We are having 2 major issues with our cat who is 2.5 years old. My cat has been pooping right in front of the front door, and we have tried everything to get her to stop and are running out of ideas. (She pees in her litter box just fine!) To make matters worse, we are renting a house right now and are about to move into our first house next week. So we really NEED this behavior to be corrected. We have tried cleaning the area over and over with many different kinds of products, and she still poops in the area. We tried covering the area with plastic, she pooped on it. We covered the area in foil, she pooped on it, and peed on it, we think she loved the stuff. We have tried catching her in the act and clapping, a water bottle, grabbing her and putting her in the litter box. But nope, she still poops in front of the door.
We went home to see my parents for a weekend, who have 3 cats, so we brought ours. She pooped in the LITTER BOX the first day! No problems, was back to being a normal cat. Once we returned home, she started pooping in front of the door again! This only added to our frustration. So our last resort was to confine her to our large guest bathroom. I bought 2 new litter boxes and filled each with a different, new litter. One of the litters was the same kind my mom use, that she did use when we were home. The other was the newspaper kind, she thought it was food, so I quickly removed that box. She used the other litter the first day! So we confined her for 3-4 days, let her out while we were home and could monitor her for a few more days, then we thought we were in the clear… nope, she is now doing it again.
We do have a dog and it may be that she does not like the dog or that she thinks we may give her more attention. But we brought our dog home with us as well, and she used the litter box like a normal cat. So that made us think it is not a dog vs. cat issue. We have noticed she is a little skittish or on edge, maybe she needs something to calm her down? She has had worms before, so if we take her to the vet, maybe it is as simple as some medication? (We have checked her stools, no worms). HELP!!!
Our other issue, same cat, is she is constantly chewing on the corners of furniture, cabinets, and power cords. Our headboard has a whole corner that is rounded off because she has completely gnawed off the corner. It is made out of wood and so are the cabinets. We think this is just a nasty habit, not sure if she is trying to tell us anything. We have tried a spray or 2 but those don’t seem to work. Any suggestions for a sour apple spray? Any suggestions that have been successful would be appreciated!
Like I said, we are moving into a new house, our first house, next week. I love our cat, and I don’t want to find a new home for her. But if she continues these nasty habits after we have tried everything, I feel like I have no choice. I am not ok with turning our NEW house into a war zone, for a cat.
HELP! Cat is pooping at front door and chewing!
Re: HELP! Cat is pooping at front door and chewing!
Is she strictly indoors only?
YES, she needs a vet visit, since nearly anything medical could be going on and unnoticed by you. Get a full blood profile done for her as well. If you haven't had her for a vet visit within the last year, then it's PAST time. All cats should have a yearly checkup with the vet, ideally it should even be twice a year.
What breed is the dog? Does the dog intimidate your cat, chase her, eat her food, not respect her boundaries? Is the dog trained to respect the cat and the cat's food/water dishes, litterboxes, and private area?
Which leads to the next question. Does kitty have a "safe haven" room that she can retreat to that she feels safe in? One where she likes to nap or feel secure?
How long has she been eliminating in front of the door? And, when you note that first time, what changed either right before that time or during that time? What changes were occurring in her environment that could have stressed her?
Are her stools formed or are they soft or diarrhea-like when she eliminates by the door?
What are you feeding her? (brand and type)
Where is the litterbox located usually? Is the dog trained to stay completely away from the area? Cats like privacy and need their litterbox to be away from heavy foot traffic, large and noisy appliances, dark or damp areas, all these areas should be avoided to place a litterbox in.
What type of litter were you using (brand and type), and what type of litter was mom using? Where were mom's litterboxes located in the home? Chances are, in a place where kitty felt safe and not intimidated.
What type of litterbox are you using? Large? Medium, or is it too small? Are the sides possibly too high for her or too short?
Do you keep the litterbox scooped and clean on a daily basis? Do you thoroughly wash and rinse the litterbox weekly?
Did something occur near her litterbox that made her feel insecure in that area? Have you moved it to other areas too many times?
What cleaners exactly, have you been using? It is counterproductive to use so many cleaners since they essentially only either mask the smell or just make it worse. Use only an enzymatic cleaner (like Petastic) and use only one product. Never use bleach, ammonia, etc, as these are irritants to cats and they will keep marking the area.
When you had her in the bathroom with her two litterboxes, you have to slowly move the litterbox to the eventual desired location. Or, keep the litterbox in the bathroom and provide a new one with the same litter in another area she feels safe in (again, not near appliances, foot traffic or where the dog can access, etc)
Are you gone too much? Do you give her plenty of time and attention when you're home? Do you take the time to play with her and actively engage yourself in her playtime and exercise activity?
