Litter tray issues

[HilaryBriss]

Hi, I have posted about this before but we are still having issues and I'm getting fed up.

We rescued an 18mth old male cat at the beginning of January. Ever since then, he will not poo in his litter tray. He will wee in it, no problem, but poos right next to it. To save my carpet I started putting one of those puppy training pads down and now he poos in that and folds it over to cover it up!

We have 3 litter trays in various places - the only one he uses is the one in the living room, and I really don't want it there but that is where he was confined when we first got him and it is still there. If I do move it to another room, will he use it do you think?

I have tried various types of litter - clumping, none clumping, scented, non scented etc etc. I remove the puppy pad and he poos on the carpet. I have tried putting the poo into the tray to show him where it goes but nothing works. He did manage to use the tray once last week but that was a one off.

Any ideas? I don't want cat poo on my living room carpet!!

[overnightangel]

Is it one with a roof/lid or an open one? My (4 yr old rescue) wouldn’t use the open one but used the one with the lid on. Litter tray was in the kitchen, if he didn’t use it he’d poo in the corner of the living room Didn’t always work but seemed more likely to use it with the lid on , possibly worth a try?

[HilaryBriss]

Its an open one. I will try a lidded one, at the moment I am prepared to try anything! Thank you,

[overnightangel]

Good luck

[Wereallsquare]

I would not move his preferred litter tray until you can sort out the poo problem. I also had to put up with an unsightly litter tray in the living room with my rescue cat because that was her first room in the house. I tried moving the tray to the next room, but she found it distressing and would not use it until I moved it back.

I don't have any advice for the poo problem, but the vet in the first link below suggests getting a bigger tray, amongst other ideas:

drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/litter-box-misses/

www.thesprucepets.com/cat-pooping-outside-box-554017

Do let us know if you get things solved. Good luck. Do you have a photo of the DCat?

[HilaryBriss]

This is the offender... in one pic he is actually hiding under the puppy pad

I have tried a bigger litter tray, no joy. Today I have moved his tray and put an object across the area where it was, so he can't go there. He has been and sniffed his tray in its new location and I'm pretty sure he has had a wee in it. Fingers crossed and I will see what has happened when I get home later!

[Wereallsquare]

Aw, he's gorgeous! Fingers crossed he uses the tray for number 2!

[overnightangel]

He’s adorable 😍

[Fluffycloudland77]

But look how neatly he sits! Hard to be cross with them for long when their so cute.

[csam]

I had a Bengal cat and for over 10 yrs I had two litter trays side by side! One was 'worlds best cat litter' which she'd use poo in and then a tray with a puppy training pad in which she'd wee in!
If I didn't have the training pad down she'd just wee on the floor next to the litter tray!
It was the easiest option for her fussy habits so we learnt to live with it!
Sorry no words of wisdom 🙈

[HilaryBriss]

csam that is one thing I haven't tried, a litter tray with a puppy pad in it next to the one he wees in.

I caved in earlier and put his tray (and training pad) back in the living room as he looked desperate to go to the toilet but wouldn't go with the tray on the new place.

[undercoveraessedai]

Have you tried two trays with different litter in each one, but next to each other?

Or as pp suggested a tray with a puppy pad in :)

My two both have weird poo issues and I often have to play hunt the poo - they leave them all over the place

[HilaryBriss]

undercoveraessedai yeah, it could be worse, at least mine does it in the same place all the time. I think my OH would probably re-home him if he did what yours do!

[overnightangel]

Looks like your last remaining option will be to move all of your stuff out and fill the house with endless combinations of trays and litter and pads until he decides 😂