# Cat is pooing in the living room



## hunt_mat (Mar 18, 2010)

Hi,

We inherited a cat from the gf's father who passed away a year ago. We thought she was settling in wonderfully and then recently she started using the Google beanbag which is in the living room as a toilet and now has started pooing in there as well. 

She is a bit of an attention seeker and I usually give in and give her some attention. What is wrong with her? I was reading on the internet and thought that she might be stressed. We're going to get a catflap fitted soon, so hopefully that might give her the incentive to go our more.

Suggestions?


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## Doolally (Oct 12, 2010)

First of all as this is a new problem she must be seen by a vet to rule out any medical problems. It'd be completely unfair for you to try anything else if she is actually ill.

Does she use her tray for wees? How many trays do you have and where? Was she an outdoors cat before? What enrichment does she have? cat trees etc?


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Hard to give advice without a few more details.Is she neutered,does she go outside,does she have a litter tray,if so does she use it,has she been checked by the vet for any possible physical reason for the change in behaviour,has there been any change recently in her environemeent or new cats in the neighbourhood.Sorry for all the questions but a clearer picture may make it a bit easier to give advice.Anything else you can think of that may have set of this change.





Sorry slow typer have doubled up most questions


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## hunt_mat (Mar 18, 2010)

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. She does have a litter tray which she does use, we change the litter tray once a week. She does ask to be let outside and she does use the garden to use as a toilet too.

She has a scratching post and lots of toys that she doesn't really play with either. 

Mat


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Sorry to keep at the questions but has she been checked by a vet,is she neutered ,depending on the type of litter ,do you scoop out all soiled litter and faeces as the are produced as once a week may not be enough,cats are by nature very clean animals and many will refuse to use a dirty tray.


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## hunt_mat (Mar 18, 2010)

We change the litter completely after a week, so she gets a completely new lot once a week.

My sister is a vet and she's conveniently popping around tomorrow for a coffee, so we shall get her checked out then. She had her yearly check up around 8 months ago and the vet gave her an all clear. I will get te sis to give her a good going over tomorrow. I don't know if she's neutered at all.

Mat


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

If she isnt neutered you would know by now,she would either have become pregnant or be calling every 2/3 weeks and believe me you would not miss that.What type of litter do you use (clumping or non clumping)If it was me I would get rid of the bean bag completely as she will keep going back to the same spot,time and again unless you have removed all trace of the smell of urine.This I would think will be damn near impossible with a bean bag.


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## hunt_mat (Mar 18, 2010)

The beanbag in now in the bin. We've been cleaning the carpet, so hopefully that will work, we thought we cleaned thourouly but not apparently.

Sounds like she is neutered then.

We're using non clumping cat litter currently.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Is the litter woodpellets or gravel type.It really needs to be changed at least every second day or at least all soiled litter removed and then topped up.I use wood pellets and remove the wet /soiled as it happens and change every second day,that could be the problem.I would try changing the litter far more frequently every day if poss to see if that helps.Try a special cleaner on soiled area's like this Stain and Odour Remover Clean Cotton 470ml by Simple Solution | Pets at Home or this home made one Cat Urine: Clean & Remove Cat Urine in Carpet* FREE Recipe cats have a very keen nose so although you cant smell it she may be able to.


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## hunt_mat (Mar 18, 2010)

Gravel type.

So we should be scooping out the solids and wet gravel on a daily basis?

Mat


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## honeysmummy (Oct 17, 2010)

Hi , Yes definantly.I remove all wet areas of litter as they are done more or less if I am out then will check as soon as I get home. So I am removing bits of litter 3 - 4 times a day. Poos are removed straight away !! I change honeys complete litter out every 5 - 7 days
empty all litter and clean and disinfect tray and then refill.
Cats are very clean animals your cat maybe avoiding the tray or not using
it correctly if it feels it is not. This would be first possible reason
to eliminate from the list. Hopefully it's something that simple 
good luck


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## hunt_mat (Mar 18, 2010)

Thanks for you help. I will get some feliway too to see what that does.


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## Lulu's owner (May 1, 2009)

I agree that changing litter more regularly is worth a go. It often works. Some cats like completely fresh litter every day, so you put less in but wash the tray out every day. That's what I do if a cat has starting messing elsewhere, as mostly it seems to be when the cat doesn't think the tray is hygienic enough.


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## Lulus mum (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi,
Agree with all the good advice youve been given-
we have 3 cats ,2 of which are 14 and they have 2 litter trays.
They can quite fussy sometimes and not want to use the tray after one of the others has just been in it.
I found that they preferred a tray with a hood on-I took off the flap at the front as it seemed to put them off using it.
I also clean the litter out several times in the day-a bit of extra work perhaps ,but worth the effort.
Good luck with her-(what is she called,by the way?)and well done for taking her on-some families would have sent her to a rescue,or worse
from Maureen


Thought I was having a "senior moment" when I went to post this and that Id already done it yesterday-see the name of the previous person posting!!!


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## Shimacat (Feb 14, 2010)

I'd be tempted to also try a second litter tray for her, as well as cleaning out the original tray (removing all solids/wet at least twice a day). Some cats are fussier than others. Some like one tray to wee in and the other one to poo in, but always, always keep the trays as clean as possible. Also, make sure the location of the tray is good from the cat's point of view - in a quiet area of the house, in a draught-free zone.


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## mrswoodwoose (Jan 23, 2011)

hunt_mat said:


> Gravel type.
> 
> So we should be scooping out the solids and wet gravel on a daily basis?
> 
> Mat


YES YES and Yes again:thumbup:

If I am home I clean the litter tray as soon as it has been used, and every day I empty the remaining litter onto clean sheets of newspaper (I line the litter tray with newspaper, this works for me, I use Pets at Home clumping litter which works out to be very economical), wash or wipe the inside of the tray, dry it and put the clean newspaper with the leftover catlitter into the tray and usually, if it needs a top up, I add some more cat litter so that it's nice and deep enough for the cat to have a good scratch and for it to be able to cover any wees and poos.

Cattro won't even use it if there's one poop inside!


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## islandj (Mar 12, 2011)

The problem with bean bags is that they sound and feel like litter to a cat!!!!


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## chenille (Mar 5, 2011)

I've just encountered a similar problem with the rescue cat I now have. I expected him to take to the bio-catolet but no, when it came to having a poo, he started using a rug in the bedroom; it all becomes a case of trial and error with a sprinkle of risk taking .. I ended up with a tray of bio-catolet and another with sophisticat but he's took to the sophisticat immediately. (now have half a bag of bio-catolet as a door stop) 
The other point to consider is the size of the litter tray, my previous cat was wee, this one is long and I ended up getting one of ernomous proportions so he had space to maneouvre.
Anyway, hope this is food for thought and of some help to you.


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