please poop IN the litter box!

Mary Todd is a 1 1/2 year old, female, neutered, only slightly chunky-
but very large/long 14 lb cat.
Since she came to live with us (as a 6month old rescue cat) she has
had an aversion to pooping in the litter box.

I feel like I've tried everything!!! please help. any suggestions will
be so welcomed!
I've tried to be very detailed, please excuse if this is an overly
long post.

Mary will pee in the litter box, and occassional poop in the litter
box, but never covers her poop.
I clean the litter box twice a day, and when I come downstairs to
clean she runs in front of me, goes to the poop and tries to cover it,
with dust or stray litter.

We have 3 cats --2 females (Mary Todd-1 1/2 and Red 2) and 1 male
(Kevin 7 months) all alterd/fixed.
We have 5 litter boxes. none of the boxes have covers.
3 boxes use store bought litter. one box has a high rim, the other two
have low sides.
1 is self cleaning --"scoop free"- using crystals
1 is self cleaning --"littermaid elite"-- using granola like stuff
All the cats eat Avoderm dry food and drink losts of water.

**First and foremost she has been checked out by the vet for any
parasites or intestinal problems and appears to be just fine. The vet
is aware of this pooping problem and moniters her intestinal health at
each visit. she believes this is a behavioral problem rather than a
medical problem. (and has offered tips too) **

We have tried many things which all seem to work for a little while.

It began with Mary Todd liking to poop in the old canning room in the
basement. Dark, cool, cement floors. This is the only floor on which
she poops! (nowhere else in the house, thank goodness)

•We put 2 of the litter boxes in canning room. worked for a while,
then she started pooping next to the boxes.
•We put newspaper/towels/anything on the floor. pooped on top of it,
then burrowed under and pooped on the floor.
•Then we took apart the canning room (no walls etc.). still went in
the same place.
•We cleaned the floor with vinegar to dissolve the smell. still
pooping outside the box
•We have covered the area with storage boxes and moved the litter box
over a few feet. still poops just outside the box next the favored
area.

Our next plan is to get a large "under the bed " storage container,
and use that as a litter box, thinking maybe she is just too big for
the litter boxes.

And it has been suggested that we take an old t-shirt, rub it on her
scent glands and put that where she has been pooping, thinking that
she won't poop in an area that smells like her.

Is it that she just loves the feeling of the basement floor on her
paws? how do we accomadate that without having to scrub cat poop off
the floors everyday?

thank you!!!
--Eleni

Eleni wrote:
We have 5 litter boxes. none of the boxes have covers.
3 boxes use store bought litter. one box has a high rim, the other two
have low sides.
1 is self cleaning --"scoop free"- using crystals
1 is self cleaning --"littermaid elite"-- using granola like stuff

Wow, she is quite adamant about this, isn't she? The only thing I can think
of is to try a box with a cover since none of them have one. Perhaps she
prefers a lot of privacy - some prefer covers, others don't. Also your
idea of trying a storage container sounds good too. Both are worth a shot at
this point. Hopefully one of them will be to Mary Todd's liking (who sounds
very cute by the way!).


Riannon

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...ealth/200806/1

try a box with a cover since none of them have one. *Perhaps she
prefers a lot of privacy - *some prefer covers, others don't. *

Thanks! I'll give it a try.
she is one determined little pooper!

On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:57:20 -0700 (PDT), Eleni
wrote:

Mary Todd is a 1 1/2 year old, female, neutered, only slightly chunky-
but very large/long 14 lb cat.
Since she came to live with us (as a 6month old rescue cat) she has
had an aversion to pooping in the litter box.

If you figure out the answer let me know. My Onyx is the same way. He
would poop on my bed or on my bathroom rug before going in the litter
box. I had to start keeping those rooms closed off, and for a while
he begrudgingly used the litter box. Now he's started using the
carpet *next* to the litter box. I've tried everything my
veterinarian has suggested with no change in behavior. I swear he
just doesn't like to get his feet dirty! He pees in the box, but
stands with his paws on the edges and pees without getting in the box,
then rather stupidly scratches the floor outside the box at if to
bury it. I'm at my wits ends.

My other cat Yoda thinks that Onyx is a total dipstick!

The one saving grace for me is that Onyx's stools are always firm and
very easy to pick up. If it was otherwise, I would not have been able
to keep him.
---
Zob

"zob" wrote

My other cat Yoda thinks that Onyx is a total dipstick!

This potentially might be your answer ;-) Some cats refuse to share a
litter box. This can be very difficult to control if the 'other cat'
insists on using any litterbox it finds and won't stick to 'it's own box'.

