Why Does My Cat Poop Outside the Litter Box？

Pet cats know how to use litter boxes from an early age. But many cats poop outside the litter box for various reasons. These include behavioral problems, health conditions, and stress.

 

1. Health problems

Digestive problems can make your cat have difficulty and pain in bowel movements, increase the frequency of bowel movements, or reduce their control over bowel movements. In addition, age-related disorders can affect a cat's cognitive function and mobility, making it more difficult to reach or enter the litter box for use.
Other minor health problems, such as constipation, can make the cat suddenly feel the urge to poop, making it difficult to reach the litter box in time. If your cat has pooped only once or a few times in the past few days, it may have constipation. Strained stools and dry stool are symptoms of constipation, so it's best to check your cat's feces before handling them to determine if they have health problems.

 

2. Stress

Stress can cause cats to suddenly change their toileting habits. Cats feel stress differently than humans, and things that aren't stressful for humans can be stressful for cats. Anything can cause stress and anxiety for a cat, including moving to a new home, adding a new pet, or a new baby in the household. Even something as simple as changing a cat's daily routine can cause them to feel stressed.

 

3. Litter box preference

Cats care a lot about where they poop. If cats don't like their litter box, they may poop on the floor. Cats have preferences for the litter box itself, the location of the litter box, and the litter inside the litter box. If your cat hates the litter box, they may also urinate outside the litter box.

Cats also prefer clean litter boxes. If their litter box is too full, they don't want to go in because it can be an unpleasant experience for them. It is recommended to clean the litter box at least once a day.

If the litter box is clean but your cat is still pooping and urinating outside, consider buying them a new litter box or trying new litter. However, if the problem persists, it may not be the litter box causing the problem.

 

4. Territorial acts

Cats are territorial animals, so it makes sense that they want to mark their territory somehow. For example, if you bring a new cat home, your old cats may become territorial about the house and start pooping in different rooms to indicate to another cat that this is their home.