Keeps pooping outside of tray.

[poopsqueak]

Had boycat for 4 years. Been very good with litter tray so far. Nothing has changed.

His litter tray is in an alcove and there isn't anything there apart from the tray (it's an enclosed space).

For about 3 weeks now, he has started pooping outside his tray. It's next to his tray but Far enough for it not to be an accident. It's intentional. He keeps doing it in exactly the same place.

Litter is clean, he is clean etc. Does anyone know why he is doing this? It's super annoying. He can't even cover it up and just stands there impotently scratching around it.

Help.

Have you tried moving the tray so it's in the place he's pooping?

Some cats will start purposefully doing their business outside of the tray when something's wrong - either mentally or physically. Maybe check his tummy and eating patterns, and if he keeps doing it, give the vets a call? X

I will move the tray tonight, should be easy to see if it works as he has been doing every night!

Also will give him a check over, he seems fine but will have a good look and prod!

One of mine has always done this. I've given up trying to solve the problem. Luckily my floors are tiled, so easy to clean. She is a very nervous cat, so maybe that's the reason why she does it, I really don't know. Sorry, not much help to you.

Has he outgrown the litter tray? Maybe he's taken a disliking to the litter?

Our cat does this sometimes and not always beside the tray. Sometimes in different rooms. It seems to be when she has an upset tummy and she doesn't want to make a mess of her tray. Frustrating as she has a cat flap to the garden! It can be psychological though so there might have been something that spooked him while he was pooping. Try a new tray in another location or different litter.

Does he wee in the tray? And is it all his poos that are outside of the tray or just some of them?

So I have been trying a few things. The weird thing is that he is still weeing in the tray, but pooing outside.

I moved his tray. He still pooed outside it!

His tray is clean and fresh. He's very annoying!

Maybe he's now thought that he wants to poo in a separate litter tray. I have friends whose cats prefer two litter trays for the two jobs as strange as it may sound.

One of mine does this when he's cross with me.....sometimes it's obvious what I've done wrong, other times the cat knows I have transgressed, but I can't work out why.

My sister's cat has a pee tray and a poo tray. Give him a second one and see what he does.

Instead of completely cleaning out the tray and using fresh litter, you need to leave some of the soiled litter in there.

Cats are very territorial when using the toilet, and prefer their litter tray to be slightly soiled rather than 100% clean and fresh each time.

Ha ha about the cat knowing your transgression! He's not like that, he's a very doglike cat who is very friendly.

I will try a second tray from now on, we have 2 in the house!

It can be anything from not getting the food in the bowl quickly enough to indignation at the human cushion needing to pee as she's been a human cushion for hours, and just has to go!!! It can be just because he can. Tiled floors here also, so not a problem.

Huge transgressions today - so he pooped in his carrier as we had to take an alternative route to -prison- the cattery