Cat sometimes doesn't use the litterbox, but my whole bathroom

Question

I have a cat (6 months old) and got myself a second one about 3 months ago (4 1/2 months old). After some difficulties at the beginning they understand each other well and play and cuddle with each other. But 2 weeks after I got the second cat, the first one started to do her business somewhere in the bathroom and no longer in the litter box (the big one), often even directly next to the litter box or in the shower.

The funny thing is that it only happens from time to time. Sometimes once a day, three days in a row. But sometimes only once a week. At the beginning I thought it was the stress with the new cat but meanwhile they are inseparable and I don't think it can be because of that.

She plays a lot, is healthy and eats enough. The brand of the litter has not changed and the toilet is cleaned about 2 times a day. The cat litter boxes have no lid and are big enough. With the second toilet it is the same.

I read that cats don't go to the toilet where they eat so I put the food bowls in the shower to test them for a day. When I looked at the bowls the next day, I noticed that she just defecated DIRECTLY into the bowl.

I don't know what to do about it. How do I prevent her from just going to the litter box and not using the whole bathroom for it?

Answer 1

I would suggest getting a second box, as well as making sure you scoop both boxes daily at the very least. The fact that kitty is going right next to the box makes me think that it wants to use the box, but something is putting it off.

I've found that having 1 box per cat is a good way to ensure the box doesn't get too dirty too quickly. I too had a kitty who wouldn't use the litter box if I wasn't diligent about scooping it daily-that 2nd box worked wonders.

Answer 2

One of my cats (two brothers) used to poop on the floor if I failed to keep the box clean, or if I used a strange new kind of litter … and occasionally for reasons I could not guess.

Somewhere, probably here, I saw the advice to ensure that the litterbox is not in total darkness. I put a night-light above the box, and never any trouble since.

Answer 3

Is there any update on this?

At first my guess was maybe there was an issue with the litter box. However, as I continued to read, you answered a lot of my suspicions. I know cats are particular about size, location, cleanliness, type of litter, etc.

So this leads me to believe it is either a behavioral or health issue. My friend told me once that cats only cover their poop and pee to hide the scent from predators. Likewise, I’ve heard that if one cat is a little more alpha than the other, it will deter them from liking each other’s scent; thus, they may go to the bathroom in different locations. This is why you hear of cats marking their territory. Maybe there is an underlying ranking between the two of them that you may not see?

The other thought is maybe the cat has a health issue where he can’t hold his bowel movements? If it could be this, I would recommend checking with a vet. Also, you could try putting a pet diaper on him if this is the case.