons it could be.

He may not like where the litterbox is located. It could too much out in the open. Some cats like privacy. I would try moving it and maybe temporarily using 2nd litterbox in a different location, maybe the bathroom. Sometimes a bigger litterbox with deeper litter works. Or using children's play sand, then slowly adding regular litter to it. Sometimes it is not cleaned often enough for the cat. Using clumping litter is MUCH better and makes keeping the litterbox clean a lot easier. Clay litter makes the smell of urine too strong and some cats have an aversion to it. The kitten could have gotten spooked when he was using the litterbox, maybe by another animal, child, or person, and now is afraid to use it. Something could be upsetting him and that is his way of telling you. Those are some possibilities.

Since I cannot put all the information in this reply, I am including some links to good articles about improper elimination. They will have good information that you should find helpful in dealing with the kitten's behavior.
(copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.catsinternational.org/articles/housesoiling/unabridged_litterbox_1.ht...

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

You don't mention if you have other animals. A kitten needs another kitten to play kitty games with, like wrestling, chase, etc., to be comfort to him when he is alone, and a companion to snuggle with. A single kitten can be more destructive and can develop behavior problems due to boredom. You may want to think about another kitten his age and temperament. That may or may not help also with is improper elimination issue.

Tabbi