Why is my fixed male cat crying and pooping outside his litter box?

I suggest you have to your vet for an exam and urine test. This may be a behavioral issue but it could also be medical like a UTI or cystitis (bladder inflammation). Continued use of Feliway diffusers and doing some environmental enrichment are also recommended. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Why-Use-Feliway/Cat-peeing-outside-the-litter-box ) ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( https://www.thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats )

If this is a recent behavior change for Cuddles, the first step would be to have him examined by a vet as soon as you are able to - there are a number of medical problems that can cause accidents outside the litter box, so your vet may recommend basic blood work and other testing to check for any evidence of a problem. If everything comes back normal, then it is likely that the issue is behavioral. Having accidents like this is often a stress or anxiety-related behavior in cats - if there have been any recent changes in the household, such as a new pet or a new baby, a move to a new house, or a guest staying with you, these could all be reasons for him to be pottying in inappropriate places. There may also be something about the litter box that he finds objectionable - he may not like the type of litter provided, or the location of the box. It can sometimes take some detective work to pinpoint the problem in cases like this, so if you're still stumped, I would consider making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can meet your cat in person and do an in-depth evaluation to help diagnose the problem and develop a plan to treat it. In the meantime, you can try a Feliway diffuser in the house or a natural calming supplement such as Composure to see if this helps.

Have him physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose injury or infection. Typically, either can be the root cause for a sudden change in behavior. If he gets the "all clear", survey the area in and around the house for any negative stimuli. Reduce or eliminate them if found. Consider using a litterbox attractant to entice him back into the box. Try different types, brands and depths of litter also. He may have a preference. A pheromone product, such as Feliway spray or plug in diffusers, may help to decrease any stress or anxiety in the home.

What can I do for my cat that is eliminating inappropriately? The recommended treatment for such cats is multifold so work with your veterinarian to determine why your cat is doing this behavior. Here are some general guidelines. First, identify the offensive aspects of your current litterbox arrangement. Is the litterbox being scooped and completely cleaned frequently enough? Is the box large enough? What substrate does your cat(s) seem to prefer? Ensure that you have at least one litterbox per cat in the household (and potentially more), adequately spaced. Consider that covered litterboxes, automatic litterboxes, litterbox deoderizing additives, and plastic liners may be aversive to some cats, but acceptable to others. Choose litterbox locations that are quiet and free from harassment. Second, increase the litterboxes’ appeal and accessability by conducting a litterbox choice experiment. Offer your cat a variety of litterbox and litter choices (from coarse to fine, clay and non-clumping), boxes without liners, and different litter depths. Create a quiet area with all litterbox choices available to the cat. Allow the cat several days to make a selection. Animals may initially prefer the substrate they have been accustomed to but may select a different substrate later in the trial. Be patient during this litterbox trial period. Third, discourage use of inappropriate elimination areas by cleaning soiled regions with an enzymatic cleaner. Cats that are fed or receive attention in a commonly-soiled area may be discouraged from eliminating there further. If your cat targets only a few areas of the house, remote distracters (contact paper sticky-side up, aluminum, motion-or-light-triggered alarms, etc.) may be used, but only if the punishment is delivered immediately and consistently. Never physically or verbally punish your cat. What can I do for my cat that is displaying marking behavior? All cats should first be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine the correct diagnosis. Unaltered males should be neutered. Hostile intercat interactions, either to cats inside or outside the home, often trigger marking behavior. Reducing these interactions by blocking windows, making the yard antagonistic to outside cats, partioning living space for indoor cats, and ensuring separate feeding areas and litterboxes may subsequently reduce marking. Litterbox hygiene should be maintained to encourage appropriate elimination. The feline facial pheromone product Feliway® can be used to help decrease marking. Medications may be also be used in conjunction with environmental and behavioral changes. If you cat has been diagnosed with urine marking, please contact your veterinarian for more information,. For any inappropriate elimination problem, there is help. Please work with your veterinarian to devise a treatment plan specifically for you and your cat.

I'm so sorry that you are having such problems with Kitty. I am imagine how frustrating this is for you. Since these problems started with the move, stress may be playing a role. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. Hover, there are a large number of reasons that a cat will inappropriately urinate and defecate (urinate and defecate outside the litter box) and stress may be only one of the reasons. I am attaching a handout below which discusses this in detail. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=633 The first step in figuring out why a cat is urinating outside the litter box is to have your veterinarian do an examination and get a urine sample to evaluate for a medical reason. If that is normal, then we need to look at other possibilities. The handout above discusses litter box issues that can play a role. Make sure you have at least 2 litter boxes (if Kitty is the only cat), they are not covered or lined, and are cleaned daily. You may also want to try products like Cat Attract Litter (https://www.drelseys.com/shop/cat-attract/). If your veterinarian cannot find a medical reason and all litter box issues have been dealt with, then it may be time to discuss medication with your veterinarian. Medications are also discussed in the handout above. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that you can figure out what's going on with Kitty. Thanks for using PetCoach.

So sorry that you are having this problem. I know it can be very frustrating. The first thing you could do is have him examined by a vet to make sure he doesn't have a urinary tract infection or other medical reason causing him to urinate outside the box. If a medical reason has been ruled out and it is strictly a behavioral issue then you could try a Feliway diffuser or spray and/or Solliquin chews and see if that helps. You could also take to your vet about trying an anti-anxiety medication, like Prozac. Hope the issue gets resolved quickly!

That is quite strange behavior. I would first make sure there is nothing medically wrong with him. Your vet can check a fecal for parasites including giardia to ensure everything is normal. I would also think about whether anything else has changed in the house that coudl be causing him to be stressed like new people, changing in work or at home schedules, construction, new pets, children starting to crawl/walk, etc. If you aren't sure, it never hurts to add in some feliway diffusers throughout the house. Feliway is a cat pheromone to help calm them and help with anxiety. If this doesn't work, I would talk to your vet about starting him on an anti-anxiety medicine like amitryptilline. I hope this helps!