Why is my cat pooping in his water bowl instead of the litter box?

Inappropriate elimination in cats is often a behavioral problem rather than a medical problem, so the first step is to have him seen by your vet to eliminate any kind of illness or condition as a cause for his defecating outside the box. Once medical issues are ruled out, take a look at other explanations. Has there been a lot of activity that wasn't normal? Were you away and your cat was left at home or boarded? Is the litterbox located in a busy area? Has anything happened recently in this area to make him reluctant to use it again? Is there another cat, pet or person that is preventing him from getting to the box? Have you changed it from a hooded to an open box, or vice versa? Have you changed the brand of litter or kind? Is there something about the spot he has chosen to use that is attracting him in some way? Cats dislike disturbances to their routine and may act out to express their dissatisfaction. The litter box may not be big enough. The general rule of thumb is one litter box per cat in the household, plus one. That way each cat can have a place of their own to go in case the box is occupied or another cat has claimed it as territory. They should be scooped daily, if not more often and changed completely weekly washed with soap and water only. You can also offer one kind of litter in one box and another kind in another to see if there is a preference. I don't recommend the crystal kind, it makes a hissing sound when wet that can startle some cats and make them reluctant to use it again. The litter boxes should be located in a quiet, low-traffic area so that the cat can use them in peace. Make sure any other pets or people aren't giving them a hard time around or in the litter box. It may take some investigation and experimentation to find your cat's preference and accommodate him so that everyone is satisfied with the situation. And, when cleaning up pet accidents, don’t use any cleaner containing ammonia. This leaves behind a scent similar to urine

This can be a difficult problem to figure out. Some cats prefer to urinate in one litter box and defecate in another, so if he only has access to one box the first thing I’d recommend is adding a second box. If you haven’t tried Dr Elsey’s Cat Attract litter it may be worth trying that specific brand. Finally, if he seems to prefer fabric you could try lining a litter pan with a disposable potty pad. If at any point his stool doesn’t look normal (i.e. If you see diarrhea, mucous, blood or if it seems very firm) I’d recommend rechecking with your vet. Good luck!

In a very general sense, cats typically avoid appropriate places to urinate (i.e. the litter box) because they associate doing so with pain. Any cat that is inappropriately urinating/defecating should be first checked for pain, either from urinary tract issues like an infection or inflammation, or skeletal pain from issues like hip or spinal problems. Once these issues have been ruled out, behavioral problems should be investigated. This can be done by increasing frequency of litter box cleaning (once daily), adding additional litter boxes (at least one per cat + 1), trying covered vs. non-covered boxes, trying a bigger box, and trying a few different kinds of litter to see if your cat has a different preference.

That has to be frustrating for you! Even if you’re absolutely certain that the problem is behavioral, you need to have your cat examined by the veterinarian to make sure there isn’t an underlying medical problem. There are a number of medical issues that could be causing your cat to feel uncomfortable about pooping in the box. If she experiences constipation, for example, she may associate the box with her discomfort and attempt to go somewhere else. If your cat is older and has arthritis, it may be difficult for her to perch on the litter substrate in order to eliminate solids. If you have a covered litter box, she may feel cramped in there while perching in position to poop. There are a number of intestinal problems (inflammatory bowel disease for example) that commonly result in cats defecating outside of the box. Sassy may experience cramping and the discomfort causes her to try to eliminate wherever she is at the time. She may also become so uncomfortable that she can’t make it to the box. I recommend taking her into your vet to rule out a medical reason behind this, and if it is ruled out, your vet can discuss behavioral techniques to get her to poop in her box. Take a sample of her feces with your for the vet to examine.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Taco has started having litterbox issues. Defecating outside the litterbox can be due to a variety of reasons, including medical, such as GI issues (intestinal parasites, GI upset, dietary indiscretion, etc), or behavioral (the stress of going back and forth between houses, etc). I would recommend Taco be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if there is any medical component to his going outside the box (fecal testing, etc), and if not, then address some possible behavioral modifications to help through this transition (cat attract litter in the box, a pheromone collar, more than one box in the house, etc). Good luck!

I'm sorry to hear about this! There are a few possibilities that may be happening. One could be that there is a problem such as pain or discomfort that is causing him to not use the box. If the sides are too tall or too hard to get into it may stop him from being able to climb into the box. However, you may also see urine just outside of the box as well Second, it could be that he is climbing into the box, but is positioning his bottom over the edge on accident, especially if it is right next to the box and he is still urinating in it. Getting a box with taller sides or that is enclosed may help contain his stool and prevent it from falling over the edge. As with any health or behavior issue, a good first step is to schedule a vet visit to rule out any issues that could be causing this as well.

I would recommend taking Junior to the vet and having them get some blood work and a urine on him. Sometimes cats start urinating and/or defecating outside the box when there is a medical issue going on. I would rule this out first before stating it is behavioral. I would also recommend getting a third litter box and cleaning the boxes daily. If it is behavioral that would be the best way to start to get him back to using the box. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.