Cat Pooping Outside Litter Box

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Cat Pooping Outside Litter Box:

If you have a cat pooping outside the litter box you may have already tried a number of times to find solutions to this yucky problem. The reason most people have difficulty in stopping litter box problems, is that some times (though not always) it has absolutely nothing to do with the litter box at all. And you also need to understand that although your cat may not be doing what you expect, it is NOT bad behavior – because there is ALWAYS a reason for a cat not using the litter tray.

Pooping Outside Litter Box

Cats by nature are extremely clean, and I always find it astounding that – unlike puppies – kittens seem to be born pre-programmed to use a litter tray. There is simply no need for litter box training kittens. As long as they are provided with good litter material and the sides of the litter box are shallow, kittens will naturally use the litter box themselves – without any training at all, just as soon as they can walk and get around.

So, your first step is to figure out why (if you can) is the cat pooping outside litter box. If you can ascertain this reason, then you are well on your way to get your cat pooping INSIDE the litter box.

Cat Pooping Outside Litter Box – Reasons:

Digestive Problems:

One major reason I often have found is that there is some digestive upset. Does you cat have diarrhea – or even just very soft stools? A cat’s stool should be very firm and it should take a little effort to pass it. If not, then it is a good idea to find out if your cat is harboring some sort of intestinal bacteria that is causing bowel problems. This may be an overload of intestinal worms, or one of the more sinister and hard to treat parasites such as Tri-Tricomonas or Giardia. Your cat litter box problems may be as simple as taking a stool sample to your vet for analysis.

Another reason for soft stools in cats is poor diet. If you are feeding your kitty a diet that is high in raw meat, bone and by-products, then your cat should be passing normal, firm stools. Commercial cat foods cause havoc with a cat’s digestive system, so maybe look at improving diet towards a more natural cat-appropriate diet.

Believe me, I have found that in a great number of instances of cat pooping outside litter box – that once digestive upsets are corrected, then the cat will start using the litter box again – all by himself. Sounds astounding, but it is true and I have seen this happen again and again.

Signs To Look For:

If your cat is running around, scratching, meowing and crying just prior to passing his stool, this is often a very good indicator that he may be in pain – so check it out. The cat in this video below is showing obvious signs (to me) of problems with passing his stool and seems to be very uncomfortable.

If your cat is behaving like this one in the video just prior to passing a stool, then you need to rule out any medical issues for him pooping outside the litter box. Then if all seems to be in order health wise, you can move on to the next step – which is to try and figure out if there are any psychological and emotional issues that need to be dealt with.

Next step – read my article on Cat Not Using Litter Box which covers relevant emotional issues in cats, and you should find this of help.

If you follow these steps in sequence as suggested, hopefully in no time you will no longer have a cat pooping outside litter box.