# My kittie is peeing in the litter box but pooping outside it! please help!



## Lithium (Jun 16, 2003)

Hello everyone,

I have two cats, they have been with me since February and they absolutely love each other (they are not related and completely different breeds).
They have been using the same litter box ever since i got them.

Starting last month, we started seeing poop in the bathroom (were the litter box is located)from one of the kitties, and we assumed that it was accidental since it only happend a few times.
But it became more frequent until my cat stopped doing it in the litter box anymore, she only does it outside it but pees in the box.

Nothing has changed, no kids around, no new cats, no new owners, no new house... we tried adding another litter box next to the old one but that didnt help. we tried changing the litter to a few other brands but that didnt help either.

My cat looks healthy and she is very playful, her stool is semi-firm and she doesnt have any diarrhea.

Can anyone help me out here?


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Is it definitely *away* from the litterbox and not just an accidental _kitty-bum-hanging-over-the-edge-of-the-tray_ kind of deal?
If so, perhaps she is saying she wants to NOT go in litter. Try giving her a tray with just some flat pieces of newspaper laying in the bottom or a puppy-pad? Something with a firm and non-shifting base to stand on.
_Some cats also dislike pooping and peeing in the same boxes, but having 2 trays didn't solve that so I'll go back to giving her different material to poop in/on and see what she prefers._

When cats change their habits, they are telling us something. 
She is either telling you something is wrong inside (vet visit) or she doesn't like something about her litterbox arrangements (try new things).
Best of luck,
heidi =^..^=


----------



## Kattt (Dec 20, 2008)

I agree, she's trying to tell you something. Is her stool small and round? Small, round stools and/or dry stools are one of the signs of constipation.

If you can (I know its hard to catch them in the act), watch her when she goes on the floor to see if you notice any abnormal straining.

My cat was peeing in the box, but always poo'd outside of the box. She also appeared to be happy and healthy otherwise, and ate/played as normal. So I just figured she hated the litterbox. I bought a variety of different boxes/litter brands to try her with, and still no luck. Eventually, her problem progressed into a more noticable issue that required a vet visit, and I learned that she had chronic constipation. She stopped using the littebox because she was associating it with pain. Once I got her help for the constipation, she immediately started going in the box again, and has been since. 

So it could be a health issue for your girl, or something as simple as she decided she no longer wants to share a box. You might wanna try getting a second box, to see if that helps. But I've learned from experience, that a vet visit is always wise, to be safe in cases like this... to hopefully avoid chronic issues like I now have to deal with. Good luck.


----------



## Mary Beth (May 16, 2010)

I agree with Katt that your kitty should go to the vet, especially since she was so good and this new behavior is recent.


----------



## Lithium (Jun 16, 2003)

Thanks for the replies everyone!
Well i dont know what to do anymore, yesterday she did it in the box and i was soooo happy cause i thought the problem was finally solved.
Well i came in today and found two large pieces of poop on the floor again 

Katt: she is not constipated, her stool is not so firm... i know it's pretty weird calling a stool that, but if i have to say id say her stool is of perfect density hahaha!

I'll take her to the vet after tomorrow and see what he says.
Will keep you guys updated. In the meantime any other suggestions are highly appreciated.
Thanks!


----------



## Kattt (Dec 20, 2008)

Glad to hear that she's not constipated. And after the past 2 months I've had dealing with chronic constipation, hearing the word stool is part of my daily vocabulary now, so not weird at all LOL

I'd say at this point, trying a second litterbox might help. Maybe even a different type of litter. Theres something called Cat Attract, that may get her going in it again?

Let us know what the vet says. I hope all is well, and she's just being a stubborn kitty about her box, and nothing more.


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Is it possible that the *other* cat is ambushing the kitty when she poos so out of self-defense she is now pooing in an area where she cannot be snuck up on or trapped in a litterbox?


----------

