Cat people, need your help!

[4FordFamily]

Okay, so I have a full house. I have three dogs and three cats. I understand dogs and can train them well. Cats make little sense to me and yet I have 3. I grew up with them so it is more of a nostalgic thing for me.

My cats:
Calico medium coat 1 year old female
Black 5 year old male
White 6.5 year old male

My 5 year old black cat is wonderful, I would be surprised if he was the culprit.

Somebody is pooping in my dining room. It's getting really old. My white cat peed and crapped in there before when I changed his litter until I added a box in there. Literally my dining room has a cat box. My laundry room has a cat box. My office has a cat box, and our bedroom has a cat box.

No one uses the one in the office anymore, my dogs are crated in there (which didn't used to matter but when I got my new puppy a year ago he drove them all nuts and scared them so that didn't help). The one in the laundry room is barely used for some reason when it was the most popular box for years. The one in the dining room gets the most action. The one in my bedroom isn't available often because we keep the door closed because the cats drive us nuts and wake up the baby. We have been doing this for over two years.

The only things that changed is that somewhere between new puppy and my wife getting pregnant this started up. Based on the way our house is set up, there's not really any more places for a cat box. All of them are covered except the one in the laundry room. They only used covered boxes for years. The reason they're covered is more to keep the dogs out (all of my boxes are also elevated and my dogs are small).

None of them are overweight, they appear to be healthy although they're little hellions stealing food off of counters and even if you turn your back. My cats were never this way until my daughter. They're well fed, no one is missing any meals. I would slap the living crap out of them if I could ever get to them for being on the counter and I caught them crapping on the floor. The black cat never gets on counters or at least very rarely.

The poop is pretty small, and the calico female is a small cat... But the white cat had a history of making that room his litter box.

I am about done with them, I am willing to try different things but I'm not going to tolerate this much longer. I am a huge animal lover, but spending my days cleaning up their feces when I have four good boxes is preposterous. I have enough going on with my babies and dogs and fish, cats are supposed to be easy! They have been all my life.

Now they are destroying my 3.5 year old house's carpet in the dining room... Not happy.

Anyone have any ideas? I've had cats with up to 4 dogs my whole life and they always behaved until approaching 14-16 when they started having accidents - hard to be mad at a geriatric cat..

 

[erinmegan85]

I too live in a small zoo, and was also a vet tech. Are the boxes being cleaned frequently? One of our cats will crap on the floor if she thinks that the boxes are too dirty for her liking. It drives me out of my mind. If everyone is acting and eating find I would lean towards a behavioral issue. You could always try using something like a Feliway diffusor and/or spray. My Aunt had a similar problem with her cat, and once she plugged in the diffusor she started crapping in the box again. Cats are weird creatures. I would also make sure you steam clean the carpet in the dining room to make sure all scents of previously done deeds are gone.

 

[Eckolancer]

One of my cats will poop on the floor like 2 hours after I change the box sometimes but then be fine for the week afterwords. Both of my cats are 15 years old and have always done this.

 

[4FordFamily]

I too live in a small zoo, and was also a vet tech. Are the boxes being cleaned frequently? One of our cats will crap on the floor if she thinks that the boxes are too dirty for her liking. It drives me out of my mind. If everyone is acting and eating find I would lean towards a behavioral issue. You could always try using something like a Feliway diffusor and/or spray. My Aunt had a similar problem with her cat, and once she plugged in the diffusor she started crapping in the box again. Cats are weird creatures. I would also make sure you steam clean the carpet in the dining room to make sure all scents of previously done deeds are gone.

She/he does this within hours of the boxes being clean. I clean them a couple times per week.

The problem with feliway in my mind is that the box they use the most is maybe 3 feet from where the unknown culprit keeps pooping. Wouldn't that keep them from using their box?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Naiad]

Is it possible to set a WiFi camera to figure out which cat is the culprit? First step in litter issues should always be a trip to the vet to rule out a medical issue. One of our cats was "pooping" by a litter box and it turned out to be an issue where it was constipated. The cat would start in the box but it got stuck and hurt so he would leave the box and the poop would fall off. Also how are you cleaning it? If all the smell is gone then the cat is less likely to use a box.

 

[scardall]

IMO opinion the puppy is causing stress here and is the cause of your problems. I've watch the tv show "My Cat From Hell" and saw similar issues. Go to web site and ask them questions. Good Luck

 

[rayn]

I have almost the same issue going on. Two cats that always used the litter boxes. Then we got TWO new puppies and one cat decided the house was suddenly the litter box.

We cleaned and deodorized the house. Moved litter boxes around. Placed the cats in the litter box. Gave it some time. It seems to have subsided now as time went by, but I agree it is maddening to have to clean up cat poop right next to the litter box.

