Anybody good with cats?

[Cashmanimal 0]

My girlfriend of a couple months has a cat, and with the exception to one or two things, it is really actually a joy to have around.

The problem is that one of those things is the cat shitting on the floor. I am almost positive it does it out of jealous rage towards me because the cat used to sleep in the bed, and now I occupy that space the nights I stay there. It only does it after we are in bed, and it always shits on the floor right outside its litter box.

It's a very well trained cat, and actually really likes me. I just think it doesn't like the attention we give each other in what she probably considers to be her space. Even when I was cat-sitting and had the cat with me for a few days, it was fine!

Anybody have cat training experience that will help me convince the cat to top shitting on the floor? Walking into the kitchen and being bombarded with the smell of shit is quickly becoming my least favorite way to start the day.

It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

[mamajumps 0]

My 8 yro tends to do this when she is pissed off (she pee's on stuff)

I have always been a cat person and as far as I know becuase cat's are so independent, there will be no curving this behavior.

My cat was mad because I was keeping her locked in the house. I had just moved and thought that I would make her a strictly indoor cat instead of indoor/outdoor. Well after peeing on my bed several times and once on my boyfriends pants... she won the battle. The second I gave in, her bad behavior stopped.

As much as this bad behavior sucks, it shows a great thought process on for the cat...

good luck....

[peregrinerose 0]

Clean the litter box every night right before you go to bed, that might help. Maybe get a second litter box. Cats are really picky with regard to litter boxes, and you being in her sleep spot might be the stressor that puts her over the edge.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[skymama 37]

I have a cat who used to do that sometimes too. I make sure I scoop the box before bedtime and I sprinkle some stuff on top to help keep it fresh. I used to also put a little bit of food out for the cat in the area that she was going (but not too close to the box). They don't like to poop where they eat. She also got scolded when we'd find the poop in the morning. I'd always know when she did it too, because she'd be hiding from me when I came out in the morning instead of asking for food. I'd think, "the bitch!".

She finally has stopped doing it. I was really worried when we brought a new kitten to the house, but she only did it one time when the box was really full. We scoop twice a day now.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[hungarianchick 0]

Try changing the brand of litter. Cats are very sensitive to smell and texture and can be very picky. Also keep it clean! The behavior is certainly odd, I wouldn't have thought a cat is capable of jealousy...

"I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food."

[tigra 0]

I used to have a cat who would do that when the litter box was not clean enough for him. Sometimes he would do it right in front of us!

Or maybe he is mad that you kicked him out of his bed. My cats sleep on the bed with us, but they aren't allowed on the bed when we're "busy".

[cocheese 0]

Have you seen the "Spanking your cat" thread?

Try that.

[maadmax 0]

Anybody have cat training experience that will help me convince the cat to top shitting on the floor?

[simplyputsi 0]

Drugs would not be the answer here.

Skymama's #2 stalker -

[Cashmanimal 0]

The drugs solution (while incredibly appealing) is probably a little over the top in this situation.

I am hoping since I am still fairly new to her (the cat, that is) that it's just a phase. I think I'll give the fresh litter idea a shot, it seems like the first step here.

It's not like its an everyday thing, but it's just often enough to be irritating, maybe twice a week.

The funny part is we even moved the litterbox, and she still crapped right outside it today... hence my request for help. I also can't help but laugh a little, because I keep putting myself in the cat's position and thinking how hilarious it might be to express my anger by taking a shit right outside the bathroom door every time someone was sitting in my spot on the couch or something. I guess the cat is doing the best she can with what she has to work with.

It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

[LadiDadi 0]

  Quote

medications such as clomipramine or fluoxetine(prozac) or other TCAs or SSRIs usually work like a charm. You can get your Vet to prescribe them. The goal is to change the behavior without tranquilization. Good Luck.

Are you serious?!? Vets really believe that Prozac is indicated for a cat that is grumpy about something and craps on the floor? Wow...

I've spent nearly 15 years working as an animal nutritionist, behaviorist and trainer and one of my favorite sayings is:

"Since cats don't have middle fingers, they can't give you the bird so instead you get a turd." (not my saying, a friend of mine's)

Clean the litter box, like everyone else has said, before going to bed at night. I wouldn't recommend changing cat litter right now since that's too many changes at once - your presence and now new litter - unless it was recently changed then try changing it back. One thing that so many people forget to do when they clean the litter box is to actually clean the actual litter box. Put it in the dishwasher along with whatever you use to scoop the box.

Don't scold the cat unless you catch him/her in the act. That can make the problem worse sometimes - the cat will think that you're mad at the poop being there not mad at the cat for pooping there so instead of not doing it, he/she can become quite clever about where to poop. Places you will not know about until the smell hits you.

