I'm at my wit's end! Peeing and pooping EVERYWHERE!

I don't even know where to start. my 3 year old, long haired, black and gray, tabby cat, Littlefoot, has developed a peeing and pooping issue. I feel as though she's stopped going in the litter box altogether. She's honestly been acting out ever since I moved out of my parents house. I moved in with some roommates ever since then and I have a huge feeling that they have something to do with her problem. I don't know if she's stressed out, or if she has a urinary problem, or if she doesn't like the litter brand I switched to, or what. I feel like the list of potential problems could go on and on. she just seems to like peeing on everyone's clothes or on beds she blankets and pillows, and on the carpets. and she's been pooping all over the basement. she has access to the basement because that's where my roommates decided the litterbox should go. now they're afraid to move it from there for fear that she might find some other place to take her squats. now, mind you, we have two other cats in the house as well and they don't seem to have any problems going in their litterboxes. but one of the cats ( Chen) doesn't get along as well as the other cat ( cake) and my cat ( Littlefoot) get along. but cake and Littlefoot don't have too much contact with Chen anyways. Sometimes I wonder if having this "unknown" cat in her territory stresses her out and makes her act out. or maybe she doesn't like my work schedule. I've been working third shift for the longest time though, so I don't see why that would be her problem. I recently got her spayed because she'd taken to escaping outside to abscond with an alley cat but she kept bringing back fleas. and I was scared she would come back pregnant or catch something from the alley cats. now, I don't know if she's just formed the habit of going outside because she still seems to want to escape. but for what? she can't possibly want to be with the alley cats anymore? And keeping track of her is only more and more difficult with the roomies. they just aren't looking out for her the same way that I am. idk. I've just been beginning to think that I'm not fit to care for her right now. she needs so much extra attention right now and my roomies having been pushing their thumbs on my neck to get rid of her since she's the only trouble cat. but I love her. I'm the only good thing she knows. and to give up on her like that, I justcan'tbring myself to do it. but i don't know what else to do either. I'm losing it over here. I have no idea what her problem is! I know this is a long explanation but I need help! I want to help her in the best waypossible but hopefully without surrendering her either...

How many litter boxes are there in the apartment/house? Does she have a particular spot she likes to poop? It sounds like nearly everything in the poor girl's life has been upended lately. Does she have places she can go that the other cats cannot bother her?

Was there a reason you switched litter?

Sorry so many questions, but we will help you get to the root of this!

I just went through 6 months of this problem and figured it out last month.

Sounds like the same problem as my cat: anxiety.

From your description, sounds like she’s been tossed into a new environment with two new cats and she’s feeling really stressed about it. Since I’m not a vet or animal psychologist, I can’t really offer that much advice. In my situation, I simply removed the lid from the litterbox because being confined makes my cat even more anxious.

I would test different locations for the litterbox, maybe put it somewhere where the other two cats don’t go or can’t access if possible (such as your room?). My gut feeling, based merely on my own experience, is that she needs her litterbox to be in a safe zone where it only smells like her and where she can’t feel threatened while she’s doing her business.

Feliway concentrated spray.

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Originally Posted by moosmom

Feliway concentrated spray.

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This was going to be my suggestion.

I have a VERY timid cat who is very sensitive to changes. When we moved, I was VERY worried that he would be so stressed out and wouldn't eat, leading to fatty liver (My sister's cat had to be euthanized when she moved because she was so stressed she stopped eating and developed fatty liver). We decided to keep him confined to ONE room in the house, not allowing him access to the entire house, for a week or so after we made the move. I also bought a feliway diffuser that I used in the room he was in. He had all of his familiar items: his blanket, scratching post, food, water, litter box, some of our clothing, and a night light just in case. I also bought some stinky wet food for him to MAKE SURE he was eating SOMEthing during that time.

After a week or so, I allowed him out and let him explore one room at a time a day so as not to overwhelm him with the entire house at once.

He did fine with the transition, but I chalk it up largely to the feliway helping ease it. He still views that first room as his "safe spot" and will go down there to hang out when we have people over or we bring a strange box into the house and freak him out...

So perhaps you should confine her to a smaller room or area and consider a feliway plugin. Giving them access to an entire house during a move can be stressful and overwhelming, and cats very commonly react to stress and anxiety by inappropriately urinating and defecating.

Also, consider changing back to the original litter you were using with her. Too many changes at once can be absolutely overwhelming. New house, new people, new pets, new litter... can just be too much for her.