Why is my cat pooping and peeing on the floor?

February 07, 2022 by Natasha V. Behavior

Cats are extremely clean animals, who usually don't need you to teach them how to use the litter box because they have already learned it, even more than once you have seen that after evacuating, they cover everything with litter.

However, sometimes, cats poop and pee outside the litter box and we don't understand why.

When a cat urinates outside its litter box, In no case does your cat poop outside the litter box to bother you it may be for reasons such as health, stress, discomfort, displeasure, or because it is marking its territory.

Find out here what can cause your kitty to urinate outside the litter box.

Why is my cat pooping and peeing on the floor?

Sometimes this can happen as an accident if the cat is sick if he is stuck in a room where there is no litter box, or if he is suddenly frightened.

Usually, this is a symptom that something is wrong, it may be a problem in the box, it may be time to neuter it if it is not already, it may be sick, there may be an anxiety problem, etc.

It is best to take him to the veterinarian and rule out possible diseases. Such as constipation, diarrhea, any musculoskeletal disorder, neurological disorder, or senility, which may cause your cat to poop and pee on the floor.

Once the vet indicates that your cat is perfectly healthy you can evaluate the following reasons.

My cat doesn't want to use his litter box.

My cat poops and pees on the floor because he doesn't want to use his litter box. When cats relieve themselves outside their litter box and do so in other parts of the house, it may be because they do not find their litter box comfortable.

Dirty litter box.

As we mentioned before, cats are very clean animals, and we should help them by keeping their litter box in good condition.If you do not remove urine and feces daily or the box smells bad, it is possible that your cat will avoid going in and prefer to do his business somewhere else.

My cat does not like the litter box.

Even if the litter box is clean, he may not like it and may not feel comfortable due to different factors such as the size of the litter box, which must be comfortable and of a suitable size for your feline.

If it is small or has very high edges, he may not feel comfortable there. The box should be large enough for him to turn around in.

Different types of cat litter.

There are different types of cat litter on the market, such as:

• Clay cat litter is the most popular and could be found scented, unscented, clumping or non-clumping. It's an excellent litter for cats, but extremely dusty and your cat will leave pawprints on everything in the house.
• Walnut cat litter is made from the crushed shells of walnuts, so it's renewable, highly absorbent, and good with the cat's paws. You have to stir it frequently to avoid a bad smell.
• Tofu cat litter is dust-free, renewable, easy to scoop and it helps to reduce odors. More expensive than other cat litters and sometimes hard to find.
• Silica gel litter quickly absorbs and holds any moisture it contacts, reducing odor. It's an expensive cat litter and you have to mix it frequently to distribute the cat's urine.
• Diatomaceous earth cat litter works quickly to absorb the cat urine and reduce odors. It's an expensive cat litter and can be hard on some cats’ feet.
• Grass cat litter is renewable and biodegradable, but hard to find in some areas.
• Paper cat litter is good absorbent and non-clumping, but odors can be a problem.
• Corn cat litter is inexpensive, renewable, and easy to scoop out.
• Wheat cat litter is environmentally friendly and made from processed wheat. It helps control odors and can be flushed.
• Pine cat litter has a fresh pined scent and helps mask odors. If you like the smell of Christmas all year long.

Cat's generally like clumping sand-like litter because it keeps the box dry and does not bother their paws. Larger stones or even silica litters are not so good because they get stuck in their pads, make puddles of pee... and some cats dislike scented litters.

Cats don't want to share their litter box: in houses with more than one cat (especially when a new cat has recently arrived), it can happen that one of them doesn't like to share his litter box.

In this case, the solution is to have some extra litter boxes.

Cat litter location.

It may be a place that is difficult to access, or too noisy, such as right next to a door or an appliance that is next to the food or water trough.

Cats like quiet to relieve themselves.

Another basic rule is not to place the tray near the water or food, each thing must have its space.

My cat poops and pees on the floor for other behaviors.

Sexual maturity.

Felines are very territorial, especially unneutered cats tend to mark their territory to delimit their space with olfactory signals. If your cat feels threatened, whether, by another cat, a dog, or other people, it will also mark through urine.

If it has reached 6-8 months of age, it may be marking his territory, and spaying or neutering will put an end to the problem.

What's the difference between urinating and spraying?

When cats are spraying, the amount of pee is small, you will notice that when spraying they will have their tail up, wag their paws and their tail a little, and they will do so at the entrances and exits of the house, doors, and windows, especially on vertical surfaces.

While urinating cats will empty their bladder horizontally and often scratch around the spot where they have urinated as if trying to cover the pee as they do in their litter box.

Stress, anxiety, or fear.

There are many causes that can cause a cat to become anxious, including any change in its environment, moving house, renovations, the arrival of a baby, changes in routines, etc. It is likely that your cat is not getting as much attention as it was used to getting before.

And all of these changes make you anxious, which can cause you to mark territory.

The cat is older.

Older cats can become less mobile, duller, and are often more prone to infections or other illnesses that make the cat unwilling or unable to get to the litter box in time to poop or pee.

How to stop my cat from pooping and peeing on the floor?

• Spay or neuter your cats as soon as possible.
• Choose a litter box and cat litter according to their needs.
• Place their litter box in a quiet place make your cat's routine as pleasant as possible and keep it clean daily.
• If the cat is young, old, or disabled, choose a litter box that is easily accessible and place it where the cat spends time so that it is not difficult for him to get to it.
• If there are several cats in the house, provide more than one litter box. This will prevent competition for its use.
• If anxiety or illness is suspected, consult a veterinarian.

And last but not least, don't punish your cat, even if it is an unpleasant and complicated situation, he is not doing it on purpose or with bad intentions.

In these cases, punishment is ineffective, because your cat will not understand why he is being punished. It is advisable to know our cat, to know what kind of problem he has, and to look for a quick solution.