11 Guaranteed Tips to cats pooping in unwanted places and clothes and for scratching also
I need some help, my friends cat Toby has been acting out lately and we don’t know what to do. If we can’t figure out why he’s going to be rehomed. He’s been pooping on my friends clothes if they’ve been left on the floor and they’re soft poops. He’s also been shredding and attacking the furniture. I suggested taking him to the vet but they do not have the money. Any advice?
1- Try new litter or clean the little more get scratching posts. Maybe even keep clothes off the floor and where he can't get to them.
2- Have they tried kenneling him like @ night when they can’t watch him? Have they taken him outside for walks?
Is he neutered?
Has there recently been a change in housing, new ppl in the house/did someone leave the house?
Often times going potty some where besides the box is a sign of stress or a health problem.
Have they tried multiple litter boxes? Some kitties like to poop in one & pee in a separate one.
3- If They moved fairly recently? He could be experiencing stress from that. Can he see other cats or dogs from the windows? Is he getting enough play time? He sounds like he's really stressed out. A Feliway diffuser could potentially help with that.
You can try 2 boxes... sometimes even 2 different litters will be preferred also. The change in home could be stressing him out as well. He could be smelling past kitties that have lived in the home (even if it’s clean) and trying to mark territories. If his poops are recently runny (like they were solid before) he could have a parasite or and intestinal problem. A probiotic might make a difference & solidify the poop...
4- This might be caused by Changes in food or litter...Try going back to the first food.
5- He could have an allergy to something in his food or environment. Try changing his food - limited ingredient diets are a good start. Just make sure to be slow to transition otherwise it can aggravate the issues (soft poops and vomiting). Also check the ingredients in his current food and try focusing on the protein source as your first stop to adjust (ex: switch from chicken to salmon).
6- Cats checking their nails once per week and clipping any that have grown long and sharp stops that almost completely. If you also make sure to play with them for at least 30 minutes a day with their various cat toys (more if you have the time) and provide scratching posts and other things for them to do all day that keeps them less bored as well and cuts down that kind of behaviour. As far as the poop goes, that could be stress or health related so a vet trip might be needed to figure that out. Make sure the litter box is scooped daily and that he had a second one to start. If they are still having a problem hes probably going to need a vet.
Hide or report thi
7- for scratching i recommend a certain style cat scratcher lounge, and that you must add a bit of catnip to the cat scratcher to attract kitty, and pet / praise her for proper use. The cat will use the cardboard lounge and stopp going at the furniture after 2 years of issue. Just saying, it’s human responsibility to find out what kitty needs, and train her....
As for poo, she is either stressed and covering up a scent she doesn’t like, marking a territory, or had a diet issue like gluten problem or allergies . They should slowly change food to grain free and change brands and see .... and maybe change litter and add an extra litter box.
How much do they change / clean litter, because of less than 2-3 times daily one box is hardly enough.
Cat noses are 10x better than ours. Imagine a used outhouse that doesn’t flush.... that’s what our cats use daily. You wouldn’t enjoy your toilet if only flushed once per day 🤣, so walk in your friend’s kitty shoes and ensure that kitty has enough choice, that he doesn’t want to use their blankets instead. .... just ideas for detective work, I hope they figure out how to help their cat...
8- Maybe try a calming collar if he doesn't already have one, and/or a pheromone diffuser for the house to help the destroying of stuff. Also, for the pooping, make sure his litter box is well cleaned. Some cats are very picky. I had a Siamese that would poop right next to her box if it wasn't scooped to her liking. When we moved, she started popping in other places. Show him the litter box frequently and what I have always done when a cat has peed or pooped somewhere, I rub their nose in it and put them right into the litter box after. You may also need to change his type of litter, there may be something about the kind of litter that he doesn't like, texture,smell,if it's scented etc...keep trying, some cats can be difficult to train. & some are just a lil more difficult in general with things. If things don't end up working with him, please take some time to find him a good home before just taking him to a shelter, or try to find a no kill shelter. I'd hate to see him put down if not given a home.
9- Cat behavior usually has a root as to what has caused them to do what they’re doing. Has his food been changed (in regards to the soft stool)? Cats stool should be more solid. It could be that he’s having a reaction to the food he’s eating? Cats can develop allergies over time. Perhaps try a limited ingredient diet (do a slow transition with food, slowly mixing the new food in with the old, otherwise he’ll throw it up or have a reaction). The behavior could be he’s bored and needs some more engaging activities (play with him, run off some energy, something to refocus him). He may also be smelling new animals in his area (cats have territories and if a new car or animal is near his territory can also cause him to act out/change behavior).
10- adding another litter box and blocking off his preferred peeing spot has seemingly will fix our issues.
11- This is a behavioral and possibly a health problem. Males tend to have issues peeing out of the box from Crystal in their urine. It could be the same with the pooping. Also try one of those calming collars.
