When I got Danny at 10 weeks old, ten years ago, she wouldn't poop and pee in the same box and that's how I learned that some cats refuse to poop and pee in the same box. The point was driven home when I drove to visit my dad with only one litter box, figuring that for a few days she could live with one.

Well, Danny showed me. She pooped in the box and peed on the bed I was going to sleep in, right up by the pillow. Next morning, I went out and bought her a second box and she was good the rest of the time we were on holiday.

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As far as litter goes, I've had fantastic success with chick starter (feed for small chicks). I've been using Dumor Chick starter now for about two or three years. As long as I clean the box regularly, there's no smell, it scoops cleaning and clumps well, and it's by far cheaper than scoopable litter -- I get it for about $14 for 50 pounds. The best part is there are no chemicals in it that would make my cats sick.

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thanksss...
Kabin

Konteyner

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If you’ve seen my other comment suggestions, here are a couple more…

Warning: “…if your cat suddenly stops using the litter box, please consult with your veterinarian immediately. There are plenty of medical reasons for a cat to stop using his or her box - some can be life-threatening - so please......start with a veterinary exam.” - catinfo.org.

Cats get stressed too. This can be a possible cause for inappropriate elimination (IE). Behavioural experts now say most cats need more love & positive attention than previously thought – at least 15 min per day, more or less. Try & figure out what they require in order to create a safe, calm environment, & encourage them to play daily. Being alone for an extended period can cause extreme stress. Check out the reviews on different feline behaviour books – buy some or get them from library.

Some vets recommend calming or hormone medication to reduce stress. I would first research this if they suggest it.

Cat nip, while it initially makes some cats excited, is listed as a calming herb. I like to get a large container of organic ‘nip & give a pinch or two daily to any cats who’ll eat it.

One of our declawed foster cats was very anxious & didn’t get along with any other cats. We re-homed him with a single, pet-free relative where he is thriving & using the litter box 100% of the time. They are really enjoying their retirement together.

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There are so many potential causes, known & unknown. I learned important information about this from an online essay called The Litter Box From Your Cat’s Point of View, by vet Lisa A. Pierson on catinfo.org. I AM AWARE of the pros & cons of different types of pans, boxes & litters, including clumping clay, from other articles, sites & forums too. Dr. Pierson is still on a quest to find the best litter. Three of our cats developed inappropriate elimination (IE) due to painful urinary problems I believe were caused by feeding them dry kibble (- that works out to more than 10% of our animals). The essay also taught me how important it was to change their diet & try to understand feline behaviour. Diet change got rid of our cats’ IE caused by cystitis & dehydration.

There is also a strong link between declawing, IE & other behavioural problems. Good info about this on pawproject.org under FAQs. Many people may not be aware of this.

Even neutered toms are often super territorial. We experienced more IE problems while fostering other cats. We find it helps to allow two of our males only limited, supervised access to the other half our house.

One of our female cats HATES to poop in the same box as the males, no mater what litter we use. We just keep her on the side of the house with basement access. Otherwise we’d have to keep her cooped up in a room where other cats couldn’t use her litter box.

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I've personally had a negative experience with "Feli-away" diffuser as my neutered tomcat marked the door frame right next to where the diffuser was plugged in!

Two notes on litter box cleaning: I've read if you clean the poopy box too well and change all the litter, the cat (whose box it is) will loose the personal connection with the box, no longer feeling it is his and may start to "go" in other areas.

Secondly, I use diluted white vinegar to neutralize the ammonia odor whilst cleaning the box, as Pamela C. stated ammonia and chlorine are a toxic mix--for everybody!

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My little girl persian gets very angry at my husband when he pets the neighbors cat and talks to their kitty. She is a 6 pounder and the neighbors male is about 22 pounds. He climbs on the pass-through counter just outside my kitchen window, and my little girl jumps up there and stands on her hind legs, pounding on the window and making her tiny mew sounds. He backs up as if in fear of her, 1/4 his size.

When she hears hubby chatting to the male cat, she runs into his bathroom and poops in his sink! What do you think of that? I am grateful that it is not on furniture or carpeting, and it is a pain to clean up, but I make hubby do it. I tell him it is his fault for being unfaithful with another kitty! LOL!

Just another funny about this stuff, I had a male flame-point siamese about 10 years ago. After hubby and I started co-habitating, he was so jealous, he started spraying the walls. I was cleaning and deodorizing daily. We went out of town and had my brother house sit. He called and told us 1/2 the electricity in the house went out. When we got back to town, we found our siamese had sprayed into an electric socket, shorting out the house. He did this twice, costing $500 for electrician each time. When he passed of kidney failure, I had to replace all drywall 2 feet up, entire house. Also, removed all carpets and pads. This fiasco cost $12,000!

I will take the poop in the sink over that any day! Do you blame me?

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I forgot to add that a product called "Feli-way" is supposed to help with marking issues. It is a synthetic cat pheromone that makes the cat feel happy and relaxed. I think the theory is that if you spray it where the cat has been marking he will no longer want to mark there as it smells like happy cat, not stressed cat.
I believe it is available in a spray form and a plug-in diffuser type, I think you can get this from your vet.

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I have two cats, one has extremely good litter box habits and will only "miss" when he is really feeling unwell (and only with poop). The other one, is a different story, unless it is brand new litter, that his brother has not gone in, he will not poop in it. We have two boxes, there are scooped twice a day. We have just come to the realization that there is no point in scolding (if I come across him and he is about to poop, I will place him in the box), or "rubbing his nose in it", that will just upset the cat and make him find another inappropriate place to poop; so now we just scoop and are thankful that he only poops near the box and not behind the couch or on the bed....
BTW, we use Swheat Scoop litter, and it is amazing, just remember to add a cup or so of baking soda to the bottom of the clean pan so that the pee clumps won't stick.

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my 10yr old neutered male tags when it is cold and snowy outside and when there are other toms around. I have asked vets what to do and they really don't have any answer for me. I have tried cedar chips( in the garage)didn't help(just made a mess). Good luck- "Odors Away" will help with the smell - you can get it at Ace Hardware.

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