Sometimes, it seems like having a cat that uses a litter box is so much simpler than having to take a dog for a walk to make sure it gets to potty. After all, all a litter box requires is a few minutes of your time every day to keep it clean and comfortable for your cat.
However, anyone who’s had a cat for more than about 35 seconds knows that it isn’t really that simple. Cats can be fussy when it comes to their litter box, and it’s common for cats to go outside of the box.
It can be frustrating and difficult trying to pinpoint a problem and then remedying it. This is especially true when your cat uses the box properly some of the time, but not all the time. If your cat pees in the box but poops on the floor, keep reading for more information on why they do this and what to do about it.
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Why Do Cats Go Outside of the Litter Box?
Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock
There are quite a few reasons that cats go outside of the box, honestly. Maybe they don’t like the texture or smell of the litter you’re using, they don’t like where the litter box is placed, it might be too dirty, or maybe they’re sick and can’t make it to their litter box.
Often, cats might be found to go outside the box to pee, but they continue to poop in the box. This is common with cats with lower urinary tract problems, cats with polyuria (increased urination), or cats that spray. But if your cat is pooping outside the box but peeing in the box, what does it mean? Well, it could be something as simple as an issue with the litter or the box itself.
If your cat has been checked by your vet and there isn’t a medical issue, it could be behavioral. One of the big causes of this type of behavior is negative associations. If your cat has had chronic constipation, an infected anal gland, or something else that has made pooping uncomfortable, then your cat may have begun associating the box with pain and discomfort.
This means that, in their cat brain, pooping somewhere that isn’t where they associate pain will ensure they don’t have pain.
The 8 Ways to Help Your Cat to Poop in the Litter Box
1. Talk to Your Vet
If your cat is not properly using the litter box, a vet visit is always the place to start. A vet will be able to rule out medical issues that may be causing your cat’s litter box problems. Sometimes, once a medical issue is resolved, your cat will go back to using the box properly.
Sometimes, medications, home modifications, and other interventions are necessary to get your cat back into the habit of pooping in the litter box.
If there is a physical or behavioral issue with your cat that the vet discovered, it’s important to follow treatment recommendations precisely. Cats with chronic constipation may require a diet change or start a weight loss programme to ensure they aren’t struggling to poop. If your cat suffers from diarrhea, understanding the reason behind it is crucial, whether it’s parasites, diet intolerance, or a viral infection, a diet change and short or long-term medication may be necessary to help normalize your cat’s feces.
There are multiple interventions your vet may recommend, so make sure you make whatever changes you and your vet discuss and deem necessary.
3. Clean the Box
Cleaning the litter box can be one of the least desirable chores in the whole house, but it is necessary to maintain health and hygiene, as well as keep your cat happy and comfortable. After all, you wouldn’t want to keep having to use a dirty toilet that you couldn’t flush! Emptying the solid waste from the litter box at least once per day is typically adequate.
Many people don’t realize that the whole box needs regular cleaning, though. At least twice a month, you should be fully emptying the litter box, cleaning and disinfecting it, and replacing all the old litter with new, clean litter.
4. Try Different Litter
This is an easy one if you have recently switched the litter. You may just need to switch back to the old litter if possible. Your cat may just not like how the litter covers his poop, so just starts pooping on the floor.
Obviously, there are notable differences between urine and feces, and even cats are aware of this. Your cat’s litter may behave a certain way with urine that isn’t replicated with feces, which may become bothersome to your cat.
5. Try a Different Litter Box
Just like the litter issue, your cat may just not like the litter box you’ve offered. Some cats have preferences for the shape of the box, while other cats may refuse to use a covered litter box. You want to try to find a litter box that meets your cats’ needs while still allowing you to keep your home clean and sanitary.
Image Credit: Natalya Lys, Shutterstock
6. Add Another Litter Box
Do you know the rule of how many litter boxes you should have? The general rule of thumb is a litter box per cat plus one extra. This means that if you only have one cat, you should still have two boxes. Some cats simply don’t want to poop in the same place they pee.
Providing an additional litter box in your home will provide your cat with an extra option, encouraging them to use the litter box for both pee and poop.
