Really need some advice and quick...PLEASE!!!!!!

[Nurse_Jamie]

Noone cared to answer my last post about this, but I really, really, need some help on this! My kitten is pooping outside her litter box. I know she knows where it is, because she will go in the litter box too, but sometimes she will just poop outside it as well on my carpet. And last night, I put her in the laundry room where I keep her at night and I laid a towel down for her to lay on and she pooped on the towel instead of in her litter box and her litter box was right next to the towel!!!!! I don't understand it, and I am really starting to get annoyed with her. And she will poop in the carpet right in front of me and I can say No and spank her and carry her directly to the litter box but she'll do it again!! I really need to teach her the difference between the carpet and the litter box but I don't know how to teach her!! I am really getting frusurated with her and I don't want to look at her as a pain in the neck, I want to love having her here, but I want her to be good and not mess up mynew house. Can anyone PLEASE offer me some advice or suggestions, please!! I really need some answers as to why she is behaving this way.

[Cleo]

I haven't had any personal experience with this so can only offer what could be a possibility.

First and foremost I understand how frustrating it can be but please, PLEASE do not spank your kitten. There are other ways to teach them. Another important aspect is to rule out any physical problem. Has your kitten been to the vet lately? If not, perhaps an exam is in order.

It could be a behavorial problem dealing with stress maybe. Has anything new or different happened in your home since you've had the kitten. You mentioned keeping her in the laundry room at night but cats are nocturnal by nature and their need to explore, exercise and play at this time (unfortunate for those who like to sleep) may be stiffled by her limitations in the laundry room.

What about the litter? Has it been the same brand since day 1? Is the box being scooped and cleaned on a daily basis. Recently my sister found that her cat urinated on a blanket in the living room. My sister is 8 months pregnant and her husband was supposed to be taking care of the litter box. It was well past a week's cleaning and this behavior appeared to be Bella's way of telling him to shape up. I've since taken over litter box upkeep for my sister until her baby is born.

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, my 2 year old Molly has pooped outside the box but not intentionally. She's been diagnosed with possible colitis so I can only assume this happens when her tummy is acting up and she can't make it to the box in time or thought she finished in the box but her guts have told her differently.

Hopefully one of the board experts will be along to give you other if not better advice than I have.

Good luck and please, please have patience. It's usually a cry for help/problem rather than a deliberate act.

Cleo

[Susan and the girls]

I second Cleo's entire post. To recap - sometimes you have to rule out something health-wise; please don't spank your kitty; the laundry room is very small and kitty may be feeling stressed; make sure the litter box is clean as a whistle; and sometimes you just don't know why they do that sort of thing.

My sister's outside kitties do that to the box that she lovingly prepares for them for winter and bad weather. She has a huge plastic box (one of those with the lids) that she cut a hole out big enough for them to go in and out, and she lines it with blankets and towels --- and they poop inside of it. Who knows why.....

When my kitties were kittens, I made sure the litterbox was right where they played the most. If the box is too far away, they get all distracted playing, and simply have to "go," regardless of where they are. As they got older, I moved it slowly (over the course of several days) to where I wanted it to stay, and they adjusted well.

Please consider giving your kitty more room to run during the night. It may be as simple as giving her the run of the house while you close your bedroom door. Believe me - the more you spank or "humiliate" her for any behavior, the more distance you'll put between you and her. She is counting on you to somehow figure out what's going on (and I know it isn't always easy) and be her "mommy."

And remember - she's still a kitten, so she's still learning!

