Need Advice on Messy Cat

I have been fostering and rehabilitating sick, injured, neglected and abused cats for over 12 years. Without more info from you regarding the particulars here's my advise:
1) Buy a brand new litterbox (sometimes cats can get sensetive to the odors harbored after years of use).
2) Buy Cat Attract litter (found at all petstores and is only a few bucks more than the regular brands).

If that doesn't fix the problem, please send me more information, such as:
- How long you have had him and what is his age?
- How long has this been going on?
- Is this only for stool, or is he inapproapriately urinating too?
- Is there stress in your household that started about the same time that this behavior started? (death in the family, loss of job, house foreclosure, divorce, financial troubles, new addition to the family, guests coming to the house more frequently).
- Is there any blood in the stool or change in his diet?

Have you tried making sure that his litter box is clean at ALL times? I had a cat that if his litter box got too dirty he would not use it at all. I have also known people whose cat would not use the litter box if it was dirty at all.

If you have trouble keeping the litter box clean maybe try getting an additional box that way the cat has a second choice.

I know that it can be annoying but keep working at it and don't give up on him.

Good luck

M.

We have a cat that did the same thing too. She started peeing in our bedroom under our bed. The only way to keep her and not give her away was to make her an outside kitty. She still wants in but knows she can't come in anymore. She loves it outside except still remembers how good the couch feels! This way we still have her and she still gets love ....but she's outside now ;(

Hi J.,
We had the same problem with our cat. When our daughter was around 15 months old, he decided to become jealous of the baby and peed/pooped in her playroom. We ended up taking him to the vet, and they put him on Buspar (an anti-anxiety drug that has been proven to help cats with behavioral problems. ie: going outside the box) In the beginning of his treatment we would also use feliway difusers and kitty phermone sprays in our daughters playroom to make it his "happy place" . He has not regressed at all, and he is still on Buspar. He should have already been weaned off, but we are expecting a new baby in 11 weeks so figured we would keep him on it until he adjusts to the new baby. Good luck with your kitty.

K.

A couple of things to consider with your cat. Is he fixed? Because if he might be marking his territory.... or have you considered taking him to the vet? He may have a bladder or kidney infection.

There is also a great cleaning product called Nature's Own and this cleans the area but takes the smell away too.

Hope this helps!

Males cats can frequesntly get urinary tract infections or other urinary problems which can cause pain and they will associate the litter box with the pain, making them want to try someplace else to see if peeing is less painful. Also, constipation can have the same effect. An indoor cats diet can often cause constipation. Make sure he has plenty of water and slowly change his food to a high quality indoor formula or something for cats with hairballs as it will have more fiber to help keep things moving.
Second you might want to consider when he is having accidents. Is it when you have just changed the litter box, or when it's getting a little dirty? Have you changed the litter type? Maybe he doesn't like it. Some cats will NOT go in a dirty box and prefer not to share a box. Perhaps putting a box of his own in a closet where he can have some peace and it can be kept cleaner will make him happier. Third, you may want to wash all of you clothes in a vinegar rinse to get rid of any lingering urine smells that only cats can detect. He can smell 1000 times stronger than a dog so our washers don't even begin to eliminate odors attracting him to repeat the behavior.
Finally, make sure he is neutered and close the blinds all the way at night. Other roaming cats out at night can cause him to want to mark his family's things, clothes, bedding and shoes, to send a message to the outdoor cats to stay away. This is his way of claiming you as his own. First, get him to the vet and run a urinalysis ( about $30) and a fecal test to look for any irritating parasites ( another $20-$30) and possibly consider some basic bloodwork to make sure his kidneys are functioning properly. Good Luck, thank you for giving him the time needed to get better. We certainly wouldn't get rid of one of our children and would gladly spend way more than $100 at the doctor to rule out any medical issues.
-A.