# Do some cats poop/pee outside the litter box if they're mad?



## Sabala (Mar 11, 2009)

I've had a some people say this to me over the years and while I've never experienced it with any of my cats, the people I know sure think that's what it is, (that their cat is mad at them).

Well, actually I had some clients that wanted overnight stays for their two cats and while the first few times I was there, I did see some poop on the couch a couple times. 

I'm not too sure about the idea of cats getting mad at you and acting out later, (plotting) that sounds like projecting human behavior onto cats but I dunno.

What do ya think?


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I *do* think cats (_especially intelligent ones_) can and will act-out but I also think they reserve these actions for times when they are highly frustrated and can do so immediately in front of their owner to express this emotion/behavior, not several hours later.
Usually, there is some underlying cause for *why* the cat is eliminating in inappropriate areas; related to stress, medical, grooming or fastidiousness if the litterboxes aren't up to the cat's standards. It will take a bit of detective work to discover the reason, but there is usually a reason that the _cat thinks_ is a good reason.
Best of luck getting this figured out,
heidi =^..^=

_I had a cat who would want me to give him attention immediately upon my arriving home. This happened several times before I changed my behavior and did give him at least 30 seconds of undivided attention before I completed whatever task I wanted. This happened most often when I drove 45min to go grocery shopping, so I would be gone for a good bit and return home with groceries that I felt an urgent need to get into the fridge. Because of this, I would ignore Mister. 
He, of course, didn't like that, so:
He would back up to a wall in the kitchen, meow a strangled-sounding-high-pitched cry to get my attention and then he would *spray* the wall while staring me right in the eyes! 
8O Oh, yeah, he *got* my attention all right! :evil: Like I said, this happened several times before I changed my ways and would give him attention when I returned and then I could unload the car and put the groceries away. I never noticed Mister 'plotting'. If he acted out, he did so right away and in a manner I could not mistake for anything else._


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

If I leave Nito for too many hours, and then don't give him attention right away when I get home, he'll pee on the bed! Just like Mister, he does it while looking me right in the eye.

If the litter box isn't clean enough, he pees right outside it.

My mom's cat, Elfie, uses spraying to get what he wants. He knows that she'll throw him out if she sees him spraying, so he'll go and lift his tail and "threaten" to spray, which of course gets him just what he wants- he gets let out. I wouldn't call it "plotting" but I do think that cats have the ability to use a bit of logic.


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