My kitty is 3 years old and has always had a range of issues with pooping.
When she was little, she would use the litter box, but her poops with stick to her butt and she would wipe them along the floor the get rid of them. This was fixed by including a little olive oil in her wet food for lubrication.
She demands to go outside regularly and if I don't/can't give in, she pees or shits on me when I'm in bed. I fixed this by not letting her in my room at night. Given that she doesn't do it on the furniture or anywhere else now that she doesn't have access to my bed at night, it's clear that she's sending a message.
This seems to be because she no longer wants to use a litter box. I'm trying to retrain her to use it. She tells me when she needs to relieve herself by howling and then I bring her to the litter box, and she runs away, disgusted if she touches the litter. It usually takes several tries before she gives in and uses it, and she prefers me to stay with her. It's not easy for either of us.
The other issue is that, when she does go, she doesn't cover it up. When she was little she wasn't very good at covering it either, but at least she tried. Now she just sniffs and runs away.
Some other info that may or may not help:
- She is generally very cheerful, purring almost all day long
- The litter is shared, but I keep it clean
- She is a pacifist. I tried to socialise her, but whenever she met another cat and she tried to initiate a friendship, the other cat was always too rough for her. Even if another cat bites her hard in the neck, she just lies down and cries for me instead of defending herself. This means that, despite many options, both cat and human, the only creature she ever bonded with is me.
- My other cat is a huge old guy who either ignores her or hisses when she gets too close. He has health issues, and I think he just wants peace and rest. She's fine with having him around but if he claims my bed first that day, she won't get on with me and just stares sadly from a distance, regardless of whether he notices her or not. Basically, she's extremely sensitive.
What can I do to make this easier for both of us?
Thanks!
@nusha
Hello Nusha.
Thank you for reaching out.
I suspect she might be aversive to her initial litter box due to previous issues with pooping. Have you tried different types of litter boxes and litter to find the one she prefers? It seems she enjoys being outdoors and likely prefers to pee and poop outside, which is one reason she doesn't want to use her trays.
You also mentioned that she is sharing the tray with an older cat; she may be tolerating him but not getting along, which could be another reason she wants to spend more time outside instead of sharing the litter tray. Perhaps the older cat also bullied her next to the litter tray a while ago. I suggest adding more trays. There should be at least three litter boxes available for both cats.
Stress and separation anxiety are other factors that can cause a cat to poop on the bed instead of the litter box.
Keep a diary to log all the house soiling incidents. Ideally, you need to find and eliminate the trigger causing the behavior. Meanwhile, plug in a Feliway diffuser and keep the environment as calm as possible with calming music.
If you have no luck, consider consulting your vet or a cat behaviorist. An in-home consultation could be beneficial, as the behaviorist can review your environment and customize their recommendations for your cats.
Lastly, here are some articles which may provide more clues: https://cats.com/cat-pooping-on-the-floor and https://cats.com/why-doesnt-my-cat-cover-her-poop
I hope this helps a little
Melina