How can you not know if she likes the dog or not? I'm guessing that if she's skittish and "on edge", then chances are, there is some conflict going on between her and the dog and you must change that immediately. The dog must be trained to respect the cat, her food/water, her litterbox, her toys and her safe haven place or room. The dog should not be allowed to rough-house or chase the cat, ever. Likewise, if you have children, they too must be taught to respect the cat and her boundaries (i.e., not pick up and hold unless kitty is comfortable with it, etc). What kind of routine do you have at home? Who is the major caretaker in the home? You or someone else? Who feeds her, changes her litterbox, plays with her most, etc?
The chewing issue, you need to address with your vet. She could be extremely nervous or stressed about something or some one (i.e., the dog, or another person, etc). There is also a condition known as PICA, which can be from nervousness, boredom, or incorrect balance of nutrients and minerals in her food/diet. Discuss that in full with your vet, and pay close attention to her bloodwork (which is just one more reason I strongly suggest you get bloodwork done for her).
Keep all electrical cords covered and out of reach. Surely you understand the danger involved by allowing pets to chew electrical cords!! There are many many many different cord covers from computer stores online, do a simple google search for cord covers, and look into the types of covers designed for keeping computer cords together.
Have you actually seen her chewing on cabinet corners and your headboard? For a cat to do that would be highly unusual, unless she has an illness, is severely stressed, and is trying to get your attention to some matter.
It isn't up to your kitty to stop doing what she's doing. It is up to YOU to be investigator, think like a cat, and determine what in the environment is causing her undue stress. This could be a change of your routine, an event that occured months ago or very recently, or a conflict between the dog, or even another person in your home - the possibilities are endless. It sounds to me like she is under some amount of stress and it's up to you to determine what and why. She is totally dependant upon YOU to figure that out (because she is trying to tell you but she can't speak) and to address the cause so you can provide her a harmonious environment again.
BTW, it isn't helping her stress to be packing and moving. Moving and relocating are the number one causes of stress in cats. If you don't monitor her closely and provide for her very needs, she could become quite ill as a result of stress - may stop eating, and may develop a serious liver condition. I'm not saying this is going to occur, I'm saying that moving is the number one cause of stress that leads to illness causing liver disease (it can be treated and cured, as long as the owner is diligent in watching their cats' behavior, eating/drinking habits, gets veterinary attention at the first sign of anything unusual)
While you are moving boxes and furniture etc to the new house, keep kitty safely secured in another room, with the door closed at all times. Set up a new room in the new house with a bed, food and water dishes, a new litterbox, and some of her toys. When all boxes and furniture are already inside the new home, take kitty (in her carrier to prevent her from escaping) to the new home and into her new room so she will be most comfortable and can then explore her new home at her own convenience.
Likewise, the new home is an excellent opportunity to define boundaries between your cat and your dog. Again, the dog should not be allowed access to the cats' food and water or litterboxes or her bed and toys etc. Do you have a kitty tree for her? If not, maybe invest in one for her.
Don't give up on your kitty. She is depending on YOU to help HER. You can't just abandon or find her a new home because she is stressed or eliminating or because you don't have the patience to deal with it properly. You must be the investigator and try to figure out why she's eliminating. My guess is she is under severe stress. Once that is detected, then you can go on to the next step to address it and make her environment safer, more harmonious for her, and enjoy many many more years of companionship together.
YES, she needs a vet visit, since nearly anything medical could be going on and unnoticed by you. Get a full blood profile done for her as well. If you haven't had her for a vet visit within the last year, then it's PAST time. All cats should have a yearly checkup with the vet, ideally it should even be twice a year.
What breed is the dog? Does the dog intimidate your cat, chase her, eat her food, not respect her boundaries? Is the dog trained to respect the cat and the cat's food/water dishes, litterboxes, and private area?
Which leads to the next question. Does kitty have a "safe haven" room that she can retreat to that she feels safe in? One where she likes to nap or feel secure?
How long has she been eliminating in front of the door? And, when you note that first time, what changed either right before that time or during that time? What changes were occurring in her environment that could have stressed her?
Are her stools formed or are they soft or diarrhea-like when she eliminates by the door?
What are you feeding her? (brand and type)
Where is the litterbox located usually? Is the dog trained to stay completely away from the area? Cats like privacy and need their litterbox to be away from heavy foot traffic, large and noisy appliances, dark or damp areas, all these areas should be avoided to place a litterbox in.
