A common reason for a cat pooping outside the litter box is change. Cats are creatures of habit, so if you have just moved to a new home, changed the location of the litter box, changed the litter box itself or the type of litter, your cat may have some difficulty adjusting.
Behavioral Issues and Stress
Another common cause for cats to poop outside the litterbox is stress. Common causes of stress that may cause your cat to poop outside of the litterbox include: Moving to a new home – a change in a cat's environment, such as a new living space, can cause stress and lead to this behavior.
Inappropriate elimination can be caused by illness, anxiety or external changes in their environment. Be sure kitty gets checked for urinary tract infection, because urinating outside the box is a common symptom.
Pooping outside of the litter box can sometimes point to a medical condition. Your vet will help you determine whether your cat has an underlying illness as well as how you might be able to get your cat to poop in his litter box again.
She also may not have enough litter boxes around the house, or dislikes their locations. In some cases, she may associate her litter box with a painful or uncomfortable situation. She may also dislike her litter, especially if you've recently switched to a different type. Cats prefer unscented litters.
Cats stop using their litter boxes for a variety of reasons, including issues with the box or litter, dissatisfaction with the placement or number of boxes, changes in the environment inside or outside the house (e.g., a new pet in the house, feral cats prowling around outside), and undiagnosed medical conditions.
If your cat doesn't like their litter box, they might start pooping on your floor instead. Cats have a preference when it comes to the litter box itself, the location of the box, and the litter inside the box. If your cat has a litter box aversion, they'll also likely urinate outside of the litter box.
Cats naturally want to bury their urine and feces, so when they don't, something else is usually getting in the way. As with urinating outside of the litter box, a cat who is pooping outside of the litter box should first be checked by your veterinarian for underlying health issues.
Use scent deterrents
Try orange and lemon peels, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and mustard oil. You can either sprinkle drops directly onto your flower beds or soak a cotton wool around it and place at entry points.
If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks. If you use a non-clumping litter and have only one cat, changing the litter twice per week is a good guideline. If you have more than one cat, every other day may work better.
Why do cats eliminate outside the litter box? Your cat may have litter box trouble for any number of reasons, including medical problems, an aversion to the litter box, or a preference for urinating or defecating in places outside the box.
Examples include diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and kidney or renal disease. A common disease that may result in a cat pooping on the floor rather than in the box or peeing over the edge of the litter box is arthritis.
Anxiety has many forms and often contributes to cats looking for alternatives to defecating in the litter box. If a stressful event occurs in the litter box itself like loud noises, being attacked by a house mate, or even a line to get into the box may cause cats to begin looking for a new place to go.
Changes in your daily routine, changing furnishings, and even modifying your family's mealtimes may all be stressful for your cat. Cats may try to relieve tension by peeing or pooping on the floor when they are agitated.
Think food puzzles to engage minds and bodies, vertical space for climbing and surveying their domain, scratching posts, safe outdoor access (like a catio), window perches and interactive play. “Play is an important part of relieving stress,” Delgado says. “It helps cats release those feel-good hormones.”
It's very important to note that if a cat is repeatedly going to their litter tray, straining but not passing any urine, that's a true emergency. The cat's bladder may be blocked and it requires immediate attention. If an owner observes this behaviour then the cat needs to be taken to the vet straight away.
Avoidance, Perching and “Hit-and-Run” Eliminators
If the instinct to cover is very strong, some cats may paw at the wall near the box or on the floor in front. Some cats vigorously shake their paws after exiting the box to rid themselves of the unpleasant litter.
Continue to place them in the litter box a few times per day to help them remember where it's located. “You can gently place your kitten in the litter after meals and after they wake up, and perhaps scrape the litter a bit with your own fingers to let them know it's nice and diggable,” McMillan says.
General guidelines are: Kittens need to be stimulated until about 3 weeks of age. Kittens should be stimulated before and after each feeding. Kitten should urinate every time and defecate at least once daily.
While a kitten should pee every few hours, they may pass stool anywhere from 1 to 6 times a day, depending on the kitten's age, care, and GI health. Sometimes, a kitten may even go 24 hours without pooping. If this happens, don't panic—but do keep an eye on them and focus on trying to help them go potty.