Why a cat shits anywhere: causes, psychology of cat behavior, methods and ways to wean a pet to shit in the wrong place

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Cats are one of the most beloved pets. Cute, soft and fluffy, they bring a huge amount of positive emotions to the house. But there are situations in which the cat seems to forget that she is one of the cleanest animals on the planet. Everything was just fine, and suddenly the cat began to shit all over the place. What happened? What caused the trouble and what to do about it?

Today you will learn why cats start to shit anywhere and how to deal with such a scourge. You'd be surprised how long the list of reasons can be for a pet to use its owner's slippers or a nook behind the sofa as a toilet.

How to understand why a cat shits anywhere?

Before you can begin to explore ways to overcome bad habits, you need to sort out the causes of inappropriate behavior. Without a clear understanding of the motives, you will not be able to achieve a positive result. All the efforts of the owners will be in vain, and relations inthe house will go wrong.

There is a rather impressive list of reasons why a cat began to shit anywhere. Each animal is different, so owners may have to work hard to solve the problem.

So, you noticed that the cat began to shit all over the place. What to do in this case? Let's figure it out.

Disease

The main and most dangerous reason why an adult cat began to shit anywhere is the disease of the animal. This factor must be eliminated first. So the first thing responsible owners must do is take their pet to the vet.

If a cat shits anywhere, the reason may be hiding in the fact that the animal is trying to attract your attention in this way and asks for help. In the process of emptying the intestines or bladder, the animal may experience discomfort or even pain. In this case, the usual place for "secluded affairs" no longer seems safe to her. The cat transfers its sensations to the tray. The cat will try to urinate in a flower pot, on the corner of the carpet, in the owner's shoes. In general, she will try to find a place where she will not be hurt.

The most common reasons why cats start to shit all over the place are constipation, worms or other parasites. Some ailments can also be the culprit.

Urolithiasis

This disease is accompanied by the formation of uroliths (stones) in the ureters, bladder or directly in the kidneys. When the excretory tract is blocked, the pussy has pain, colic. Urinecomes out drop by drop, it contains impurities of sand or droplets of blood. The main symptoms look like this:

• frequent urination;
• presence of blood or sand in the urine;
• anxiety;
• depression, depression;
• tight painful stomach;
• refusing to drink fluids;
• reduced appetite;
• pain when urinating.

If you do not show your pet to the doctor in time, he can quickly die due to intoxication of the body.

Cystitis

This is the name of the inflammation of the bladder mucosa. The disease can occur due to damage to the mucosa by uroliths, sand, infection in the urinary tract. As with humans, hypothermia is often the cause of cystitis in cats. The symptoms of this disease look like this:

• depressed state;
• signs of anxiety;
• urinary incontinence;
• frequent urination;
• painful urination;
• high temperature;
• presence of mucus and blood in the urine.

This disease is also not worth trying to treat yourself. The cause of the disease and the type of infection can only be correctly determined by a specialist.

Pyometra

A very dangerous disease, one of the varieties of purulent metritis. Most often, already grown animals suffer from them. The main reason is hormonal imbalance. They can provoke illness and accidental mating, improper delivery, mating with sick producers. In that case, inthe uterine cavity of the animal develops inflammation. In addition to the usual decrease in appetite and increased thirst in such cases, the animal may experience the following symptoms:

• frequent urination;
• tight and painful abdomen;
• fever;
• purulent discharge from the uterine cavity.

It is very important not to delay the visit to the doctor. It happens that the disease develops so rapidly that the treatment does not even have time to work.

Problems with the tray itself

Why does a cat shit anywhere if she is perfectly he althy? The reason is quite banal. For example, she does not like the tray itself or the unusual filler. Many companies make similar products. And not all of them care about the quality of the raw materials used. The new litter box is made of cheap low quality plastic and as a result the cat poops everywhere. What to do in this case?

Well, first of all, change the tray. It is better to purchase a more expensive model, but from a trusted manufacturer. Secondly, you should carefully consider the choice of filler. You may have to go through several options until you find one that suits the animal.

Can't understand why a cat shits anywhere? Look into the tray. When was the last time you cleaned there? Cats are clean animals. They won't write where it's dirty. Some pets force owners to clean the tray after each visit.

Or maybe you, on the contrary, are too zealous about cleaning the cattoilet and abuse detergents? Many smells of household chemicals simply scare away animals. If you recently changed your disinfectant, this may also be the reason why the cat began to shit all over the place.

