Why does my cat poop outside litter box when bullied by others?

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! Getting two cats in the same household to get along can be frustrating sometimes. The first thing I would recommend is to provide multiple litter boxes in different parts of the house, so that your female cat always has easy access to someplace to use the bathroom without having to get past Loki first. You could also try a Feliway Multi-Cat pheromone diffuser, along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure for Loki to help encourage more social behavior. If this doesn't help, your best option would be to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate both cats in person and help you determine what the problem is between them. From there, he/she can give you a detailed treatment plan to work on their issues, which may also include medication for Loki or your other cat if needed. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Hi. I would recommend a few things. Uncover the boxes. Add a third box. And isolate them from each other for a bit. Then introduce, after showing them where the boxes are. Also recommend full exam and labs to rule out any medical potential causes for inappropriate defecation. Good luck.

I agree with your doc about an extra litter box or two. I always recommend at least one more than the number of cats. I do not think placing the feces in her box will help at all. It is a good sign that she is urinating in the box. I would be anxious to know what kind of food she is on and the consistency of her feces. Is she constipated or having loose stools, for example. I would start by trying the extra litter boxes and then go from there.

It is possible that Abby is exhibiting signs of stress in her home environment. You can do the following to help make sure Abby’s environmental needs are being met. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox, which it sounds like you already have. They should be at least 1.5 times the size of the largest cat. The boxes should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day)and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for climbing, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 and https://indoorpet.osu.edu// for tips on stress reduction. Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com, and Feliway Frineds, which can help cats get along with each other, in case there is conflict between the cats. https://www.feliway.com/ca_en/Products/FELIWAY-FRIENDS-Diffuser? Defecation outside the litterbox can be due to infection, constipation, difficulty getting into the litterbox due to pain, or other reasons, so if these changes don't help, I recommend you have Abby seen by your veterinarian again as soon as you can to help determine the cause of his behaviour and to start treatment.

The older cat probably has the smaller, younger one intimidated. I suggest providing more litter boxes, maybe one the smaller cat has exclusive access to. To avoid behavior problems due to territorialism, the rule of thumb is one litter box per cat, plus one, that way no cat can 'guard' all the boxes and limit access to the others. Make sure the timid cat has plenty of places to hide, perch, separate food and water sources if needed, anything to help her relax and be able to be less intimidated by the other. Also, make sure the older cats get plenty of attention, playtime, treats, to help them stay calmer and less likely to lash out. Calming diets are also available, if you have not tried them yet. Royal Canin and Science Diet both have well-received diets of this kind. A good source of additional information about how to help cats get along and how to make your house more appealing and enjoyable for your cats is Jackson Galaxy's Catification books.

Thanks for more information on Frejya! It could be that there are too many cats using two litter boxes. It's recommended that each cat has their own litter box, plus one; therefore, if you have five cats, you should have six boxes. You are doing exactly right by scooping them every day and fully cleaning them once a week. I would try setting up at least two different litter boxes in separate areas of your home to see if that helps the problem. She may just want to use a box that isn't used to every other cat in the home. Cats can be extremely finicky about litter boxes, and will often refuse to use a box if too many cats are also using it. Try this first to see if that helps with her eliminating outside the box. If it doesn't, then I would take her into the vet for an exam to see if there is a medical cause behind this behavior.

Many cats prefer to toilet in quiet undisturbed areas, such as the bathroom or under tables/furniture and I would recommend placing a few trays in such areas until you figure out a happy middle ground for both of you! Crating until he returns to using a tray can be helpful if this does not work and pheromone products can help if there is any underlying anxiety or fear. Scolding will not work with cats!