If the cat likes a particular texture, like the carpet, try putting a
swatch of the carpet in the litter box and slowly over the course of
several weeks begin covering the swatch with litter.

Now I'm thinking of maybe cutting out the bottom of one of the litter
boxes so it will just be the cement floor she likes so much and slowly
covering it with litter.

I've tried so many different kinds of litter (always gradually) the
other cats don't seem to care, but Mary Todd.......I'm at a loss.

In article
,
Eleni wrote:


I've tried so many different kinds of litter (always gradually) the
other cats don't seem to care, but Mary Todd.......I'm at a loss.

Have you ever tried a puppy tray with a "pee pad"? It has no litter,
absorbs, easily replaced. When my Carey cat was paralyzed at one point,
she found it difficult to get into the box and support herself in
litter. I used puppy pads on flat trays and she used them easily.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

"zob" zob@ cox.net wrote in message
...
On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:57:20 -0700 (PDT), Eleni
wrote:

Mary Todd is a 1 1/2 year old, female, neutered, only slightly chunky-
but very large/long 14 lb cat.
Since she came to live with us (as a 6month old rescue cat) she has
had an aversion to pooping in the litter box.

If you figure out the answer let me know. My Onyx is the same way. He
would poop on my bed or on my bathroom rug before going in the litter
box. I had to start keeping those rooms closed off, and for a while
he begrudgingly used the litter box. Now he's started using the
carpet *next* to the litter box. I've tried everything my
veterinarian has suggested with no change in behavior. I swear he
just doesn't like to get his feet dirty! He pees in the box, but
stands with his paws on the edges and pees without getting in the box,
then rather stupidly scratches the floor outside the box at if to
bury it. I'm at my wits ends.

Have you by any chance tried lining up at least 3 litter boxes in a row?
Years ago I had a cat who pooped next to the litter box, but not in it
Giving her 3 boxes - all in a row - worked. I was eventually able to take
away the extra boxes, one at a time, with success.

The one saving grace for me is that Onyx's stools are always firm and
very easy to pick up.

Yeah; even before the successful experiment, I was glad she was pooping
outside the box vs. peeing outside of it!

Cathy

On Jun 22, 11:59*am, Janet Boss
wrote:
In article
,

*Eleni wrote:

I've tried so many different kinds of litter (always gradually) the
other cats don't seem to care, but Mary Todd.......I'm at a loss.

Have you ever tried a puppy tray with a "pee pad"? *It has no litter,
absorbs, easily replaced. *When my Carey cat was paralyzed at one point,
she found it difficult to get into the box and support herself in
litter. *I used puppy pads *on flat trays and she used them easily.

--
Janet Bosswww.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

oooh, I'll try the pee pad. watching her get in the litter box to pee
she is always hesitant to step on the litter. Perhaps pooping is just
too much time supporting herself on the litter.
Thanks!

On Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:53:30 -0700, "Adam Helberg"
wrote:


"Eleni" wrote in message
...

One of my two cats has had this problem in the past especially when stressed.

I have a few ideas. One, sprinkle some Arm and Hammer Pet Fresh on the cleaned area
where she pooped and just leave it there. The stuff has a very strong odor and the
cat will not like going into the area.

Two: you can try adding a plain litter box with clay clumping litter (unscented) over
the area where she poops.

You can also try using Cat Attract cat litter.

If you see her pooping outside the box, I believe you should do behavior modification
and immediately either yell at her or smack her just enough for behavioral purposes
or both. If you do nothing the behavior becomes reinforced and becomes harder to
break, and cats are creatures of habit. I believe the longer you allow this the more
difficult it will become to change.

Adam


On more than one occasion when I've caught Onyx pooping outside the
litterbox, I've loudly threatened to sell him to the No. 1 Chinese
restaurant across the street and let him know that if that happens
he'll become kitty chow mien. I found that he doesn't respond well to
verbal threats. ;-D

I did try some disciplinary measures when I caught him on a couple of
occasions pooping on my bed. I "showed" him what he had done, loudly
repeated "no!' and "bad kitty!" then immediately put him in his
litter box I felt guilty because he didn'tvunferstand, was terrified
and cried through the whole process. Not only that, but it didn't
work. Now when he poops on the carpet or bed, he runs rght to me,
jumps in my lap ad cries waitingg for his punishment! he's not real
bright; he hasn't caught on to the fact that he can avoid the
punishment by simply pooping in the litterbox..

He must have been a blonde in a former life!
---
Zob

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