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Tired of the Poop...

walters1702 Mar 09, 2006 03:09 PM

I have two cats. A male that I got about a year ago, and he's about 3 now. And a female cat I got as a kitten about 7 months ago. I have no problems with the male cat at all. However the female cat keeps pooping and peeing outside her litter box 3 out of every 4 times...and the worse thing is she is doing it in bathtubs and sinks. Needless to say..it's not a pretty sight first thing in the morning. What can I do to stop her? I've tried different cat litter, both scoopable and clay. Nothing seems to help. If the problems is fixed soon, my hubby is going to give the kitty the boot. Can anyone help Please!

Replies (1)

PHMadameAlto Mar 09, 2006 09:52 PM

The cat needs to go to the vet for a check up ASAP. Very often this is what causes cats to urinate and poop in inappropirate places, especially on smooth surfaces like sinks.

If all is clear on the health front, then the problem is behavioral. Have there been any changes in the cat's environment? Even the silliest change can cause a cat to react by not using the box! Rearranged furniture, a new cat prowling through the yard, new family member or other human living with you? New paint, wallpaper?

At any rate, you will need to take steps to retrain the cat to the box. Basically you need to confine the cat to a room like a bathroom, or a large cage with only food, water, bedding and the litterbox. As he begins to use the litterbox consistantly you can expand his space. There is more information at this link:
Litterbox Problems

Cats need easy access to boxes and you may need to put several boxes around the house.Be sure to keep all boxes very, very clean. Scoop at least once a day!

You need to thoroughly deodorize wherever the cat has been peeing or pooping. Petastic is highly recommended as is Heaven's Own. It is the smell of the "accidents" that causes a cat to reuse the place.

Check into using Feliway, a spray that mimics the happy scent cats leave when they rub their check against something. You can get it from your vet or from most large pet supply stores. There is also a plug-in with Feliway that can help.

Finally, if all else fails, ask you vet about using an antianxiety medication such as Buspar or Prozac. These very often work, however the decision to prescribe them will rest solely with your veterinarian who will be able to monitor the dosage and side effects.


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