[eolson00]

One of my cats has decided it would be humorous to start pooping in the corner of our dining room. The litter box is upstairs and we have never had a problem with this before. The cat is about 4-5 years old and lives with a 14 yeard old cat, black lab mix dog, and a fish tank (which I think the cat gets more enjoyment out of than I do). I cleaned it up for about a week, then decided to fashion a litter box and placed it right where the "accidents" were occuring. The next day, I noticed poo-poo IN the new box. YAY, or so I thought. Today, poo-poo right outside the box, not in it. The same cat was doing this with the upstairs litter box, so I thought his own box separate from the other would do the trick. I guess not.
Why is my cat pooping outside the box, not in it? I need help as the carpet cleaning supplies are going to make me broke. I have considered letting this cat be an "outdoor" cat, but my children throw a fit when I even mention this to them. Do I have any recourse, or am I destined to a life of perpetual poo-poo cleaning?

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[CatsRU]

How many litter boxes do you have for the two cats.

I have four as they don't like to wee and poo in the same one. Also, have you changed the litter you have been using?

[eolson00]

Alright, I will give a formal intro to myself and the cats a bit later on, with all the specifics. Thanks.

[monty_dweezil]

I think it sounds as if the cat doesn't particularly like the litter you're using. It's going in that same area cause now it's habit, and depending what you've cleaned the area with, it may be able to still smell it so will go back there.

I'm lucky my boys have never had poo problems. Just some wee ones. Heh.

[eolson00]

Alright then.
MY name is Ed, and I live in Charlotte, NC USA. Our oldest kitty, Sistah, is 14 years old, and the younger one, Bob (the pooper in question) is 5 years old. Our dog is 3 years old. The dog likes to chase Bob everyone once in a while but otherwise they all get along just fine, sleeping next to each other some nights.
We moved recently(2 months ago) from a townhouse to a real house, with more room for us and the pets. They seem to enjoy it, as do I for sure.
This morning, more poo outside the box, mere inches from the box itself. I know he's been using it because I scooped lastnight at dinner time and noticed a poo IN the box before going to bed. This morning I hear my better half cursing Bob because of the pooop outside the box again.
Would a bigger box help? Would a flap/door on the litter box help with privacy issues? Does litter box size play a role here, as well? Should I try and move the box regularly to mix things up a bit?
Bob looke more like an indoor/outdoor kitty as of late, but can't continue to go through this all them time. Our older cat, Sistah, doesn't do this, and neither does our dog.
And if I may mention it, Bob keeps a smug looking smirk on his face all the time and I find it frustrating that I can't just ask him what he wants me to do so he will stop doing this nonsense. But alas, I can not.
He is also very sweet on my dauhgter, putting his head under her chin and literally "snuggling" with her. Bob will let my daughter do whatever to him, I think it's kind of creepy if you ask me.
In any event, any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Does anyone here use the cat pan liners that are perforated with small holes, stacked on each other? These are the best but am having a hard time finding them. It's nice to lift the top layer, let the litter sift through the holes and you're done.
We have been using the same litter for some time now, with no issues and the only thing I can think of that is different is location of the box and the house its located in.
Thanks all!
-Ed

This post has been edited by eolson00: 15 October 2009 - 09:56 PM