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#1
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Outside the box frustration
Hi all,
I haven't been here in awhile, but I am back to request some thoughts or advice. My 3 year old kitty has in recent weeks (maybe 8 or 10 weeks?) been pooping outside the litter box on occasion. I am certain this is a behavioral thing, but will tell you the details so as to circumvent other assumptions. I have 3 cats who seem to get along well in general. I had (when this started) 2 boxes upstairs in a spare bedroom and 1 box in my basement in a back room. She started to poop in the back room, on the cement floor, near the litter box but not IN it, and clearly not an accidental miss. At first I was not sure which cat it was (though my guess was correct), but have since caught her right after the act, so I know it's her. My first ploy was to put another box downstairs, thinking maybe they need more. Within a week or so, she just started leaving her outside the box stuff between the 2 boxes. I tried leaving the doors open to the back room, thinking that was too closed and quiet and open air might..... no good. A couple weeks ago, I decided to move all litter to the upstairs room and close the doors on the basement back room. I was thinking maybe the secret outside the box pooping was still something she was doing in a dark quiet room....I added a litter box upstairs so there are now 3 there (4 had not helped, so decided to go back to 3). Things went quietly for awhile, then, sure enough.... Since changing the situation, she has pooped 2X on the rug in the spare bedroom. Again, somewhat near the litter boxes, but... I am now trying to decide if I again move litter downstairs, so at least she will poop in the cement floored back room and not on the rug. Or now will she go outside the box in BOTH places? I sure hate to think this behavior might spread to the middle of the living room floor!!! And why the HECK did she start this behavior after being a good litter girl for several years, and with NO changes happening in our lives, and with no apparent illness, and only intermittently????? I KNOW she is healthy as a horse, and this only happens about once or twice a week anyway, but just to head off the "take her to the vet" answers, she has her check up appt. this week. But I promise you this is not about illness. So, do I just say, "Oh well..."? Or is there something I might DO to make this not occur? PattyC |
#2
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"PattyC" dumped this in
on 18 May 2004: So, do I just say, "Oh well..."? Or is there something I might DO to make this not occur? How big are the boxes? Can you try replacing one of them with a storage bin type of box? Maybe sometimes she just needs more room to move around to do her business? -- Cheryl |
#3
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"PattyC" dumped this in
on 18 May 2004: So, do I just say, "Oh well..."? Or is there something I might DO to make this not occur? How big are the boxes? Can you try replacing one of them with a storage bin type of box? Maybe sometimes she just needs more room to move around to do her business? -- Cheryl |
#4
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"Cheryl" wrote in message ... "PattyC" dumped this in on 18 May 2004: So, do I just say, "Oh well..."? Or is there something I might DO to make this not occur? How big are the boxes? Can you try replacing one of them with a storage bin type of box? Maybe sometimes she just needs more room to move around to do her business? -- Cheryl The boxes are usually big, though occasionally if all are dirty, I use slightly smaller ones. I don't know how to explain that I think it's about her SAYING something behaviorally. Just I don't talk 'cat talk,' and can't figure out what she's telling me. PattyC |
#5
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"Cheryl" wrote in message ... "PattyC" dumped this in on 18 May 2004: So, do I just say, "Oh well..."? Or is there something I might DO to make this not occur? How big are the boxes? Can you try replacing one of them with a storage bin type of box? Maybe sometimes she just needs more room to move around to do her business? -- Cheryl The boxes are usually big, though occasionally if all are dirty, I use slightly smaller ones. I don't know how to explain that I think it's about her SAYING something behaviorally. Just I don't talk 'cat talk,' and can't figure out what she's telling me. PattyC |
#6
