Need to retrain cat

[emo]

I've just discovered after careful observation that Clyde has some sort of issue with pooping in his box. When he poops in his box as soon as he thinks he's done he darts out of it and takes off. Sometimes a turd will follow. Now when he pees in the box he stays in there awhile and will act like he's covering it with litter when usually all he's doing is pawing at the side of the box.

He's been adopted and brought back twice so I assume I'm his 3rd owner but I don't know for sure. I'm guessing that something happened to him at one time while he was pooping in his box. He's an only cat at my house so I know that this is something that must've happened before I got him.

Is there a way to retrain him that the box isn't so scary when you poop? Any tips would be great! I'm even up for any kind of book or whatever. I wish that there was a show like "It's me or the dog" for cats!!

I've been keeping track of his "behavioral" accidents since the vet can't find anything else wrong with him. I've been trying to praise him when I catch him pooping in his box and will give a treat if I'm home when he does it. I'm so glad he's back to always peeing in the box. It turns out the stress of the move is what caused all the bad behavior. I still miss my apt with all wood floors and leather furniture.

[happylabs]

This may sound strange, but maybe he is just excited about pooping. Casey (dog) always takes off running after she does a poopy. It is like she feels so good after doing it! I hope you don't think I am weird. :D

[emo]

I know what you mean but his running is like...uh oh I did something bad so I need to get away from here! He acts the same way when he poops where he isn't supposed to. I have never punished him or yelled at him...I have tried to stop him or put him in his box if I catch him in the act but that doesn't happen very often.

I probably should mention that he has IBD and is on prescription food. Thank God his poop is normal now....for awhile it was very loose stools and diarrhea so that certainly was not fun to clean up!

[Randi]

I don't think you have to worry about it, many cats race around right after they have pooped - Fister does it too. I believe, as happylabs say, that your cat is just exited/happy about it and has to show it somehow. :D

Just one thing to add... when Clyde is in the box, try not to go near, cats want their privacy too. I'm sure you don't, anyway. ;)

[aTailOf2Kitties]

my RB cat Montego did the poop-and-run the whole time I had him. For the most part the poo stayed put, but occasionally he'd have a cling-on that stuck to his fuzzy lil' keester and would fly off when he went careening around the corner.

[emo]

So there isn't anything I can do to get him to relax when he's pooping? I just don't want him to think he's a bad boy when he poops in the box...that's a good thing. It's just weird that he "hangs out" in the box when he pees but scares himself somehow when he poops. I know that sometimes when he poops he makes a lot of toot noises and sometimes they are loud. Not so much when I saw him running the other day.

[emo]

my RB cat Montego did the poop-and-run the whole time I had him. For the most part the poo stayed put, but occasionally he'd have a cling-on that stuck to his fuzzy lil' keester and would fly off when he went careening around the corner.

Is RB cat for Russian Blue? That's the breed that Clyde is!

[GILL]

They all have thier moments. With ouor CREW we have a couple of poop-n- runs and others that spend half the day to bury.
Just be glade it's in the box.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

Is RB cat for Russian Blue? That's the breed that Clyde is!RB stands for Rainbow Bridge, meaning an animal has passed away. He was just a buff long-haired mutt-cat, LOL

[Medusa]

My Boo does this, too, sometimes and he's 18 1/2 so I think it's just something that they all probably do on occasion.

[Jenn&Dean]

Dean does this... We always know when he's done a #2 because he runs around the house like a wild banchee... I'm not sure if he's so elated because he's lighter and quicker or what LOL. Although, he leaves the poopies in the box.

Sometimes I swear he's going to take flight.