Going outside of litter box

My cat is a 1 year old male. I got him when he was a week old because his mother left him and/or died so I've been the other "mother" he's ever known. He was going outside of his litter box on and off after I got him litter trained. He started going in his litter box all the time about 6 months ago. However, I went on vacation recently and left him for a week he's been going outside of the litter box (both urinating and pooping). He has chosen to go on the carpet in my dining room of all places. I've tried everything...taken him to the vet to make sure he wasn't sick, ignoring him, discipline, Odo-Ban & Oxyclean on the carpet, etc. HELP!!! Does anyone know of anything else I can try???? :confused:

Hi Pepe's Mom,
I am going through the same thing with my Charlie right now. He's also a one year old male. When he came to live with me back in November, he always used his litter box and never gave me a problem. He just recently started peeing in my bathtub and pooping in my plants. Sometimes this behavior is the result of some major change at home, such as a new roommate or a new pet. Nothing at all has changed at my house, so I am very confused. I am trying discipline, but sometimes I don't actually catch him in the act. The strange thing is that he DOES use his litterbox when he wants to. I keep his litter box very clean, and I have even tried changing the brand of litter I use. This made the problem worse, as he refused to use the litterbox at all. I have been told that this is fairly normal for cats of this age, but you have to let them know that this is not acceptable behavior, so DO discipline him. If he pees on the floor, clean the area and then soak the area with Club Soda. This is supposed to help remove the odor so that they don't go in the same place again. I did this when Charlie peed on my kitchen floor and he hasn't gone there again.
Unfortunately, I don't have too many answers for you, as I am struggling with the same problem.
My main reason for posting, though, was to warn you against those sprays that they sell to keep pets from going where they're not supposed to. I bought one of those sprays for around my plants so Charlie wouldn't poop there, and he got sick from it. I sprayed it on Monday night, and Tuesday he vomited twice in the morning, then again in the afternoon. (these were not hairballs) I was up all night with him Tuesday and stayed with him all day yesterday. He wasn't eating and he was very lethargic. I was freaking out because his vet was closed for the holiday. Yesterday afternoon he started slowly getting better and last night he was eating again. I can't tell you 100% that the spray was the cause of this, but I am almost positive. In any case, I just wanted to tell you this in case you were considering using those sprays.
Good luck with this, and please let me know if something works for you. I'll do the same.
:)

[ July 05, 2001: Message edited by: thelmalu99 ]

Hey Pepe ~ Boot, the Kat, here ~

Yer Mom might be like my Dad, Phred. Dad likes to get the most outta a load of skratch in my litter box :mad:. I've tried to tell him, but he jest won't lissen:

Don't try to *streeeetch* it so far! He's purdy good about flushin the poopies down the dawg's big white wadder bowl right next to my box; I nebber cover 'em up, so he can tell rite away when there's *solids* ta take care of. But he nebber seems to member that it's the pee inna box that makes the stink inna baffroom. He alluz *stirrs* the wet spots around to promote complete absorption, but there's only so much liquid that can be added afore the hole box starts to get kinda clammy and not much fun ta walk around in :rolleyes:. He got the "brite" idea to add baking soda to kill the stink. Might make his nosebone happie, but it still stinks down here on MY level! And I jest HATE :mad: ta walk on *damp clay*.

I put up wiffa damp stuff fer only so long. Since he don't seem to hear me so good, I call attention to the need for a box wash and refill by leavin a message he's sure to notice :eek:. I jest hangs my fuzzy butt over the edge and drops a pee puddle onna floor a side the toilet. Alluz ketchez his attention next time he walks in wiffa stocking feets on an tramps inna *message*.

Course I usually spend a few hours locked in jail inna baffroom, but the box gets a wash anna refill wiff fresh skratch, so mission accomplished :p.

Try askin yer Mom to keept the skratch reel fresh. But ya better quit peein an stuff inna house onna rugs :eek:; my Dad wud probably toss my sorrie butt out iffin I tried that!

/s/ Boots, the Kat

I had this problem with Edwina. She would occasionally poop in the dining room and pee in the powder room sink of the house we owned when she joined us. Interesting to note, we moved and even though there was entirely new furniture and carpeting in the new dining room that was the ONE place outside her litter box where she would "have accidents" in the new house. Fortunately she found the sink in the powder room in the new house to be uncomfortable. In fact, she once started to pee in the powder room sink in the old house in front of propsective buyers. Fortunately our realtor was an animal lover, good friend and quick thinker!

As to the solution. I consulted my sister-in-law, who is a vet. She advised putting Edwina in her box about 1/2 hour after she eats her evening meal. Stand there with her and praise her, talking lovingly the whole time. It worked. We felt rather stupid but to this day she enjoys us "cooing" to her while she does her business and she hasn't had an accident since (year and a half.) I suppose it isn't that different from toilet training a child? When we have canine visitors or other disruption to the routine and she gets a certain look we know we need to help her. We just set her in her box and coo away!

While everyone who has posted has great advice, and alot of times a cure is found simply by trial and error (if ever), I think there are two profound clues in your history of the problem:

• You got him when he was a week old
• You left him for a week of vacation

He was never taught by his mom where and how to potty - you did a good job as his surrogate mom, but probably started a bit late - his kitty mom would have started at about 3-4 weeks of age. So it may not quite be burned into his brain. He did fine most of the time as he got older, but then....

You went on vacation. Although it may not seem obvious, he may already have abandonment issues. I am assuming from your story, too, that he is an only cat and you are his only human (if not, if he is strongly attached to you, his reaction to your vacation would be the same).

In my non-expert opinion, I think you may be doing all the wrong things. Ignoring him may be what started the behavior. You might want to discontinue that. Of course, I don't mean lavish sugars on him everytime he poops on the carpet, but make sure every other time you are giving him extra attention. If the behavior stops, gradually wean him back down to the level of attention he used to get. Discipline usually doesn't stop unwanted activity if there is an underlying behavior problem. Discipline generally only helps train a cat to know what is okay and what is not - in other words, no you can't jump on the kitchen counter. Elimination, scratching, and such are behaviors deeply ingrained, because they used these behaviors to survive in the wild before they were domesticated. A stressed cat may poop in a different place so that other cats may not find its waste and know its stressed, and therefore vulnerable, for instance. Cats would spray urine to announce domination, for example.

The odor eliminators would also only train that this is not the normal place to pee. So if he is looking for an abnormal place, the fact that there is no prior urine scent would not necessarily be a deterrent.

I would suggest you try just giving him lots and lots of attention to let him know that you love him even if you go on vacation.

We can't see into our cat's heads, though, so I may be completely off base, so if that doesn't work, or - since you know your cat better than me - if you think this is not the cause of the problem, try some of the suggestions in the other posts.

Whatever it is, I wish you luck.