The size of the litter box can also be a problem. Perhaps your pet has just grown up and it has become cramped in the old tray. It will be enough to replace the container with a more spacious one, and everything will work out.

The location of the tray itself may also be a problem. A cat will never do its business in front of a large crowd of people or, for example, in a draft. The tray is best placed in a secluded place, away from the front door or aisle. You can put it in the toilet or in the bathroom, but you need to make sure that the door there is always open. The cat will not go to the toilet where he eats. So keep the litter box away from food and water bowls.

The most shy animals will use a closed toilet, in the form of a house.

Marking the territory

Can't understand why a cat shits anywhere? Look out the window. It is likely that March has come and the cat has gone corny. Despite the fact that man has long domesticated a cat, it still remains a wild creature. Therefore, they continue to communicate with the opposite sex in an animal way, through smells.

During estrus, a cat may start to shit in the corners, unconsciously trying to attract cats with its smell. Males also mark territorythus showing the boundaries of their possessions.

There are several ways to solve the problem:

1. Give the animal what it wants - find a mating partner.
2. Use hormonal drugs to reduce sex drive. They should be selected by a specialist.
3. Once and for all, resolve the issue by castration (sterilization) of the animal. This does not guarantee that the cat will stop shitting in the corners, but it will not mark the territory.

Cat Psychology

It is likely that the subtle psychology of cats is to blame for bad behavior. Why do animals shitting anywhere, which always behaved “decently” and used a strictly defined place for the administration of natural needs?

Think, maybe you offended your furry pet? For example, they strongly scolded, began to pay less attention, rarely ironed or came home from work late. Maybe they hit the cat for a prank or treated him rudely? In this case, it is likely that the pet is simply taking revenge on you. As trite as it sounds, you will have to apologize and build relationships.

Moving into a new apartment is often the cause of inappropriate behavior. The lack of familiar smells and favorite places can be a great stress for the animal. In this case, the owners need to show maximum patience and help the pet get used to the new place. Pay attention to him more often, play the usual games, build a new cozy bed or several shelves. Looking down on the world, pussyfeel more confident.

You can help the fluffy "wind" the new room. Take a dry, clean cloth and wipe the cat well with it. Now wipe the furniture, walls, doors, window sills and floors wherever you can get it with the same cloth. So you will transfer the smell of the animal to the objects, and they will no longer seem so strange and dangerous to him.

Claw removal

Another reason why cats start to shit anywhere, in some cases, is onychectomy - removal of claws. Taking care of the safety of carpets, wallpaper and upholstered furniture, some owners surgically remove claws from the animal. The paws become tender and unprotected.

Kitty just finds it painful to bury hard litter, so she looks for places where she doesn't have to. And, of course, the animal has the right to be offended by the owners for such an execution and take revenge.

What to do? Don't touch the claws. And if this happened, then use the softest and most gentle sand or special diapers for the tray.

Struggle for territory and attention of owners

If a new animal suddenly appears in the apartment, it will be a real stress for the cat. It should not be surprising that the cat crap anywhere. What to do? Try to make friends with them, but you need to do it wisely. You should never scream or hit a cat if it aggressively perceives the “alien”. The animal defends its rights, its territory. It is best to breed pets in different rooms and accustom to communication gradually.

Pet your cat more often, talk to her. Show that you don't love her any less. Get your own bowl, tray, and couch for the new family member. Do not let him occupy the places where the "old" cat liked to lie. Gradually, the animals will get used to each other, and it will be possible to remove the established barriers.

Often a huge shock for a cat is the birth of a baby in the family. This "alien" destroys everything that the cat is used to and that he loved. The owners change the daily routine, give the animal less time. New previously unfamiliar smells appear, restrictions on freedom of movement are often introduced.

To defend their rights and regain lost attention, a cat that used to go to the tray regularly starts to shit in slippers or on the owner's favorite carpet. What to do in this case? You need to gradually accustom your pet to children. You can invite friends with kids to visit. The attention paid to the pet is best distributed among all household members. A cat should not "fixate" solely on the expectant mother.

With the birth of a baby, the cat should be given the opportunity to get to know him. Let the animal sniff the child's things, do not scold for breaking new boundaries. If the pussy crawls into the crib with the baby, arrange a bed next to it. She will be happy to watch such an unusual "kitten", and often protect him.

