Why does my cat poop outside of his litterbox?

i was in a similar situation and fixed it! My neutered male cat was peeing outside the box and pooping in it, i always kept it clean and couldn't figure out why all of a sudden he started doing that, well i read that some cats don't like a covered litter box because the feel "cornered" so i took the lid off and he just stopped! hope this helps!

The only thing I can think of is to try different litter boxes. If you try something like a large rubber maid container he may be forced to stay in the box and not poop off the side. This is, of course, dependent upon him being the type of cat that hovers on the side as opposed to just standing outside the litter box and pooping.

Yeah, my cat gets really nervous if she feels cornered or hears something when she in the litter box and some times she will have an accident, id try and taking the lid off so the litter box is open.

I had a problem with my male cat peeing outside his box. Turns out, the cat litter wasn't good enough for him. I have to buy "Fresh Step Clumping Cat Litter" to keep him happy. So much for buying the cheap stuff!

Try taking the lid off the litter box

My oldest cat did that when me and my girlfriend merged homes and cats. The vet said cats sometime take out frustration that way. Something must be bothering him. Try a new litter and maybe buy a new box, and see how he reacts.

Here are a few suggestions to your litter box problems:

- Provide a box for each cat

- Change litter daily

- Provide constant access to a box

- Go back to previously used brand of litter and/or

- Discontinue new disinfectant

- Move box to where it was previously used

- Eliminate new or frightening noise near litter box

- Move food and water away from litter box

- If cat is only going in one spot, put the litter box at the exact location and gradually move it back to where you want it at the rate of one foot per day

- If there are several places, try putting dishes of cat food in those areas to discourage further elimination there

- Experiment with different textures of litter (cats prefer sandy litter)

- Use a covered litter box for cats that stand in box but eliminate outside of it

Anyone who has ever had the displeasure of litter box lapses in their home has probably asked the question "WHY!". "Why would my cat do such a disgusting thing in my home!" For the beginnings of an answer to this question, let's go back to how we train our cats to use the litter box.

Think about it, how did you train your cat to use a litter box? If you are like most people, you probably put the cat in or near the litter box a few times and then counted on the cat's good sense to use the box later. Amazingly enough this method often works (try THAT with a dog), and the reason it works is because what we are counting on is not the cat's good sense but rather the cat's preference for a particular litter box material. Problems arise when your cat doesn't like or develops an aversion to the litter box that you have provided. Let's be fair here. There is absolutely no reason to expect every cat to like the same material, or even for one cat to prefer the same material over an entire life span.

Ok, first lesson learned: You did not train your cat to use a litter box. At best, you offered the cat something recognizable as litter material. If your cat is having litter box problems then you will need to figure out how to make the litter box appealing to the cat. Here are a few options:

1) Pain or illness can cause a cat to stop using the litter box. Cats are very adept at hiding illness, so if your cat is having litter box problems then the first thing you need to do is take the cat to a vet for a medical exam.

2) If you aren't scooping the waste out of the litter every day then you need to start and start now.

3) Perfumes or other odors can drive your cat away from the litter box. Scented litters are unacceptable to many cats, and the leftover scent from a cleaning product could also be a problem. Get rid of the perfumes, and scrub those cleaners away before giving the box back to the cat. Remember that cats have an acute sense of smell.

4) Your cat may feel vulnerable when in the litter box. Is it in a noisy location (such as next to the washing machine)? Is it secure from little marauders like dogs and children, or even other cats? If the box is not semi-private, move it to a better location.

5) Remember those preferences that we talked about earlier. You may need to offer several different types of litter before finding the right one. Strange but true, some cats will not use the same box for urine and feces, in which case you'll have to provide two boxes. The type of box could also be a problem. If the box has a cover, try removing it.

6) Anxiety can lead to litter box lapses. Did some event scare your cat? This could be anything from a new couch to a new cat or even a new person in the house. If you suspect anxiety, confine the cat to a safe and secure place (maybe a bed room) until the anxiety has passed. Cats seem to hang on to their emotions, so the anxiety could last much longer than the actual event. No need to rush, leave that safe haven available to the cat for as long as possible.

7) If you have multiple cats, chances are you'll need multiple boxes, maybe even with different materials in them.

There is one more important distinction that you'll need to make. Is the cat refusing to use the litter box, or is the cat spraying? Spraying is a territorial behavior and has nothing to do with disliking the box. For more information on litter box problems or spraying, consult with a trained behaviorist.

Correcting the Problem

The key to solving elimination problems is to make the litter box more attractive, and the area where the cat is soiling instead, unattractive.

Sometimes, just cleaning the litter box more frequently or changing its location will correct the problem. Other times, you may need to experiment with different combinations of location and kitty litter to find a solution. You may even want to offer your cat the choice of several different boxes, each with different kinds of litter, to see which he or she prefers.

At the same time, you must break the cat's habit of soiling in the new location. Be sure to clean the soiled area thoroughly with a pet odor remover to get rid of any urine scent -- or your cat may be attracted back to the same spot.

It's important to keep the cat away from the area. Try covering the spot with carpet runner, prickly side up, or use a device that delivers a harmless static shock or that produces a loud noise when the cat comes near, to help redirect kitty to his litter box. Adding a room deodorizer with a scent the cat finds offensive - such as a strong citrus or floral - can also keep the cat away from the area.

Good luck!

could be the litter box or the litter itself...cats are also really OCD when it comes to cleanliness...my cat refuses to use the box if it is even the slightest bit dirty......geez! lol

Trey: I don't agree cats are very smart animals.

Cats are very clean animals, there could be pee in there and he does it outside the box because of it.

He can probably smell where he pooped before and has that in his mind as his designated "spot." I would place him in a different area and try to get him used to going in the litterbox again. He might also be refusing to use his litterbox unless it's really clean.