I have 4 cats, 3 females and 1 male. The problem is with the one female that isn't spayed yet. She NEVER defecates in the litter box. It's always either in the pantry or in the bathroom. We've tried to put the litter box in both of these places, but she completely avoids it.
The majority of the time she will urinate in the litter box. But there are times where she will decide to urinate in the dryer. And it's not just if it gets left open for a while. Sometimes, all it takes is for someone to turn around long enough to put something in the clothes basket.
I have a feeling that she has developed negative feeling towards the litter box. The family that had her before had a small child and two puppies, and I have noticed she is terrified of the sound of a flushing toilet.
I'm planning on taking her to be spayed in May, so that part shouldn't be a problem. This is the only problem we seem to have with her.
She is only recently started becoming affectionate towards me (she liked everyone in the house except me before now). She has never acted like she was in pain. She's very active and loves to "walk and talk" with you if you're walking down the hall--she will stroll down the hall and coo and rub on your leg while you're walking.
So...three years, and here's an update: We managed to move to NY a few months after my question. Between the handful of places we've traveled to, the cat in question (the only one who came with me) has been bouncing back and forth between habits. She'd use the box properly in one place and then not in another. Where I am currently, I am helping care for two small children. She likes the infant but not the toddler. Here's the kicker: She's just fine with her box all of a sudden. I will never understand cats.
get her fixed that may "fix" some of the problem.
Also she may need to be retrained. I've had to do this before with my cat. put a litter box in a room you can close up , and close her up in the room until she uses the box.
Also you need to have like the other poster mentioned more litter boxes. number of cats +1.
How many litter boxes do you have? You should have one for every cat and at least one extra. So, you should have at least 5 litter boxes. Make sure there are some on each floor of the house (if you have a second or third floor). Also, she may not like the litter you are using (try clumping, try crystals, shredded newspaper, etc.... Cats are very picky. Try different litters and also clean the boxes frequently. Try covered litter boxes and uncovered. My uncle has a cat that won't use the litter box if it hasn't been scooped from the last time he used it. Good luck. Cats generally won't show they are in pain until it is severe.
Have you tried having a squirt bottle on hand? I know this only works when you catch her doing this but take it w/you when you go in the laundry area & if you catch her in there, squirt her & say a loud, firm "NO!" or my personal fave: "GET OUTTA THERE RIGHT NOW!" & even clap my hands loudly at the same time. Normally that wks for me...and this goes for any place you don't want her in or on. As far as potty in the no-no areas, maybe she feels neglected or has negative feelings w/so many other pets?? Also another theory is maybe she needs her own litter box? Some cats don't like other cats' urine or poo smell or sometimes is the litter smell itself. Try using a different brand or type...maybe any of these possibilities can be a factor?? You could also research online under something like "why my cat refuses to use the litter box" & see what comes up. Hope this helps & good luck! We've just gotten a new cat, my prev. cat died so now we're having to train a new cat for the house so I understand your plight!
Somecats are VERY picky about the litter so with that many cats she may want it clean to poop in it. Both our cats will poop with in minutes of the litterbox being cleaned, just because it's "fresh." Also, Spaying her is not going to negate the improper elimination. If your cat were spraying it would possibly fix that but with this you may have to switch litter or clean it more often or give your cat her own litterbox in her own space. Once they urinate somewhere the pheramones tend to draw them back to that area. Try bittle apple or bitter orange spray on the area or the walls near the dryer. Hope some of that helps.
Get her spayed as soon as possible, keep her litter box very clean, and make sure to keep all laundry put away. It is very tempting for her to go on it. Peeing in the dryer is a common problem. Keep the door closed. She might want her own litter box too, if all else fails. I have never had these problems with male cats, but almost every female I have owned, I've had the same issues, but doing all this does help.
