We're having a poop issue

[Silke]

One of the three (I'm *guessing* Jez, but could be Livvy. It's not Pixie, her poops are very solid.) will occasionally poop outside the litter box. There are two. Now, I am cleaning the darn things twice a day, but the bathroom here is tiny and there's no room for another box, let alone two.
I'm back to using wood pellets, because I can't find a similar litter to the one I used in Germany.
However, the poop issue happened in Germany too, on occasion, with the fine litter and 4 litter boxes. So I doubt it's the litter, or the boxes.
I just went downstairs and found a big (runny) poop in the kitchen area, and splats in the bathroom. (Yay, scrubbing floors and the whole place stank of cat poo...)
This does (did) *not* happen every day, nor even every week, but every now and then...there it is.
I'm guessing it's being upset about something and pointing it out with a protest poop, but nothing changed since we've been here.

Any ideas?

 

[kaylachristine]

Would you be able to put another box in your bedroom, or a side closet or something? I’m a new cat guardian but from what I’ve heard, the rule of thumb is +1 box for every cat, so maybe that’s it? That being said, I am very new, so hopefully others have things to chime in!! Hoping you get the issue resolved soon— sounds like no fun cleaning up runny poo!!

 

[Silke]

The entire house is open plan and I reeeeeeealllly don't want a litterbox in the bedroom lol. There are rugs in here, and I'm not going to tempt fate... (The rugs aren't mine, for starters!)
Judging by Jez's silent but deadly farts tonight... it's her who pooped this afternoon. I'm thinking she got into something and upset her stomach and it really was just a case of couldn't make it to the toilet. (Particularly since the "track" led there)
Maybe that's just it, nothing more. It doesn't happen all the time, but it has happened twice this month alone, and once last month. Always on the tile though.
I just don't have room for more litter boxes atm. Once the house is mine, and we move, there can be six of them...just not yet. :/

 

[Toa and Ross]

Sounds like this time it was an accident and Jez couldn't make it on time.

When you move to your own house and can have more litterboxes on different spots it will hopefully not happen again!

 

[Silke]

Well, I've just had another poop on the kitchen floor. That's twice in 3 days.
Only now I suspect Livvy, not Jez, because Jez was asleep next to me pretty much the whole afternoon and Livvy was downstairs.
And I think it was deliberate.
Both litter trays were clean. I only cleaned them about 2 hrs ago.
Not sure what to do about it.

 

[Toa and Ross]

Yikes that's not fun. It's not on the same spot everytime right?
Probably they want to tell you they really need more litterboxes but if you don't have enough room for it now that has to wait.

Don't know what else to do about it. Hope othershave some advice

 

[Catzzzmeow]

I agree, try more boxes. It is a loud message she is not happy ugh.

 

[Silke]

I wish I had the room for them, but I just don't. :/
I really really need that house to complete...soon.

 

[Toa and Ross]

I wish I had the room for them, but I just don't. :/
I really really need that house to complete...soon.

Just thinking: is it possible to make a "litterbox flat"? Putting a litterbox, building something around it and set a litterbox on top? Don't know if it works but maybe you can try?

 

[Silke]

Nope, unfortunately not. It's a tight squeeze with the two, already. One is wedged in next to the toilet, one is in front of the basin. It's a TINY bathroom.

 

[Yoda mom]

I had tight spaces for extra litter boxes

There are great "Litter box hacks" if you google search -

Pretty neat ones too ! I had to get creative in the other house

I bought a good pet stuff hidden litter box thst looks like a planter ( I did not use the moss or vines)

Do you think someone ate something they should not have ?

 

[Silke]

Eating something they shouldn't is hard to do, I lock everything away because Jez will try to eat anything. But always possible they found something that fell down. Or maybe the recipe in the catfood changed -- always possible. Sudden reaction to poultry -- also possible.
At the new house, which hopefully isn't going to be too long now, I am going to have a breeze block removed to fit a cat door, so they can come and go into the annexe, where the litter boxes will be.
There will also be a big sand box in the garden for them, so they don't have to come in all the time to go to the toilet.
But I'm really in two minds about the catio.
On one hand, I like to know where they are, and that they are secure.
On the other hand...

It's like this. All the way around. No house nearby, no road nearby. (Seriously, just a dirt track.)

The fields extend for about a mile beyond the house in every direction.

I feel a little silly locking them into a catio, with all this on the doorstep.

There's always the chicken house!

 

[Silke]

I think I know what might have caused the poop issue.
I have an air freshener in the tiny bathroom, and I'd moved it the other week.
So instead of it being high up, it was on the side of the cat loos, going "PFFT" every now and then -- spraying toward them.
I *think* that's what put them/her off. I've moved it back to where it was, but turned it off for now (in case it's the smell, since I changed the "flavor") and haven't had any poopy issues for a few days.
Will update if it recurs. If not... lesson learned.

 

[Toa and Ross]

Sounds like this can be the cause of the poop accidents. Hope so cause then it's an easy fix!