Dog Community

Pooping outside the box

Posted : 3/10/2008 9:03:43 PM

One of our cats, Mike, hasn't done so well with the litter box. He's been with us for several months now, and for some reason, he poops outside of the box. This happens a few times a week, and a few times I've caught him with his head in the box but with his butt hanging out, leaving a kitty surprise on the floor. I've done everything I can think of to make him realize that it's more important for his butt to be in the box, but I haven't been very successful. I have two boxes for three cats, who get along fine. They're cleaned regularly, and anytime Mike poops outside the box, I make sure I throw it back in so he might one day understand that it goes in there. I've even put rugs down in front of the box. When I did that, he just started pooping in front of the rug. His health is fine, although he's a big boy (not overweight...but huge) and eats like a horse. It seems like he's always at the food bowl when we walk in the room. (He's eating Solid Gold). So I have no idea where to go from here, but I've got to figure out something. Suggestions, anyone?

oranges81

Posted : 3/11/2008 12:36:14 AM

Could be he doesn't like the litter you use or the placement of the box.. With Crombie, I had to put his litter box either under my desk for the first little while (because it's like a den and Maze couldn't get it) and once he was bigger, I moved it to the garage. For him, it was all about privacy.

Myra

Posted : 3/11/2008 6:43:10 AM

Are you saying that he's just not getting his butt into the box? If that's it, then I'd buy a bigger box, preferably a high-sided one. I sometimes use Rubbermaid containers as litterboxes. I have a big boy cat (long and tall), and most litterboxes sold at pet stores aren't roomy enough for him. The Rubbermaid containers are relatively inexpensive compared to litterboxes sold in pet stores, but it does take more litter to fill them up.

If the boxes you're using are covered, you may just need to remove the covers. He may feel too claustrophobic in them, or have trouble turning around.

Ideally, you should have one box per cat plus one extra. So it wouldn't hurt to add two more boxes.

ladiebug

Posted : 4/18/2008 2:35:43 PM

I agree with Myra. I had the same problem, even though we had a jumbo covered litter box.

The problem was that my big boy was just too large to comfortably turn around in it. Plus as clean as cats are, that cover trapped some odors and he didn't like that at all. So, sometimes he'd poop in front of the litter box. I needed a larger, open litter box. Problem was noone made what I needed.

I solved that problem, I made one of my own; inspired by a fellow forum member. It's THE best litter box I've ever had!

I purchased a 31 gal. Rubbermaid storage tote & cut the opening 8 inches from the bottom, so they can enter/exit comfortably, but it's high enough so that they don't kick the litter out of the box. The walls are high, so they don't spray my walls, and they can scrape the sides as in a covered box, they like to that. You can choose to cover it, but my big boy likes it open.

Advantages: fairly inexpensive, you can choose your size, you can choose where to cut the opening on it, cover it, or leave it open. Disadvantage, my 31 gal. box requires an enitre 30 lb. bucket of clumping litter to cover the bottom.

Jewlieee

Posted : 4/18/2008 2:46:07 PM

What everyone else said:

1: Make your cat a bigger box (my cat can't fit in to a normal large box either so he has a special doggy sized litter box)

2: Place litter boxes in different areas around the house (I have one in the cats room and one in the basement)

3: Add at least 1 more litter box so you have one per cat (and maybe one more)

4: Try different types of litter