Why Is My Cat Pooping Outside the Litterbox?

CatChannel and CAT FANCY cat behaviorist Marilyn Krieger, CCBC, shares tips on what causes "middening," or cats pooping outside the box, and how to stop it.

Cat in Litterbox -- Why Is My Cat Pooping Outside the Litterbox?

Q: We have had Sheila, our female cat, for four years. She is wonderful, loving and a pain in the butt! Sheila is 5 years old, declawed front and back and lives entirely indoors. She travels to Florida with us by air and is a perfect cat, but she will not poop in her litterbox. She will pee and then go to the front door or back door and go on the floor. We have moved the litterbox to the area where she will go on the floor and she will still go on the floor. We are at a loss on what to do.

A: Before approaching this as a cat behavior problem, take Sheila, along with a fresh feces sample to your cat's veterinarian for a thorough checkup. Often medical issues will cause cats to defecate outside the litterbox. Most likely, there are a combination of triggers for your cat's behavior.

Your cat might be middening — marking territory. Based on the areas she is targeting, neighborhood cats or other animals might cause her to defecate outside the litterbox. Start by keeping the outsiders away from your home. Use deterrents that won't harm the animals but will make the exterior of your home an unpleasant place for them to hang out. Deterrents include ultrasonic devices, motion-sensitive water sprayers and repellents such as lemon and Bitter Apple. Cover the windows where your cat can see the neighborhood animals; fabric and paper work well. After the outsiders no longer hang out around your house, gradually remove the coverings.

Your cat might also have problems with your cat's litterbox and its location. The litterbox might not be clean enough or it may be too small for her. Additionally, it may be located in an area where she could feel trapped. Ideally, you should have two litterboxes available. They should be large, uncovered and scooped minimally once a day. Place the litterboxes in locations where your cat has a great view of the room and can easily identify any potential threat and escape.

Stress from traveling may be a factor as well. Cats need consistency — most do not adjust easily to change. Make your cat's travel as stress-free as possible. Place an item of clothing that has your scent on it in the carrier with Sheila. If Sheila has a favorite toy, put that in the carrier as well. Covering a carrier with a towel will help your cat feel safe and protected. Once you arrive at your destination, put the carrier and cat in a room equipped with a comfortable place to sleep, cat food, water and a litterbox. This will be her sanctuary room. Open the carrier door and let her explore the room on her own schedule. After she is comfortable in her room, open the door to the rest of the house for her.

Another contributing factor is your that cat's declawed.Because your cat's natural defenses have been removed through declawing, she feels vulnerable, causing her to easily stress and react by defecating outside the litterbox.

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Reader Comments

Carly Houston, TX

10/27/2012 8:44:42 AM

With the kitty being declawed the type of litter being used can hurt her sensitive paws. Try different types of litter to see what she'll start using that isn't going to cause her discomfort.

Ann New Brunswick, NJ

9/21/2012 8:36:44 PM

We have a 4 year old female who used the box religiously for two years. Then when we came home from an overnight trip, we found her pooping on our hallway carpet. I watched her continuously for the next week and discovered that our older male cat was attacking her butt while she was doing her business in the litter box. We isolated him on the first floor and kept her upstairs but she still only uses the litter box once in a while for pooping. Have shampooed the rug every week and even applied Lysol and Pine Sol to discourage her from going on it but that hasn't stopped her. Since then, we've confined her to one large room with a tiled floor and placed a large litter box on two training pads where she can see it but away from her food area. She used the box twice since then and used the training pads a few times but this past week, she's been going anywhere on the tile floor that she pleases. Each time I clean up her mess, I wash the area with Lysol and spray an odor nutralizer on the spot but that hasn't stopped her from going outside the box. I'm going to try putting in a second box with a scoopable litter to see if that works. I'm currently using pine pellets which she will pee in without a problem. I'm sure the male cat incident has spooked her, which is why I keep him away from her. Although he's 17 years old, he can be very aggressive and jealous of me paying attention to her. I'm hoping the isolation will eventually do the trick but I'm open to any and all suggestions on how to overcome this problem with Snickers. She's a lovable cat and we don't want to give her away or take her to a shelter.

Ellen Geneva, IL

7/29/2012 12:45:38 PM

We had the same problem with our kitten pooping in the basement and not in the box. When we placed the box in another room away from her food then the problem stopped and she now uses the box.

Dani Woodland, WA

7/26/2012 8:58:04 PM

My female cat, Kasper started pooping outside the box several months ago. Not every time though. I really thought I was just not keeping up on the scooping enough to her liking. I have two cats & two boxes. I totally sanitized both boxes & put in fresh litter but she kept doing it. I then noticed her anal region was red & a swollen. Took her to the vet & they xrayed her but didn't find anything to worry about. Her blood test was good too. The vet thought she is probably just constipated so recommended wet food & something like tuna juice to get her to drink more. Also got antibiotics for her swollen bottom. So did all that and she kept doing it for about another two weeks. Now all of sudden she has stopped pooping on the floor. We're on day three with no pooping on the floor. I also got one more litter box and started using a different litter that is has smaller & lighter pieces. I'm crossing my fingers!