Hey everyone, I have a bit of a mystery on my hands with one of my cats. I have four in total, and my oldest cat, who is about 8 or 9 years old, has recently started pooping on the floor next to the litter box. I can’t figure out why this is happening. To give some background: nothing major has changed in our home. She gets along well with the other cats, and we’ve had her since she was 2. Introducing a new cat into the home in the past never caused any stress for any of them. They share a huge litter box, which I clean daily. She pees in it just fine, but for some reason, she has stopped pooping in it. Could this be related to her age? Or is there something else going on here? I’m really not sure what to think and could use some advice or suggestions.
You mentioned the litter box is huge, but I wonder if the size of the box is actually contributing to the problem. Could it be possible that, because of her age, she’s experiencing some muscle or joint pain like arthritis? Cats tend to hide their pain well, but things like arthritis can make it difficult for them to climb in and out of the litter box. You might want to check if she’s having trouble getting in the box, especially when it comes to pooping, which might be harder for her to do in a confined space.
I’ve been in a similar situation with one of my cats. A few months ago, my cat started pooping outside of his litter box too. He would poop under my bed, which was definitely not fun to clean up. I found that changing his litter back to the original type helped. Like your cat, mine still used the box for peeing, but preferred to poop in a corner or elsewhere. We also use a litter box with a hutch because he’s a bit of a digger and likes privacy. Maybe your cat has developed a preference for a specific type of litter or litter box setup?
Has she been pooping less frequently or has the consistency of her stool changed? Older cats can become constipated as they age, which might cause them to strain while pooping. When that happens, they might not make it fully into the litter box before they finish. If you notice her pooping less frequently, or if her poop is coming out in small, hard balls, that’s a sign she might be constipated. Arthritis or joint pain can also make it difficult for older cats to use the box, especially if it’s enclosed or has high sides. Cats are very good at hiding discomfort, so it might be worth having her checked out by a vet to see if there’s an underlying health issue.
I agree with the others, but I also think the fact that you have one litter box for four cats might be contributing to the issue. No matter how clean you keep it, having that many cats share one box can lead to territorial or behavioral problems. The general recommendation is one litter box per cat, plus an additional one. So, for four cats, you should ideally have five boxes. Even if they’ve never had issues before, sometimes cats need their own space, especially as they get older. I’d suggest getting a few more boxes and placing them in different spots around the house. This might give her more options and reduce any stress she might be feeling about using the shared box.
Totally agree with the suggestion of adding more litter boxes. It’s pretty standard advice to have one box per cat plus one extra. I think adding a few more boxes around your home will give your cat more freedom to choose where to go, and it might help resolve the issue of her pooping outside the box. Even though it’s worked for them to share one box up until now, something may have changed for her that’s making her want her own space to do her business.
I have two cats and we use two litter boxes, one for each of them. Even with just two cats, I can see how they prefer having their own space to use the bathroom. Given that you have four cats, I’d definitely recommend adding more boxes. Some cats just don’t like sharing, and as they get older, that preference can become even more pronounced. Hopefully, adding a few more boxes will solve the issue.