[Nurse_jamie]

I have changed brands of litter since she first got here, but I didn't think that would cause her to not use the litter box..I mean she does use it, just she goes on the carpet to. Her favorite place to go is my brand new oriental rug!! I really can't take that, now, she HAS to stop going on my brand new rug. I mean, i love her and all, but I don't want my house trashed. She pooped on my rug twice tonight right there in front of me. Both times I said NO (didn't hit her) and took her immediately to the litter box. But once I placed her in her litter box, she just jumped right out. I don't know what her problem is. I keep the litter box very clean...I mean it hardly ever gets messed up!! But if she does poop in it, I clean it out as soon as I see it. I always keep her litter box clean, so I know that's not the problem.
I thought cats liked to bury their messes? I mean, if that is true, then you'd think she'd go in her litter box so she could bury it.
I am just really getting frusturated with her, and I would love to let her roam around the house without having to worry about her pooping God knows where, but unfortunately, she is leaving me no choice but to keep her confined to the laundry room until she stops.
I cannot and WILL NOT have my house trashed.
What options do I have??? Someone that knows, please help!!!

And thanks for the advice, Cleo.

Nurse_Jamie

[Nurse_Jamie]

Thanks to you too, Susan, for your response...I didn't see it until after i replied to Cleo.

But about giving her the roam of the whole house at night - that is not an option...i would wake up to a ruined carpet!! I know she would poop everywhere and even in hidden places if I gave her roam of the whole house...and besides, I read that you are supposed to keep their space limited to one or two rooms until they are fully litter box trained..so I don't know.

I don't want to spank her, but how else am I supposed to let her know that what she is doing is wrong? She ignores me if I yell. And I refuse to let my house be trashed.

It's like she waits until I open the laundry room door to poop...when there is a perfectly good litter box right there beside her.

I just really need soemone to tell me how to handle her...I don't know what to do...this is the first baby kitten I have ever owned..all the ones I have had before have been older and already litter trained.

I am really getting desperate.

Please help.

Thanks,
Nurse_Jamie

[kate & kobi]

Please read another recent post about inappropriate defectaion - http://www.cathelp-online.com/phpBB2/vi ... php?t=1468

Terster received a lot of suggestions, including to take your cat to the vet for a full examination to determine if there is physically wrong; to try to reduce the stress of her life; and to get a second, possibly larger, litter box because some cats simply like to have two boxes. And yes, changing litter abruptly can cause these problems to crop up, so go back to the original litter, and change it slowly if you absolutely must switch to a different brand.

Do not spank your cat or get mad at her. Most likely she will not associate getting spanked with her bad behavior, and she will only learn to avoid you. You are only adding to the stress of her life, and this will make the problem worse. She is not intentionally "trashing" your house.

First, though, you need to take your cat to the vet!

[Nurse_Jamie]

UGH!!! She just did it again!! She has been in the laundry room most of the evening because everytime I let her out, within 5 minutes, she is pooping on my rug. This time I sat down on the rug so she wouldn't poop on it. She tried...she squatted...but before she could get it out, I picked her up and put her in her litter box and sat there with her for a minute. She just jumped right out. A few minutes later...she pooped behind the recliner on the hardwood floor. I know cats don't like to poop on a non-absorbent area..and she knows where the litter box is - why doesn't she use it!!!! I am getting so frusturated with her!! I didn't scold her when she pooped on the hardwood this last time, I just let her finish, picked her up, carried her to her litter box and sat her in it and sat there with her for a minute. She just scurried away. It's like she hates her litter box. The first couple of days I had her, she did great...peed and pooped in her box with no problem! Now I never see pee or poop in it. I don't understand it. I hate to keep her confined to the laundry room, but I have no choice until I figure out what to do about her pooping everywhere.

Is it possible that she has an upset stomach? I have been feeding her Fancy Feast canned kitty food and leaving out dry food for her to snack on when she wants it. I have been thinking about switching her to dry food only, because she eats it and seems to like it. Do you think the canned food is giving her diarrhea? I just don't know what to do.....cat experts...please help me....it's getting ridiculous. and if she keeps on, my husband will make me get rid of her. And I want to keep her around, but she HAS to stop pooping on the floor!!!!!

[kate & kobi]

What was the brand of litter that you were using before, what are you using now, and when did you change it? It's entirely possible that she doesn't like the new litter.

I don't know if your cat has diarrhea! Does she???

