Question:
I am at wit's end with Nina. She has started pooping otuside the box again.

Sometimes she goes weeks without incident and then other times she starts going outside the boxes, even when they are spotless!

she used to poop just outside the boxes on the tile but this morning i woke up to her having pooped in 3 different spots between the living room and the den!

i can't even track what is causing this. i have a journal but there is no pattern. she is getting along with the other cats fine and i even see her using the boxes!

i just don't know what to do with her anymore. i have even tried to retrain her and isolate her into a room with her box but she screams bloody murder! even if she only in there for 5 mintues, she is so mad at me that she runs away from me for at least a week!

a few notes:
-we have one box for every cat
-i have both hooded and non-hooded boxes
-i have tried all types and brands of litter
-there are no stressful or life-altering events in her life

i have considered giving her away to make her the only cat in the home, but first, i cannot bear losing her (despite the poop and all) and plus, i can't say that this will stop the behavior.

i refuse to put her outside, plus she would be absolutely miserable. and she NEEDS the other cats and dog. the other day i had 3 of the boys outside while i did some yard work and she howled until they came back in.

someone help me! i took her to the vet and she is fine. he can't figure out what the heck is wrong.

Answer:
Is Nina an old cat? I have had the same issue. We have made a few changes(new litter, more boxes etc) and things were fine until I brought a stray in. But with some cats, as they grow to be really old, they start to go a little senile - so my vet tells me!

I have just learned to put up with it. The poops aren't big nor soft so the clean up isn't hard and it doesn't happen often, once every few weeks or so. Does Nina have long hair? I know with my cat, once in a while her poop dangles from her hair and is trailed out of the box and onto the floor!

Sometimes cats are just very peculiar! I don't know what to suggest to you!

Answer:
I also wonderered if your cat was a senior? Some elderly cats do seem to have lapses in litterbox usage. With no medical or environmental issues present, it seems they "forget" where they were supposed to go. In these cases, I think the chances for a resolution are slim.

It certainly sounds like you have covered all bases. When virtually everything has been ruled out, all alternatives tried, and a pattern cant even be established, you're kind of left at a dead end. Without knowing the problem. how to find a solution?

Your cats are indoor. Could it be "other" cats in your yard or on the street that she is seeing outside, maybe upsetting her? I've heard of this as a cause of litterbox problems.
There are the Feliway plug-in products - a type of cat pheromone which apparently has a calming effect I've not had any personal experience with it myself.
Its used primarily for urinating issues, I believe. I have heard of success with this product, and for both peeing and pooping outside the box. Others had no luck with it at all.
But again - it would depends on the "reason" your cat is doing this.

Good luck to you, I hope you can find a resolution.
At least if its only an occassional lapse, its not as hard to accept this bafffling behaviour.
They are very mysterious at times, cats.. no doubt about it.

Answer:
no, she is not a senior. she is 3.

maybe she is just perpetually angry at me...

we are moving to a new house soon so if i integrate her living space properly, maybe this will alter her behavior at this point. it doesn't seem as though there is any resolution to this as i ahve also now spoken to a cat behavior expert and she is stumped as well.

i assume she is deliberately doing this as she never urinates outside of the box. luckily this bad behavior has not rubbed off onto the other cats.

*sigh* thanks for the help anyway.

Answer: