Your cat could be exhibiting this behavior for various reasons, including stress, litter box aversion, territorial behavior, or medical problems. If your cat continues to poop outside the litter box every day or often, consult a vet who can help you determine the underlying cause of the behavior.
Change the Litter Box Location
Your cat may be uncomfortable with her litter box location, which could be a cause for why she keeps pooping outside of it. If so, you can try changing it to a new spot in the home. Just make sure your cat knows where it is and can always access it for best results.
A common reason for a cat pooping outside the litter box is change. Cats are creatures of habit, so if you have just moved to a new home, changed the location of the litter box, changed the litter box itself or the type of litter, your cat may have some difficulty adjusting.
This usually happens if the cat is not fixed, or if they've had a significant change to their surroundings (new cat, dog, move, etc.) most often a cat has a strong, instinctual desire to go inside a litter box and "cover up." If your female cat is not spayed, this could be the reason.
Vinegar, with its strong and soury smell, is said to be effective in removing the smell of cat's poop and preventing cats from coming back again. It's really easy to use. Simply mix vinegar with warm water in a spray bottle. Then spray the plants or areas where cats often poop.
Try orange and lemon peels, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and mustard oil. You can either sprinkle drops directly onto your flower beds or soak a cotton wool around it and place at entry points. One sniff and they'll be gone.
Purchase unscented clumping litter. Odd scents can repel cats, and many felines prefer clumping litter to regular clay. Place a new litterbox near where the inappropriate urination is occurring to encourage your kitty to use it.
Litter box issues can be a cat's way of letting you know something is wrong. Cats can suffer from urinary tract infections (UTI), bladder infections, emergency urinary blockages, arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, and other conditions that may affect their litter box habits. 2. Consider your cat's spay or neuter status.
If it's not clean enough, too small or too deep (cats prefer about 2 inches of litter), difficult to access, or has a liner that makes her uncomfortable, she may decide to pee outside of her litter box. She also may not have enough litter boxes around the house, or dislikes their locations.
As a general rule, cats are sensitive when it comes to smells, but there are a few scents they hate that might just surprise you. They can't stand citrus and as much as you might love the smell of fresh herbs, cats hate rosemary and thyme. Banana and mustard are a big no-no too, as well as lavender and eucalyptus.
Cat anxiety symptoms include:
Pooping or peeing outside the litter box. Suddenly being destructive. New changes in appetite — either way less or way more. Hiding, pacing, crouching defensively.
Your cat may have litter box trouble for any number of reasons, including medical problems, an aversion to the litter box, or a preference for urinating or defecating in places outside the box. Any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal urination or defecation behavior can cause litter box problems.
Think food puzzles to engage minds and bodies, vertical space for climbing and surveying their domain, scratching posts, safe outdoor access (like a catio), window perches and interactive play. “Play is an important part of relieving stress,” Delgado says. “It helps cats release those feel-good hormones.”
Cat MACE is the anti-cat deterrent spray for keeping cats off lawns, plants, furniture, counters, and more. It discourages cats from marking, clawing, scratching, chewing and defecating.
Typically, cats prefer to poop in their litter box and cover it up with surrounding litter. If your cat is suddenly pooping on the floor, they may think the litter box is too dirty to use to cover up their poop. Or, an underlying health issue may need to be addressed by your vet.
The Best Way to Dispose of Cat Poop
To dispose of your pet's waste, scoop out all waste clumps, double bag them, and place them in a trash can outside. If you want to minimize your environmental impact, you can use a biodegradable poop bag, which will improve the chances of the waste properly breaking down.
Tea bags have a strong smell that most cats and foxes dislike, making them an effective deterrent.
One of the natural ways you can stop them from leaving deposits on your lawn is to scatter scents they don't like. Cats are incredibly sensitive to smell so strong scents such as lavender, peppermint or cinnamon are great for keeping them away.
While the scent of vinegar is not a problem for them physically, they just don't like it. Because of that, vinegar can serve as a natural deterrent if there's an area you'd like your cats to avoid. When diluted, the smell is much fainter, and vinegar can be a great tool for cleaning without chemicals.
Cats may stop using the litter box after a scary experience in the area, such as a loud noise or harassment by another pet. They may also dislike the spot you chose after moving the litter box, or moving to a new home.