[Nurse_Jamie]

Well, her poop isn't solid...but it's not real runny..it's like in between...but she is going so frequently today. I just thought that she might have an upset stomach and that is what is causing her to go so often.

I changed her litter like 2 or 3 days ago. I think that could very well be the problem. I believe I was using "Special Kitty" before and now I am using "Fresh Step"....but I don't really like this litter as much either because it doesn't clump as well. She has used her litter box since I switched litters, but it's only been within the last 2 days that she has been pooping in the floor. So the litter could very well be the problem. I never knew cats had a litter preferance. I really need to get this problem solved though. I don't want to keep her cooped up in the laundry room, but I have no choice right now.

[Traci]

1) First thing you need to do is try to relax and take another approach. You're talking about a young kitten (but you didn't say how old she is, so how old is she?), and has she been checked by your vet? First things first, make an appointment with your vet immediately to rule out possible health problems that could be attributing to the litterbox aversion.

2) Your post was not answered NOT because "no one cared", but rather it might have been missed or those who had advice haven't seen it yet.

3) Absolutely DO NOT spank your kitten or any cat or any pet. That is a harsh and cruel punishment and needs to be ceased immediately. Spanking or any other form of direct harm will only worsen the situation, will make her agressive and you will lose all of her trust in you. It's also a form of abuse, which we do not advocate.

4) In your first post, you mentioned your husband's disdain for a cat, and you're complaining about your carpet and oriental rugs. Pets are a responsibility, complete with occasional accidents and mishaps (just like human children). If you weren't prepared for cat care or how to train them, deal with situations that come with pet ownership, you should never have gotten a kitten. I don't mean to sound harsh about this, but the tone in your post seems to indicate that your patience is too thin. Your kitten is expecting and relying upon you to take care of her, to train her properly, and to be patient with her as she learns along the way.

5) She is obviously trying to get your attention to another matter, and I would bet anything it is due to stress in her environment, whether that is a health problem, your tone and actions, or a hectic environment, etc. Also pay attention to how your husband is handling this. Does he lose his temper or show direct impatience as well? Is he harshly reprimanding her too? If so, then you definately have a problem. The two of you need to work closely to form a solution to the current situation, and you both need to exercise patience (and forgiveness, she is not doing this to spite you)

6) Confined in a room with litterbox and water/food dish isn't going to solve the problem. While a temporary fix maybe, it's not going to be the long-term solution. Also, litterboxes and food/water should NEVER be in close proximity to each other, cats will avoid both if they are close together, and this could lead to a serious health problem if she develops anorexia or refuses to eat because the litterbox is nearby.

7) Oriental rugs are a common item that are attractive to cats, some WILL urinate or defecate on them. The reasons are unclear but the possibilities are endless (feel, desire, scent, location, etc)

8 ) Provide her two litterboxes, one to urinate in, and another to defecate in. Most cats prefer more than one box. And no, cats do not always bury their waste. Also, you mentioned changing the litter brand, but did you change the type? How many brands/types have you tried? Ex, scented vs unscented.

9) She needs room to run, play and explore. I'm assuming she is a very young kitten, she needs to expend her energy and I'd be willing to bet she is seriously bored. You need to entertain her, play with her, bond with her, give her undivided attention, and give her interactive toys to play with, a scratching post, a kitty perch next to a safe window, a cat tree in which to play and climb, the list goes on. If she's that young, she's depending on you to bond with her at this early development stage and she's depending on you to provide her entertaining toys and things that spark her interest. Confinement in the laundry room is not affording her those necessary things.

10) We can all appreciate wanting a nice home, keeping our carpets and oriental rugs nice and clean, but with pets comes responsibility and the knowledge that accidents are bound to happen and we must deal with them patiently, with kindness and forgiveness and work toward a resolution instead of feeding on the frustration. It takes time, patience, committment and a positive approach.

The others have given you excellent advice, please re-read through them in the event you might have missed a vital element to the problem.

Again, make an appointment with your vet to rule out possible health problems.