cat pooing in random place

[kelwaypops]

need suggestions as to why my cat may be suddenly ie once a week, pooing upstairs (2nd floor) instead of in her litter tray which is downstairs (ground floor bathroom). I've bought this spray that is supposed to deter them once it has been cleared up but she still does it although she still uses the litter tray. can't work it out. she seems normal in all other ways. nightmare as i have to clear it up off carpet which makes me want to vomit. it could be because she is being lazy and carn't be arsed to go down two floors?...

Does she have two litter trays? I think the rule is one per cat plus one extra, so she'd need two. Does she have access to the outside? Is it a proper poo or an ill poo? Is the litter box cleaned daily? She might be telling you she doesn't like the litter box location / it's too dirty for her / she isn't feeling great.

thanks for your response. she's 7 and never really had a problem before although the last few years she has done this a few times but lately it's been at least once a week. she has one tray, it's cleaned regularly/poos cleared immediately. she has access to a back garden and sometimes poos there too (no problem). her poo is often loose although this is normal for her (been vet checked lots of times). she is a persian and they have unusually sensitive stomachs. i genuinely can't tell why. she doesn't appear ill/depressed ie no loss of appetite, runs around like a loon a few times a day etc. i guess i will have to take her to the vets which i hate doing for varying reasons plus i have my own health shit going on so could do without any surprises right now

Our cat started doing this recently, he's 4 and never done it before. We took him to the vet and she said sometimes cats can get spooked whilst using litter tray (for example a loud noise, or pain whilst pooing) and it makes them afraid to use the litter tray, so they go somewhere else.
The vet recommended getting a second litter tray and putting it where the cat has been pooing, then eventually removing it. We tried that, and our cat started using the new litter tray. When we removed it he kept pooing on the floor again so we just kept the second litter tray permanently.

thanks for your response. i already thought of that (getting a second litter tray) but the problem is that this new found place to poo has always been somewhere in my daughters bedroom. she is away at uni however when she comes back (as she will) i can't imagine her being happy about sleeping next to a litter tray which i think is quite funny. i will go to the vets and if they insist on a second tray then so be it. it's either that or my dd will have to clear up every time the cat has a shit in her room.....

Most cats prefer two litter trays - one for wee and one for poo.

I would also just shut your DD's bedroom door.

My 5 year old cat's begun doing this. Wees as normal in the litter tray and has taken to a corner behind a chair to poo. Have put a litter tray there but he goes behind this (can't fit the tray in that far). If the doors shut he eventually goes on his other tray but it isn't practical to keep the door permanently shut.

nutmegx do you find the poo hard to clear up? my dd's room stinks now as it is carpeted and harder to clean as thoroughly as if it was on ie a wooden floor. dd is away studying but i doubt she will be very happy when she returns for her christmas break...it stinks in there and i think i will have to get the carpet cleaned properly. i bought some spray for this problem but it doesn't seem to do as it says on the label as the cat keeps returning to the same area. i bought two new trays today, one to replace the one downstairs and one now in her bathroom upstairs. i really hope this stops her pooing on the floor. i also have a vet appointment booked for tomorrow in the hope ie they do some blood test as i worry she may be ill. worrying and frustrating.

mountainsunsets thanks for your response. dh thinks i should shut dd's door but the cat loves going in there as it is a good sunspot in the morning and i haven't got the heart to take that away from her.....also, at a guess if she can't poo in there she may start to poo ie outside her door at the top of the stairs. i'll see if the second tray and new one downstairs make a difference.