Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Cat not pooping in litter box

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 5/6/2009


Question
Last month we adopted a 2 year old male cat from a local foster program. We have kept the food, litter, and type of litter box exactly as he was used to. He will pee in the box, but is only pooping outside on the deck or on the tile floor. The rescue group says this wasn't a problem before.  The Vet checked him out and couldn't find any physical problems.  How do we get him back into using the box?

Answer
Marc,

There could be many reasons and sometimes you need to try different things to figure out what that reason is.

Try getting a larger litterbox and put the litter deeper. Try moving the litterbox because he may not like the location or feel he has enough privacy. Try a 2nd litterbox.

Here are some links to good articles on improper elimination that may help also:
(copy and paste, or type, the whole link 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

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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