Cat Pooping Outside of Litter Box Options

[Sweets]

Hi All

I hope someone here can help me with my 8 year old desexed male Birman who over the past year has taken to doing number 1's and 2's outside of his litter box.

My husband and I have tried everything to get him to stop. He has been vet checked to make sure there are no health problems (he's fine). We have bought him a new litter box (he now has two), tried different litter, used different sprays that are to discourage him going in certain areas. He will use the litter straight after we put fresh litter in, but then will refuse to use it (even after we clean out any "mess").

We do both work full time but it was never a problem previously. When we are at work, we actually put him in our laundry room. This is not a small room and he has a bed in it etc. It also has a window that opens to a wire window box of sorts where if he wants to, he can lay out in the sun. This is also the same room where his litter box is kept.

When we are home he is very spoilt (we call him our third child). He gets a lot of attention from both of us and our two teenage children. He is only fed quality cat food.

There are no other cats inside and we really don't often have any neighbourhood cats around our yard.

We have asked our vet if he has any tips but he has not heard of a cat who does this. If anyone can offer any advice it would be very much appreciated.

[Herbert]

Hello Sweets. Welcome here!

I had the same problem with my two sibling kittens when they were around 6 months old. They would use the two litter trays I had for them in separate rooms - but occasionally I would find they had deposited little love letters for me here and there under the furniture.

I bought expensive spray deterrents - none of which worked. I could have been spraying catnip so far as they were concerned.

And then I had an inspiration: Tiger Balm. It did the trick. I put the tiniest dab of Tiger Balm on the carpet where their favourite 'mail drops' were - and this definitely caught their attention. Back to the trays they went. No more secret love letters.

[Sweets]

Thank you for your reply Herbert.

Tiger Balm? I have heard of that but not sure where to get it? Is it from health stores or just at the chemist?? Our cat tends to do it on the floor in the laundry directly in front of the two litter boxes that we have in there.

[Herbert]

You might be able to get Tiger Balm from a chemist. It's a liniment for rubbing on the skin for arthritic pains and rheumatism. It has a sharp pungent smell that my cats found to be very off-putting.

I get mine from one of those 'sell-everything' nic-nacs Chinese shops.

Otherwise 'spot' the floor with a dab or two of 'EXIT Mould' used to kill mould developing on the wall tile grouting in the shower cubicle.

Have you tried moving the litter trays to different parts of the laundry every day? This might satisfy his current need to poop-outside-the-square, so to speak.

Also, you might get your menfolk to make a little platform on castor wheels that can be pushed across the floor to different positions for Sweets to survey his domain from. My cats have always loved the mobile platform I have in the lounge-room.

Best of luck!

Herbert

[Sweets]

Thanks tonnes Herbert. I'll give it all a try :). Hopefully something will work.