Age

A sad but common enough reason for an adult cat to poop anywhere is its age. Often this happens with very old animals. It is already difficult for them to fit into the old tray with high sides and they goalong the path of least resistance. If your cat is old and his paws hurt, buy him a new litter box, a lower one, or just put a diaper on the place of the old toilet.

Little kittens can be troublesome too. But here the owners have to endure, encourage and gradually accustom the baby to the desired behavior. It is very important during this period to choose the right tray and filler. Both should please the kitten and be comfortable.

How to stop a cat from shitting anywhere?

First of all, you need to correctly identify the cause of bad behavior and show patience. Harsh methods not only will not bring results, but, on the contrary, can aggravate everything. Here is a list of things to never do when interacting with an animal:

• shout;
• pour water;
• poke your nose into the puddle you just made;
• pull by force to the tray and sit there;
• beat with hand, rag, newspaper, slippers or any other objects.

All these actions will only make the animal angry, and the pet will begin to take revenge on you with tripled strength. It will be much more useful to quickly take the cat to the tray if you see that she is attached to the toilet in the wrong place. After that, it is necessary to reward the animal for the correct behavior.

Here are a few tips to follow so that "toilet cases" do not go beyond the tray:

1. Keep track of your cat's diet. She should not feel hungry or thirsty.
2. Checkpet for the presence of worms and regularly give the appropriate drugs for prevention.
3. Show your pet to the veterinarian at the slightest suspicion of a he alth disorder.
4. Place the pet's litter box in a quiet, secluded area and allow it easy access.
5. Clean the tray as often as possible, preferably after each visit.
6. To wash the cat's "potty", use only mild soap-based products that do not have sharp unpleasant odors.
7. If you decide to change the brand of filler, do it gradually. Mix the new and old composition little by little. Give the cat time to get used to the innovations.

Special drugs

To wean an animal from shitting in the wrong place, you can use special tools that are available in any pet store.

Here is a list of the most popular products with positive user reviews:

• "Crap? No!”.
• Innotek SSSCat.
• Stop-it Cat.
• Antigadin Antipacostin.
• TX-2928 Trixie Fernh altespray.
• Antigadin.
• Hartz Stay OFF spray.
• "Stop-spray".
• Beaphar Katzen Fernh alte Zerstauber.
• Gimpet.

There is another category of drugs. They have the exact opposite effect and attract cats. If your pussy has "forgotten" where to go to the toilet, spray it into the tray, and after a while everything will be fine. The most popular are:

• "Accurate cat".
• "My place?Yes!”.
• Ms. Kiss litter box
• "Toilet training for cats"
• Mr. Fresh.

Opinions, tips and special tools

There are also folk remedies that allow you to discourage a cat's desire to relieve themselves in the wrong place. For these purposes, the following substances are excellent:

• garlic, onion;
• alcohol, iodine;
• cloves, cinnamon;
• cayenne or regular black pepper;
• lavender;
• thyme;
• lemongrass;
• root;
• acetic essence.

Cats have a special dislike for citrus fruits. In places chosen by cats for their "deeds", you can spread the peels of lemons or oranges. According to pet owners, spraying a tincture based on wormwood, garlic and onion skins helps some. The product is collected in a spray bottle and sprayed in the corners, under sofas and behind cabinets.

Some people recommend treating problem areas with bleach. Should not be doing that. Firstly, the unpleasant smell quickly disappears, and secondly, many animals simply adore it. If your cat is one of those, she will only triple her efforts. There are several other, much more effective ways to correct the behavior of the animal:

1. Capture your cat in a small room with a litter box and favorite toys. Release the kitty only during feeding. After she begins to use the tray for its intended purpose, you can begin to briefly release the cat into other rooms.
2. Praise the animal after each visittray. If it's a small kitten, you can play with it right on the scene.
3. Paste the places chosen for the wrong things with double-sided tape. When the cat's bottom sticks to it, the animal will not like it very much.
4. Wash dirty areas thoroughly and place small bowls of food there. Cats don't usually poop where they eat.
5. Wet the napkin in the puddle the cat made, then place it in the tray. This will make it easier for the animal to find the “right” spot.

There are a lot of options for weaning a cat from a bad habit. The main thing is to act systematically, with love and in no case be cruel.