Cat is leaving suprises where they don't belong

[DoeZ]

Hello all...

My DD recently brought home a "free" kitten...we already have a 3 yr.old dog...14 yr. old cat that never comes out...and a 12 yr. old cat that is a lover. While we took this kitty in with lots of love...we never forgot about our other "children" and made sure that we showed them their share of love as well. At first it was new to all and we heard alot of growling and hissing...but soon they all got used to each other. The little one knows where his food is and litter box is (all the cats share everything) and seems to be doing really well. My problem is Taffy...he's our 12 yr. old lover...he is the one that was doing alot of the growling and hissing...the little one wants to play and sometimes I see the little one playing with him but its a biting like...Taffy only puts up with it for so long before he turns around and either bites the little one or sits on him...but recently I've been finding little suprises left in rooms or behind tables or wherever...I believe this is Taffy because the other cat...Tinker...never comes out...she recently just started coming into the kitchen...she's afraid of everything and everyone...and it's usually my Dog Lily that will tell me about this little suprise...I know it's not the new little one because its too big to be his...LOL...what do I do about this...I don't want my cat thinking he can now leave his little whatevers where ever he wants...he needs to use his litter box like he did before. Any suggestions or advice on any of these things would greatly be appreciated. I am trying to add their pictures...just can't figure out how to shrink them...

[Winston]

Welcome! First of all how many litter boxes do you use? Also has Taffy been to the vet to ensure at 12 there is no medical issue? Usually cats go outside the box to indicate a problem?

Cindy

[DoeZ]

No he hasn't been to the vets...I just think he's doing this out of spite because there's a new little kritter in the house. There's only 1 box.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by DoeZ

No he hasn't been to the vets...I just think he's doing this out of spite because there's a new little kritter in the house. There's only 1 box.

You absolutely need to add at least 2 more litter boxes, preferably in different areas of the house. There is a general rule that there should be 1 box per cat, plus one extra.

Cat's really don't want to poop outside the box, if they are, it's because they feel the have to (and spite is not an emotion they experience). It's likely just very stressful for Taffy to have this new addition in the house (even if the hissing has subsided) and this is how his stress is being expressed. Please read this website for more litter box related info: http://www.catinfo.org/litterbox.htm

Also, at 12 years old, cats should be having annual check-ups with a senior blood panel and urinalysis. If it's been longer than that for Taffy, that would be my next step. Good luck!

[DoeZ]

Is it ok if I add 1 more litter box but put it in the same room...we have their litter box down in the mudroom and we really don't want to have one up in the house...so we were gonna put another one right nixt to the original one.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by DoeZ

Is it ok if I add 1 more litter box but put it in the same room...we have their litter box down in the mudroom and we really don't want to have one up in the house...so we were gonna put another one right nixt to the original one.

Can you at least put it on the other side of the mudroom instead of side-by-side? By the way, how often do you clean the one box you do have? With the addition of the new cat, it could be that you haven't been keeping up with the increased excrement and Taffy just doesn't want to walk on everyone else's poop, which is perfectly understandable (would you?). With 3 cats, you should be cleaning it twice a day at an absolute minimum. I find the reason most people don't want a litter box up in their own living area is because it's stinky, and the reason it's stinky is because they don't clean it out enough. How would you like to be the cat that HAS to go into that stinky box a few times a day? You might just rebel and start pooping somewhere else.

[DoeZ]

Well my DH is the one that cleans it...and he cleans it in the am and again in the pm...As for putting it on the other side of the mudroom...I don't think so because there really is no room.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by DoeZ

Well my DH is the one that cleans it...and he cleans it in the am and again in the pm...As for putting it on the other side of the mudroom...I don't think so because there really is no room.

Ah yes, those darn space issues. Well hopefully one more box will be the answer. Perhaps combined with an extra pooper-scooping per day (maybe convince that DH of yours to scoop after work and again before going to bed) will be all you need. If there are still "presents" being left elsewhere, you might have to look deeper into the issue (vet visit, yet another box, different litters, different food etc.). Let us know what happens!

[clm]

I have 2 litter boxes side by each in one room and another in the basement. My 3 girls all use each one of them, but I have one for each cat regardless.
I'm sure if you put out another box, that'll get your cat using them again.

Cindy

[Love4himies]

I have two covered litter boxes, for two cats side by side and that seems to suffice for them. I have other litter boxes for my foster kittens and their momma (now my adoptee) in a seperate room.

When I have adopted a cat I keep their litter box totally seperate from the other cats for a few months until there is no fear/aggression between them, then I put the adoptee's litter box with the others.

All my cats like one litter box for poo the other for pee.

Your kitty should go to the vet for a full blood work up just to make sure there is nothing healthwise causing this.

[Twinpea]

Do any of your cats seem constipated? At one time, one of my cats started doing his business outside of the litter box and it turned out to be caused by pain due to severe constipation. The vet said that he did his business outside of the litterbox because he (the cat) felt that it was the litterbox that was giving him the pain. It made sense. Anyway, that was the problem. I had to change his food and give him some medication and as soon as his stools became softer, he started going in his litterbox again. There are other health problems that will make a cat leave surprises also so please bring your cat to the vet. It's probably something as simple as that but only the vet can determine which problem your cat might have.

[Dracko]

I have 3 large litterboxes for my 5 cats in the same room in the basement. That seems to do the trick for me.