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Had the cat spayed about a month ago. Kept her blocked in the laundry room for a couple days to monitor her healing process. Healed well, used her litter box, all is well in the world.

I let her out after the couple days healing time and now, every flipping day she poops in the dining room floor. Which is right next to the laundry room. She'll pee all day long in her litter box but she refuses to poop in it.

Took her to the vet. Ran tests, nothing wrong. They said she was fine. She is about 3 years old and 3.5 pounds. Very small cat. But whatever. They said that shouldn't be an issue. She's just petite.

Litter is the same. Liners are the same. Box in the same place. No cover. Cleaned daily. Because her previous home had dogs. Which ate whatever was in the litter. *shudder* *gag*

Food is the same. But vet suggested wet food. So we have her three little bowls lined up. Twice a day she gets the wet. We don't ration her solid.

Spent my weekend shampooing carpets because even though we clean the messes up, the thought just made my skin crawl. So, the carpets are clean. At least they were till tonight when she left yet another present.

Y'all, I'm kind of at the end of my rope. We haven't done anything different. Nothing in the house has changed.

I'm really discouraged. DD loves this cat. My husband didn't want a pet but caved for DD. Now I listen to him rant to me about the cat messing on the floors. Like I don't know its a bad habit.

Aside from locking her back up in the laundry room and attempting to retrain her, I don't know what else to do.

I'm a huge fan of pets. Would it be possible to replace the floor with one that's easier to clean?

I love animals too, but it's illogical for me to have to replace my flooring because she refuses, for whatever reason, to not poo in the box. If she can pee in there, she can poo in there.

Not to mention I have two small children that constantly have to watch because we never know if there is another "surprise" for us.

Are you using an enzyme remover to clean it? If not you can clean it all darn day and she smells it, associates it with where she's supposed to go, and will keep going back. The product we used when Marvin was peeing by the vents and for puppy accidents is called Natures Miracle. Spray it on, let it sit a few minutes and wash it out. Even if you can't smell the odor left behind.. she can. Natures Miracle will take care of that stuff we can't smell.

Marvin was peeing by the vents because he had urinary crystals causing stones and they hurt. They vet thought the cool air blowing out of the vent made it hurt a little less. He was likely associating the box with pain as well, which she may be doing since her surgery and was scared of it.

I would clean the box, move it to a slightly different location (like even a few feet over in the same room), put her in there for the day and feed her as usual. She'll have to go and will likely use it again. If not, move it to another room entirely.

Enzyme remover on the carpet, then a day with the box which is moved a bit, and I think your problem will be solved.

If her first poop after surgery hurt (and it probably did) she's scared to go in again. They think simply and they'll associate a place with pain.

[This message edited by SI Staff at 10:02 PM, October 6th (Sunday)]

I used vinegar. House smells like a pickle, but oh well.

Has anyone used Cat Attract? Would maybe mixing that with my current litter, and putting her in the laundry room for a day help?

[This message edited by Aubrie84 at 10:07 PM, October 6th, 2013 (Sunday)]

I know that cats hate lemon, so I suggest cleaning the entire area with something that smalls like lemon. There's also a product called "Indoor No" that you could try.

Lots of good ideas, enzyme cleansers help a lot, also, you could consider providing a 2nd box. I guess some like one for poo and another for pee. Seriously, I've noticed ours (we have 4) seem to rotate which boxes they prefer for which deed on some mysterious basis. Oh what delightful little savages the kittehs are, good luck.

[This message edited by thisissogross at 1:09 AM, October 7th (Monday)]

I agree with adding a second box; also, I would use covered boxes. My cats will pee in uncovered boxes but really like covered boxes when they're doing #2. Just a thought. I also endorse Nature's Miracle - it really eliminates the residual scents that you can't smell but the cat can.

I am animal nut. Currently after swearing when the 3 dogs, lizard, and cat had gone to heaven I was done, now having a young cat, 1 dog, and 2 guinea pigs, I have had more than my fair share of animal debacles.

