Cat Chat Feline Forum

Okay, so we've had Max for about 9 months now and when we first got her there were no troubles and he was perfect with his litter tray.
However, past few months he has been pooping right next to his tray. Like, RIGHT next to it. I've told him off, and he'll usually behave for a couple days and then do it again! This past week, he has now peed on the bean bags a couple times and then in the bathroom tonight. Literally, I caught him peeing on the bathroom floor, told him off, turned my back to him to clean it up and turned back in time to see him take a dump on the floor behind me!
I don't know what's started this behaviour, it was bad enough with the pooing, but it's getting to the point where I'm literally going to have to watch him 24/7 as we live in a rented flat and we don't really wanna end up getting kicked out of our place because our cat pees or poos everywhere.

Has anyone had this with their cat before? What can we do to help get him using the tray again?

May I just point out, he's had no issues with the tray before and it's cleaned constantly.

Hi there - we had something similar with one of ours about a year after we got her. I can only conclude now that she'd taken a dislike to the smell of the litter - I then tried all sorts and came up with Sanicat oxygen power non-clumping, and she loves this. No more problems! Litter often releases a smell when a cat wees and if they become intolerant to that smell they will avoid using it because they don't want the smell! The fact that he goes right next to the tray would suggest to me that the smell is the problem.

Do you have any other cats? Of course if they are using it as well the smell would already put him off...

Thank you for your reply!

We only have him, and we've been through several different litters with him already because he took a nasty aversion to a few some time ago. He seemed to be alright with this one, but I have to say what you're saying about smell could be it. We'll have to try him out on some others.
We've been using this litter for him pretty much since we got him other than a few times where we had to get other litter (out of stock, given by family etc) and it used to be the one he agreed with most.
Thank you for your reply, I'll try changing his litter and hopefully that'll help.
x

TBH I wouldn't tell him off it can make the problem worse. How many litter trays do you have? If you only have one try adding another, cats often don't like going for a wee and a poo in the same place. It might also be worth popping him to the vet to make sure there's nothing medical going on like a urinary infection which can make them act out of character.

UPDATE:
He was abit poorly the day I last replied to this post, so had to take him to the vet as he was being sick alot and wasn't himself. Turns out he had an infection and they've treated him and he's all good now. Of course, we talked to the vet about it and he suggested it may be the litter so he has now got his favourite litter back (didn't realise that my other half had even changed the litter from one to another if I'm honest!) and has no UTIs or anything.
All was alright, he was using his tray for wees and poos and he was feeling alright. We actually thought he had kicked the habit of peeing outside of the tray!
More fool us, we were just sat here watching TV and he walked from the coffee table he was sat on to the bean bag a meter away that is right next to my partner, squatted and peed!

Really don't know what to do now, we haven't got any follow ups with the vet as he is all good now health wise and the vet was sure it was the litter.

How is your baby now? Poor wee thing! Is he using litter tray 100% time now?