I had a cat that would get in the box, dig a hole, get out of the box, poop, get back in and fill in the hole. She wasn't grumpy about much of anything and was a very much go-with-the-flow kind of cat. We just made sure that the litter box was surrounded by blue pads (incontinence pads) for easy clean up.

This isn't an emotional problem, it isn't even really a behavioral problem - the cat is grumpy and is expressing himself. Please don't medicate the cat because he's angry.

If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you.
****************************
Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

[mamajumps 0]

I agree with the no medication route. I have had one cat who had to be medicated, but it was because he is nuerotic (he would lick all the fur off his belly...belly showed no signs of why... and vet couldn't figure it out) The cat lives with my mom now and can literally almost puke on command... if the slightest insy teensy thing is different, he will throw - up. With all that being said tho, he is a very social loving cat....

[popsjumper 2]

Dude! WTH?

Plan A: Get a bigger box!

Plan B: Get a BB gun and snipe it.

Plan C: Sell it to a Chinese restaurant.

Plan D: Take it on a shark fishing vacation.

Plan E: Get a new GF.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[jtnesbitt 0]

-Kill them fast without them seeing it coming: adrenalin spoils the meat
-Use a lot of salt
-Prepare into small cutlets
-Sweet or spicy glazes work nicely
-Breading is good too especially when combined with a glaze. IE: Orange "chicken" (cat)

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[caress 0]

Use the incontinence pads like LadiDadi said. Then you can try this... bring the cat into the space when you clean it up-this way-with the poo on the incontinence pad flip it into the box, then use the cleaning scooper to bury it for the cat-hopefully the cat will watch you, and get the hint- it might work, I am a firm believer that cats are smart and you can show them what you want, and they will get it. If you wake up in the morning with no mess, Praise her, but, leave the continence pad down there for a month to make sure the cat is done with it. (not the dirty one a clean one.)-Just a suggestion-Caress

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being
right.

[pirana 0]

Depends on how you like them done.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[Pokerstar 0]

  Quote

My 8 yro tends to do this when she is pissed off (she pee's on stuff)

...

Aren't kids usually potty trained by this age?

Fortunately, I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug, uh, regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber.
--- The Dude ---

[shropshire 0]

I got a sack and a brick if you want to borrow them

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[simplyputsi 0]

  Quote

I got a sack and a brick if you want to borrow them

Can you give me your height and weight? I need to see if you'll fit in the building's incinerator.

Skymama's #2 stalker -

[SkyjunkySean 0]

I'm great with cats....use just the right amount of a garlic and mm mmm goooood

[shropshire 0]

Grease me up and I'll slip right in....

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Nightingale 0]

Try a bigger catbox, or an enclosed catbox. Most of the time when cat shit ends up right outside the box, it's because the cat is in the box, but the cat's butt is hanging off the end. It may not be intentional.

If that doesn't work, I recommend high potency catnip. Whole Foods is a great place to get it, or you can find it online here. http://www.kookykat.com/catnipbuds.htm Get the cat high on kitty-weed and he won't be so stressed. =)

[hungarianchick 0]

You can also try the Feliway diffuser, which is the syntetic version of a naural cat feromone. It is useful in potentially stressful situations (such as moving, introducing a new cat, baby, etc,) I'm not sure if that cat feels stressed or not but it doesn't hurt to try.

http://www.petco.com/product/10533/Comfort-Zone-Diffuser-with-Feliway-for-Cats.aspx

"I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food."

[coconutmonkey 0]

You didn't address the bed problem for the poor critter. Either steamed or fried rice does nicely, use oyster sauce...

Hearts & Minds
2 to the Heart-
1 to the Mind-
Home of the Coconut Lounge, Spa, & Artillery Range

[AggieDave 6]

I have a problem with one of my beloved cats as well. We can't keep a damned rug in the house, since she'll pee on them. She won't pee on the tile, she'll pee in the corner of one of the carpeted rooms, but only that room (which is my office/study).

We keep the box clean, she doesn't have an infection and we can't get her to stop. We've tried all sorts of stuff like anti-cat sprays on the spots she pees on, but that doesn't work either. We let her outside sometimes, when she wants to go, but she'll come in and pee on stuff while we're sleeping or gone. Every once in a while she'll pee on something with us in the room.

Basically it seems like she's pissed off about something, but we give her a lot of attention, a clean box, dry food, wet (can) food...

The vet suggested some seriously high dollar (that we can buy from him) food that is supposed to change the PH of her system to prevent urinary infections and the such. Everything I've read about that food says its a crock.

Ideas, besides kicking the cat out of the house hold forever? We just want to be able to keep a rug in the living room for more than a couple of months.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."