 

[Naiad]

If possible you might try and open litter pan. I know it can be unsightly but if it is nerves about the new dog not being closed in may help

 

[Chris Adams]

Cats are amazingly devious. My old cat used to poop in my man town only when we went away on vacation. Like she was sending me a message :)

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

We were actually having that problem. She would poop in the same spot on the carpet after we changed the litter or even in between times. Sometimes she would use the box and sometimes she wouldn't. Turns out she didn't like the litter or the smell it had. We went to an Arm and Hammer non scented and solved the issue for good!

 

[zoomonster]

Cats are both devious and spiteful. Multi cats are always a litter issue and anyone might decide the box is not up to standards and go elsewhere. Mine gets spiteful and goes on a rampage when he is left home alone for any period of time and same after we moved. Of course my two dogs are not much better.

 

[Vaughn17]

At least it's not pooping in your aquarium, ha-ha.

 

[Elysium]

All good advice posted above. I had a similar situation of one cat having a medical issue causing diarrhea which prompted the other one to stop using one of the three boxes entirely. This in turn cascaded into all three cats at the time using the floor (#2 only) when they got upset at each other.

- Definitely do a vet visit. If the cat is feeling uncomfortable due to a medical issue they will avoid the box due to associating that with discomfort.
- Thoroughly clean the problem areas with an enzyme based cleaner. This stuff worked wonders on carpet/hardwoods/furniture.
- Also likely related to stress due to the puppy and baby as well. My sister had to get rid of both her cats due to the same issues after her first child. Switch to an unscented litter and try an open box. No yelling or physical contact, use treats and reward.

Good luck.

 

[zoomonster]

Anyone remember Fat Freddies cat? This is the epitome of a cat and questionable behavior

I'm Fat Freddy's Cat
And I'm mean and tough
And I take no guff
When I strut my stuff

I'm so ornerny
And so full of tick
If I don't like your looks
I'll hit you with THIS! (whirling cat claws)

If you see me coming
Better step aside
A lot of cats wouldn't
And a lot of cats couldn't
Hand a lickin' to a chicken
Or a razzing to a rat
After they finished messing around
With Fat Freddy's Cat!

Heeerre kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty!
(Don't embarrass me in the middle of the city)

Heeerre kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty!
(I can make it rough on you if you're gonna act ******)

I'll track your records up with my paws
I'll pop your waterbed with my claws
I'll shed more fur every time you sweep
And I'll sit on your face when you're asleep

I'll **** in your shoe
And I'll pee in your hat
And I'll spray the whole house
With "essence of cat".

 

[p7willm]

It's a good thing for aquarists that cats are disposable.;)

 

[Griff]

We have 3 cats. If I leave the litter box dirty for1 day they will tick in the house. Henc we clean it every day.

 

[patty-g]

I agree with others it's probably stress. We have 6 cats (from fostering) and while we have no dogs, we have had issues when we first brought new cats into the house. Give the cats their own space, a room that only they can get in or if that is not an option a cat tower, shelves, ect. Cats are very territorial and will be stressed with any major change in their environment. Also recommend changing the litter we recently switched to Arm & Hammer clump and seal and it has worked wonders! Best of luck!

 

[4FordFamily]

Is it possible to set a WiFi camera to figure out which cat is the culprit? First step in litter issues should always be a trip to the vet to rule out a medical issue. One of our cats was "pooping" by a litter box and it turned out to be an issue where it was constipated. The cat would start in the box but it got stuck and hurt so he would leave the box and the poop would fall off. Also how are you cleaning it? If all the smell is gone then the cat is less likely to use a box.

This is an entire poop on the floor, daily almost. I clean it with natures miracle each time which is getting really old. A vet stop is in order, they were there a few months ago.

The white cat was out all day and didn't poop on the floor, the girl and black cat were locked up to see what would happen. Leaning towards the female

 

[4FordFamily]

I agree with others it's probably stress. We have 6 cats (from fostering) and while we have no dogs, we have had issues when we first brought new cats into the house. Give the cats their own space, a room that only they can get in or if that is not an option a cat tower, shelves, ect. Cats are very territorial and will be stressed with any major change in their environment. Also recommend changing the litter we recently switched to Arm & Hammer clump and seal and it has worked wonders! Best of luck!

Last time I changed litter it spurred urine and feces chaos - I see a lot of you recommend arm and hammer, I use the tidy cats multi cat and if I didn't use it my white cat made the floor his toilet. In fairness, I tried large grain cheapo litter so that's not really the same. Arm and hammer may be a go.

Vet visit, moving boxes, new litter, etc. thanks everyone and please keep the suggestions coming! I will take the lids off of another litter box and move the one they don't use and see if that helps anything.

 

[Untamedrose]

All the other issues been covered.. what about a vet trip? A UTI in cats can make it so they think the litter box is what hurts..