My cat is pooping outside the litter box since the baby arrived. Why?

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.

If you litter box is covered, I would try uncovering it and adding an additional uncovered litter box somewhere else in the house. If your vet has already ruled out an urinary tract infection, I would also consider adding some feliway diffusers around the house. Feliway is a cat pheromone which can help to calm stressed cats and help with inappropriate urination. If this doesn't help, I would talk to your vet about starting an anti-anxiety medicine like amitryptiline. I hope this helps and he stops soon!

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.

It can be very stressful for cats if they have changes in their house. I would recommend a few different things for Pelly. The first is neutering him, the second is a urine sample looking for a urinary tract infection and the third is behavioral medication that can be prescribed from your veterinarian. thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like you have a tough situation on your hands! When a cat who was previously litter trained starts going to the bathroom in the house, it can be a sign of a medical illness. Given that Furble is a senior cat, I would have her seen by a vet for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis. These test will help identify if there is a medical problem behind this behavior, and can treat her for it. If a medical cause is ruled out, then I would discuss with the vet about using anti-anxiety drugs on Furble. It could be that she is getting very stressed out about the interactions with the new cat and dog, and that's leading her to go to the bathroom everywhere. The vet can prescribe medications for her, and there are a few things you can do at home. You can get Feliway, which is a plug in diffuser that releases pheromones into the home. These pheromones help cats with anxiety. You can can also get her a Sentry calming collar. This collar release pheromones as well when in contact with her skin.

I recommend to speak with your veterinarian about trying a medication to try to help with this behavior. Other options that may help include providing tall climbing areas with hiding spots, a Feliway diffuser or a diet called Calm. This may help relive some anxiety when you travel. Cats may also do this if the box is not clean enough for them. You may try an automatic litter box. Make sure to introduce her to the litter box well before your next trip. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.