I'm VERY glad to hear you're getting her spayed :)
For my one female who doesn't like using the box where the other female and male go.... I put an extra box in the basement so she can feel she has her own space/privacy/personal box - Just give a couple other options, it could be the type of litter.. Maybe even a box of outdoor dirt/sand -- different texture/scent :)
All of our cats will urinate in the litter box (we have 3 females) but one refuses to defecate in it beyond the first day or two after its changed. She goes in the bathroom sink instead. Another will wait until day 4 or 5 and then start going on the bathroom floor. Some cats are fastidious enough they won't go anywhere another cat has. I don't know if it is practical to have a closed off area where other cats aren't allowed, buy a fresh box with fresh litter and every few hours let just her into the area.
You need to try Cat Attract (PetsMart carries it & it's available online). Cat Attract comes in a shaker you can add to your regular litter or you can buy the actual Cat Attract Litter. There is something in the litter that pulls the cats into using the litter box. They say the kitten formula works especially well when you're trying to litter train a new kitten. My cat is up in age so I use the adult formula litter. I was able to get one of the large sized Omega Litter Boxes, which you turn sideways and the good litter goes through a grate while the clumps go into a tray you take out and dump. I found that even with the pricier Cat Attract litter, it actually lasts longer between dumping the entire litter-box and washing it down before setting it back up again so in the long run, it actually saves money and the cats go back to using the litter-box.
Is your current litter boxes in quiet areas of the house? With that many cats, you need at least 2 if not 3 separate litter boxes, especially for the one that won't go to the litter box. Make sure you are diligent about cleaning them all out multiple times a day or they will abandon the box too.
My cat (Kitt's about 8-9 years old now) stopped using his litter box for a while too. That's when I learned about Cat Attract. It got him back in the box. I bought it at the best time too because we were remodeling our bathroom where his litter box was for a long time. We had to replace the flooring in the bathroom anyhow because of some damage from a leak from the tub but once we got the sub-flooring up, we learned that he had been spraying (peeing) outside his box. He has only had 1 accident since we moved the litter box to the laundry room and that has been about 6-8 months ago.
Give it a try and also try to add another litter box to see if that helps. It could be that the cats may be fighting over the litter boxes. The largest and usually the oldest cats take priority in their little cat pack so the youngest and newest of the brood will have to fight for a higher rank in the pecking order. Usually adding an additional litter box will help matters tremendously.
Hope this helps.
I am not going to be much help but I wanted to try. Cats are so finnicky. She could be mad, jealous, scared, etc that is a cat's way of standing on her own and up against what makes her mad. When I got my kitten she used to do the same thing. She was a baby though but she would poop anywhere BUT the litter box! I finally took her to the vet and he said she had 'cochcydia' (pronounced coc-sid-ia) and for whatever reason she could not poop in the litter box. He gave her some antibiotics and she was fine. Maybe call the vet since you plan to take her to get spayed soon. I doubt it is the same for your cat but it is worth a try. Good luck!
go to about.com cats forum. the ideas they gave me got my cat to quit defacating on the floor. you only have 2 litter boxes and 5 cats. you should have one for each cat plus one. it could be the brand of litter. it could be the box is too deep. it could be a uti. it could be she doesn't like to share the box. they gave me all of these ideas and I implemented all of them and the problem dissapeared. people in that forum have had cats up to 40 yrs.I would suggest to go in there and ask. for advice from someone more experienced than me.
Pooping outside of the litter box is usually a cat's way of making a little editorial comment. (one of our cats poops on the floor just in front of her litter box when she's mad about something -either that we leave for the weekend or that her dry food is stale... I know she's spoiled). She may be stressed or unhappy about something. It sounds like she's relatively new to your house/family. She may need a slower acclimation process. Try limiting her space for a while. You might have luck if you keep her in a small room (laundry room maybe, but keep the clothes piles out of there and make sure the dryer is closed) make sure she has her litter box, food and a soft bed. Go in there frequently and love her up, tell her she's a good girl etc. but don't let her have free reign of the house until she's consistently using the kitty box.
Hope this helps.
T.