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"PattyC" wrote in message ... "Cheryl" wrote in message ... "PattyC" dumped this in on 18 May 2004: So, do I just say, "Oh well..."? Or is there something I might DO to make this not occur? How big are the boxes? Can you try replacing one of them with a storage bin type of box? Maybe sometimes she just needs more room to move around to do her business? -- Cheryl The boxes are usually big, though occasionally if all are dirty, I use slightly smaller ones. I don't know how to explain that I think it's about her SAYING something behaviorally. Just I don't talk 'cat talk,' and can't figure out what she's telling me. PattyC I can understand why you might think it is behavioral.. But all the cat experts will tell you to get a thorough health exam before they start trying to fix behavioral issues - cats are amazing at hiding health issues. If it is behavioral, then she's obviously telling you she doesn't like something that is going on. What changes have occurred since the 'accidents' started? Could be something as simple as a new cat is visiting near by. I see you've added new litterboxes, which is always a first recommendation. My elder 16lb cat used to have issues missing the box till I got a big box she couldn't miss out of. I also got a child's wading pool (like the kind you get at Wal-Mart) and made a litter box out of that. If you can't think of anything, you might want to consider a litter called cat attract, and using cat pheromones called feliway. Both have amazing results |
#7
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"PattyC" wrote in message ... "Cheryl" wrote in message ... "PattyC" dumped this in on 18 May 2004: So, do I just say, "Oh well..."? Or is there something I might DO to make this not occur? How big are the boxes? Can you try replacing one of them with a storage bin type of box? Maybe sometimes she just needs more room to move around to do her business? -- Cheryl The boxes are usually big, though occasionally if all are dirty, I use slightly smaller ones. I don't know how to explain that I think it's about her SAYING something behaviorally. Just I don't talk 'cat talk,' and can't figure out what she's telling me. PattyC I can understand why you might think it is behavioral.. But all the cat experts will tell you to get a thorough health exam before they start trying to fix behavioral issues - cats are amazing at hiding health issues. If it is behavioral, then she's obviously telling you she doesn't like something that is going on. What changes have occurred since the 'accidents' started? Could be something as simple as a new cat is visiting near by. I see you've added new litterboxes, which is always a first recommendation. My elder 16lb cat used to have issues missing the box till I got a big box she couldn't miss out of. I also got a child's wading pool (like the kind you get at Wal-Mart) and made a litter box out of that. If you can't think of anything, you might want to consider a litter called cat attract, and using cat pheromones called feliway. Both have amazing results |
#9
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in article , ~*Connie*~ at
wrote on 5/18/04 7:36 PM: "PattyC" wrote in message ... "Cheryl" wrote in message ... "PattyC" dumped this in on 18 May 2004: So, do I just say, "Oh well..."? Or is there something I might DO to make this not occur? How big are the boxes? Can you try replacing one of them with a storage bin type of box? Maybe sometimes she just needs more room to move around to do her business? -- Cheryl The boxes are usually big, though occasionally if all are dirty, I use slightly smaller ones. I don't know how to explain that I think it's about her SAYING something behaviorally. Just I don't talk 'cat talk,' and can't figure out what she's telling me. PattyC I can understand why you might think it is behavioral.. But all the cat experts will tell you to get a thorough health exam before they start trying to fix behavioral issues - cats are amazing at hiding health issues. If it is behavioral, then she's obviously telling you she doesn't like something that is going on. What changes have occurred since the 'accidents' started? Could be something as simple as a new cat is visiting near by. I see you've added new litterboxes, which is always a first recommendation. My elder 16lb cat used to have issues missing the box till I got a big box she couldn't miss out of. I also got a child's wading pool (like the kind you get at Wal-Mart) and made a litter box out of that. If you can't think of anything, you might want to consider a litter called cat attract, and using cat pheromones called feliway. Both have amazing results And play with depth of litter. Also keep boxes as clean as possible. Scoop at least once a day. Karen |
#10
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"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message ... And play with depth of litter. Also keep boxes as clean as possible. Scoop at least once a day. Karen I always scoop daily and change the litter about once a week. (Sometimes my go 2 weeks...) This is ALL what we have done for that last several years. Which makes me wonder how/why she now at this time is having behavioral demostration of anything.... We got our new girl LAST spring. She adjusted relatively nicely, they all get along. This problem is only in the last many weeks. I just see NO changes in our lives to make her demostrate 'control' issues or whatever. She is the only one who sleeps with me, follows me around the house, remains very close. She is almost like a puppy in her behaviors with me. I would think she gets lots of lovin', but... PattyC |
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