7. Improve the Environment
Cats can be kind of funny when it comes to litter box use, as we’ve already covered. One thing you may not have considered is the environment in which your cat’s litter box is located. Is it in a busy part of your home that is usually noisy? Is it located in your laundry room where the dryer is typically running? Is it too close to a window or glass door, and other cats could be watching him while toileting?
It’s possible that your cat is content to pee in the box no matter where it’s located because they can jump in, pee quickly, then go about their day. Pooping can take a little bit longer and may require more “focus.” For this task, your cat may prefer a quieter, more private location.
Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock
8. Make Sure Your Cat Has Access
While this might sound like a no-brainer, it’s important that your cat always has access to a litter box. If your cat’s litter box is located in a bathroom, for example, he may not have access to the litter box anytime someone is using the bathroom or leaves the door shut.
Litter boxes in garages and mudrooms may also get closed off from your cat. If there are other pets, people, or items in the home that frighten your cat, then he may not make it to the box if he may have to pass something that scares him to get there. Make sure that no matter what, your cat has safe access to a litter box.
Conclusion
There are a lot of reasons your cat may be pooping on the floor but peeing in the box. Some of them are easy to fix, like changing the litter or treating an infection. Other interventions may be more time-consuming and may require multiple attempts on your end to determine the issue and correct it.
Carefully monitoring your cat’s behavior and reporting unusual occurrences, like pooping on the floor, to a vet will help you stay updated on your cat’s health status and help you find solutions to correcting inappropriate behaviors, no matter the cause.
Nicole is the proud mom of 3 rescue fur babies, Baby, a Burmese cat; Rosa, a New Zealand Huntaway; and Mac, a Lab/Mastiff. A Canadian expat, Nicole now lives on a lush forest property with her Kiwi husband and new baby daughter in New Zealand. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe.
Is it effective to spank or shove the cat’s face in the poo (on the floor) as a deterrent and negative association to floor + poo? I have heard stories about how this works with dogs. Or are cats not smart enough to make that connection? My cat pees in the laundry room litter, but poos on the floor beside the dining room table.
thank you for your question. We understand that your cat pooping in the dining room is a great nuisance and possible health hazard, however we strongly discourage this method. Cats are very stubborn and animals in general think differently than humans. Therefore there is a very little chance that your cat makes the correct association and would understand your action as the punishment for pooping where they shouldn’t. More likely your cat will connect this action with yourself and you will alienate your cat, make them stressed, which could lead into even more issues.
The best course of action here would be to figure out the reason why your cat acts like this in the first place, whether it’s dirty litter box, wrongly placed etc. Once the reason is gone, the issue should solve itself. Cleaning the spot with enzymatic cleaner could also help so the cat wouldn’t smell the spot they used before.
These articles could help you determine the cause:
If your issues would persist, we recommend booking an appointment with one of our vets at PangoVet.com. They will be happy to consult your situation with you in detail.
2 Responses
Is it effective to spank or shove the cat’s face in the poo (on the floor) as a deterrent and negative association to floor + poo? I have heard stories about how this works with dogs. Or are cats not smart enough to make that connection? My cat pees in the laundry room litter, but poos on the floor beside the dining room table.
Hello,
thank you for your question. We understand that your cat pooping in the dining room is a great nuisance and possible health hazard, however we strongly discourage this method. Cats are very stubborn and animals in general think differently than humans. Therefore there is a very little chance that your cat makes the correct association and would understand your action as the punishment for pooping where they shouldn’t. More likely your cat will connect this action with yourself and you will alienate your cat, make them stressed, which could lead into even more issues.
The best course of action here would be to figure out the reason why your cat acts like this in the first place, whether it’s dirty litter box, wrongly placed etc. Once the reason is gone, the issue should solve itself. Cleaning the spot with enzymatic cleaner could also help so the cat wouldn’t smell the spot they used before.
These articles could help you determine the cause:
– Why Does My Cat Poop Outside the Litter Box: 7 Causes & Ways to Stop It
– Do Cats Poop Out of Spite? Vet-Reviewed Behavior
If your issues would persist, we recommend booking an appointment with one of our vets at PangoVet.com. They will be happy to consult your situation with you in detail.