What type of litter were you using (brand and type), and what type of litter was mom using? Where were mom's litterboxes located in the home? Chances are, in a place where kitty felt safe and not intimidated.
What type of litterbox are you using? Large? Medium, or is it too small? Are the sides possibly too high for her or too short?
Do you keep the litterbox scooped and clean on a daily basis? Do you thoroughly wash and rinse the litterbox weekly?
Did something occur near her litterbox that made her feel insecure in that area? Have you moved it to other areas too many times?
What cleaners exactly, have you been using? It is counterproductive to use so many cleaners since they essentially only either mask the smell or just make it worse. Use only an enzymatic cleaner (like Petastic) and use only one product. Never use bleach, ammonia, etc, as these are irritants to cats and they will keep marking the area.
When you had her in the bathroom with her two litterboxes, you have to slowly move the litterbox to the eventual desired location. Or, keep the litterbox in the bathroom and provide a new one with the same litter in another area she feels safe in (again, not near appliances, foot traffic or where the dog can access, etc)
Are you gone too much? Do you give her plenty of time and attention when you're home? Do you take the time to play with her and actively engage yourself in her playtime and exercise activity?
How can you not know if she likes the dog or not? I'm guessing that if she's skittish and "on edge", then chances are, there is some conflict going on between her and the dog and you must change that immediately. The dog must be trained to respect the cat, her food/water, her litterbox, her toys and her safe haven place or room. The dog should not be allowed to rough-house or chase the cat, ever. Likewise, if you have children, they too must be taught to respect the cat and her boundaries (i.e., not pick up and hold unless kitty is comfortable with it, etc). What kind of routine do you have at home? Who is the major caretaker in the home? You or someone else? Who feeds her, changes her litterbox, plays with her most, etc?
The chewing issue, you need to address with your vet. She could be extremely nervous or stressed about something or some one (i.e., the dog, or another person, etc). There is also a condition known as PICA, which can be from nervousness, boredom, or incorrect balance of nutrients and minerals in her food/diet. Discuss that in full with your vet, and pay close attention to her bloodwork (which is just one more reason I strongly suggest you get bloodwork done for her).
Keep all electrical cords covered and out of reach. Surely you understand the danger involved by allowing pets to chew electrical cords!! There are many many many different cord covers from computer stores online, do a simple google search for cord covers, and look into the types of covers designed for keeping computer cords together.
Have you actually seen her chewing on cabinet corners and your headboard? For a cat to do that would be highly unusual, unless she has an illness, is severely stressed, and is trying to get your attention to some matter.
It isn't up to your kitty to stop doing what she's doing. It is up to YOU to be investigator, think like a cat, and determine what in the environment is causing her undue stress. This could be a change of your routine, an event that occured months ago or very recently, or a conflict between the dog, or even another person in your home - the possibilities are endless. It sounds to me like she is under some amount of stress and it's up to you to determine what and why. She is totally dependant upon YOU to figure that out (because she is trying to tell you but she can't speak) and to address the cause so you can provide her a harmonious environment again.
BTW, it isn't helping her stress to be packing and moving. Moving and relocating are the number one causes of stress in cats. If you don't monitor her closely and provide for her very needs, she could become quite ill as a result of stress - may stop eating, and may develop a serious liver condition. I'm not saying this is going to occur, I'm saying that moving is the number one cause of stress that leads to illness causing liver disease (it can be treated and cured, as long as the owner is diligent in watching their cats' behavior, eating/drinking habits, gets veterinary attention at the first sign of anything unusual)
While you are moving boxes and furniture etc to the new house, keep kitty safely secured in another room, with the door closed at all times. Set up a new room in the new house with a bed, food and water dishes, a new litterbox, and some of her toys. When all boxes and furniture are already inside the new home, take kitty (in her carrier to prevent her from escaping) to the new home and into her new room so she will be most comfortable and can then explore her new home at her own convenience.
Likewise, the new home is an excellent opportunity to define boundaries between your cat and your dog. Again, the dog should not be allowed access to the cats' food and water or litterboxes or her bed and toys etc. Do you have a kitty tree for her? If not, maybe invest in one for her.
Don't give up on your kitty. She is depending on YOU to help HER. You can't just abandon or find her a new home because she is stressed or eliminating or because you don't have the patience to deal with it properly. You must be the investigator and try to figure out why she's eliminating. My guess is she is under severe stress. Once that is detected, then you can go on to the next step to address it and make her environment safer, more harmonious for her, and enjoy many many more years of companionship together.
..........Traci