This is a problem, and I would strongly recommend the natures miracle for making sure the scent isn't what's doing it. I would also make sure that you have another box for her. Is there another place in the house where you can coop her up for a few days with a new box?

It is recommended that you have a box per cat plus one. So if you have 2 cats you should have 3 boxes, so you really should have two.

Like Meta said, My guess is she is associating pain with that box and deficating as well. I know I was scared to poo after I was spayed, and with good reason.

So it's most likely going to take a multistep approach to be successful. If things don't change still then I would go back to the vet. Sometimes they are wrong too.

tushnurse, you are a riot.

I purchased the crazy expensive but highly praised Cat Attract litter. Bought another box, lined it, filled it, set it out.

Kitty went to check it out. Left her little tracks all over. An hour later, I saw she'd peed in it. So....she acknowledged it. That's a good thing, I think.

Waiting game now.

*sigh*

I second the Nature's Miracle (with the addition of OdoBan, if necessary)---but also recommend the Feliway cat calming products---they have sprays and diffusers (kind of like Glade Plug-Ins) that release pheromones that calm cats.

I'm trying to figure out a peeing-outside-the-box situation in our house--not sure which cat is responsible, so both are now wearing pheromone collars (these: http://tinyurl.com/feliway-cat-collar), which are a bit less expensive than the diffusers and last longer.

FWIW, there has been much more litterbox activity. And though it will take a few applications (pulling back the corner of carpeting and saturating the pad, then blotting and letting it dry all the way), I think the odor will be gone soon.

(Honestly,the carpet will be gone soon, anyway---but I can't stand even the thought of my house smelling like cat or dog...so I will treat it anyway. If nothing else, I will be sure that the subfloor does not smell, so that when the flooring is replaced, he/she/they don't go back to the same spot still.

After having two puppies in the first 18 months of a new house we'll be ripping out the carpet soon and replacing with vinyl faux wood paneling. Carpet is dumb here anyway with our dust storms. Just so ya know that I feel your pain.

I also vote for Natures Miracle. That damn spray bottle is expensive but it neutralizes the smell which may be the reason why she keeps pooping on the floor. If the cat can smell the poop, then she thinks "Oh, I can poop here". NOT that I'm saying you are not cleaning well but that cats have such an incredible sense of smell that they can smell poop even through the cleaning agents. Oh, I hope she poops in the box soon.

Thaks Aubrie -

When we built our home we had a toddler, and an infant, and an old dog with plans to add a second one, as soon as life settled a bit. I put in wood floors in all the main areas, and the cheapest carped I could in our bedroom, and the kids rooms, knowing it would be destroyed. The only I would have done differently is to put the wood floor in our bedroom as well. It does make kid/and animal clean up much easier.

Let us know the outcome of the changes please!!!!

Sorry, bit of a t/j....

Where do you find "Nature's Miracle"?....

I have my son's cat with me and he recently had a urinary tract infection and thus urinated in various places around the house....I have scrubbed the areas, but I can still smell urine....I'd like to try this product and see if it helps.......Thanks....HUGS

Where do you find "Nature's Miracle"?

I've seen it in just about every pet section of every box store I've been to. In the pet supply stores, it's in the cat section by all the other cleaners and stuff.

Aaaaand, while kitty pees in the new box, she just had another poo accident on the floor. UGH. I really don't want to block her off in a room because if she's pissed off for some reason, I don't want to piss her off further. But seriously, get with it kitty!

*siiiiiiiiigh*

Nope you need to block her off in a small confined space, if you have a medium to large dog crate start there. They will not poop where they have to lay. She will be forced to poop in the box. (This is what the local shelter does for new kitties that are having trouble with fitting in, and choosing to potty other places.)

Then you can slowly make her space bigger, like a bathroom, with a floor that can be wiped down should she choose to not use the box again.