I recently moved to a very central apartment, so my previously indoor/outdoor cat has now become an indoor-only cat. After the move, she expressed her feelings by always taking her dumps in one of my closets (currently empty). Since I started keeping that door closed, she does it just outside the closet door instead. She still pees in her litter box for the most part, so I’m assuming she’s not confused.
How do I make her stop! What is she trying to tell me? In the words of The Bard, what can I do short of wringing her scrawny neck “that this foul deed shall [NOT] smell above the earth!”
We’re having a similar problem with our cat. After years of self-control she has begun pooping (and peeing) by the front door (she’s considerate – she only gioes on non-porous, easy-to-clean surfaces). The change is due to a change in her life – we had just gotten two new cats. In her case, it seems to be a territorial thing – I think she’s “claiming” the front door and the Big Room beyond (i.e. – the outside). I have to tell you that she is the only cat still allowed outdoors.
So maybe it’s similar in your case. Your previously outdoor/indoor cat is now only indoor. I’ll bet it still wants to go out, and is staking its claim at the closet instead of the apartment door for some reason.
How to get it to stop? I don’t know. If you find out, tell me. I’m getting tired of cleaning up.
Believe me, the “guess who’s coming to dinner” option has already been thoroughly planned and gloated over as a last resort. But the damn cat is 9 years old, so I expect she’s pretty inedible.
The weird thing is that she only poops in the hallway; she still pees in her litter box. And sometimes she’ll do it while I’m sitting 10 feet away on the sofa - and then hides under the coffee table and glares at me smugly. She KNOWS she’s bad. At least she only does it on the linoleum.
Thanks, Trout - I’ll try the water/food thing for a few days and see what happens.
Try scrubbing the carpet where the cat is pooping. If the smell is still there, she’ll continue to poop there. Also, keep her litter box clean at all times. Another option is having her fixed.
The cat’s just pooping on the linoleum, so it’s easy to clean - but the smell does linger if she does it every day of course. And I’d rather not have a litter box there since it’s in my closet! I’ve been burning coffee scented candles there for the last month, it’s getting really old and doesn’t seem to bother her.
One of my cats did this after I moved to a new apartment. He would go in a box of magazines I had stored in a spare bedroom closet. When I found where he was going, I threw out the box of mags and he started going in the litterbox again.
If you can stand it, try putting the box in the closet like Lissa suggested. If she starts going in the box, praise her and start moving the box closer to the spot you want it.
I think it is a little cat head game she’s playing with you.
You should also get a scent remover that is made especially for animal waste smells to neutalize the oder…just covering it with say, pine-sol won’t get rid of the pharmones that the cat can smell. It does help for us, though:)
Once a cat has imprinted an area as being “the spot to poop”, it can be hard to break that habit. You could first try to thoroughly clean that area with “Nilodor” (available in pet stores), which is designed specifically to remove animal smells.
If that doesn’t work, you could give a VERY quick spray of cat repellant at that spot. I say “very” quick because if you overdo it, the cat will avoid the room altogether (which isn’t your intention).
Cats & canines can’t process corn, which is the main stuff in cheap pet food. So they have to eat tons of it to get nutrients, result? they have to shit a lot. Buy the stuff that has meat as the number one stuff. Your pet eats less, shits even less.
It very well may not be the case, but the cat could just be depressed. One of ours was doing the same thing, and we took him to the vet, who gave us the kittie version of Prozac. Now, this seemed horribly weird and kinda stupid to me, but damned if it didn’t work.
Yes, make sure the smell is completely gone. do some “cat smell begone” stuff from the pet store, or vinegar, or both.Then, cover that area with something- some cheap carpet samples, or a plasic tarp, or whatever- so it is 'not the same place".
Then, maybe she wants cleaner, different, or deeper litter. She probably also wants someplace dark & quiet for her poop- most cats do, so maybe cover the litter box with a large cardboard box, with a door.
During the weekend, I moved the cat’s food and water bowls to the accursed spot, and since then there has been no pooping. HOWEVER, there has been no pooping at all… I accidentally left the closet door open all day Friday and the entire room was desecrated, so I reckon she’s building up to critical mass again.
We’ll see how it goes this week. By the way, does anyone know where I can get this cat-pheromone remover stuff in Sweden? I’ve never heard of it.
I have this exact same problem with my cat. She picks two corners of the living room to leave small poops in. One of the corners is my front door, so leaving a litter box or food in that corner is not an option.
I have tried pet sprays and cleaning the area thoroughly. She still returns to the same spot again in 2 weeks or so.
I already have spent more that $200 on a supposedly “free” cat, and I ain’t paying for kitty prozac.
Where in Sweden are ya, Kate? I’m heading there from the US this week, and if you’re in or near Stockholm, I can bring some over for you (provided I’m told what to get – I don’t own cats).
Sorry Montfort, my week is pretty hectic and I’m a few hours south of Stockholm (Linköping).
Last night, the cat woke me up with insistent meowing at 3am, having pooped in the closet AGAIN. Since her food is there now, she decided it was a bad idea AFTER the fact, and woke me up so I could clean for her.