Why does my cat poo on the floor?

by Leah
(Houma, LA)

My sweet Tillis with his best friend Bella when he was just a kitten.

My cat always poos on the floor. He used to always use his litter box and then one day he just stopped. He pees in his box but he will not poo. Now he isn't pooing on my carpet or in a certain corner or anything. He goes in his litter box then pokes his butt out of the litter box and poops right there on the floor in front of it. Then he will put his tail back in and either pee or just turn around and get out. I could understand if he didn't like pooing when they had pee in it but sometimes there is nothing but litter in it. I don't scrub the box completely clean when I clean it because I know that cats like their scent. I have had cats my whole life and this is the first time that I have a cat like this. I love my little Tillis but it makes me so mad I just want to get ride of him because my house always stinks. It takes forever for the smell of his poo to go away. He could poo in the morning before I go to work and when I get back 9 hours later it still smells. HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!

Answer by Kate
Firstly always thoroughly clean out the litter tray. Cats are very clean animals indeed and although they use their scent to mark territory etc they do not like a smelly litter tray even if it is there own smell.

Try thoroughly cleaning the tray and perhaps you could try some of the litter known as cat attract ( http://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter.html )

Also make sure the litter tray is away from his food area and away from anything the dog may use. It should also be placed in a quiet place where the cat will feel secure.

Try these things first it may simply be a habit he has got into. Make sure the litter tray is large enough too, I once had a cat who would always stand in her tray and wet outside just because she didn't have enough room. perhaps one of the covered ones may also help.