The #1 Reason Cat Parents Should Be Concerned If Their Kitty Poops Outside the Litter Box
Behind a cat pooping outside of the litter box, there is often a cat parent going through a vast array of emotions. The emotional rollercoaster ride may range from shock to sorrow, with several pit stops in between, bordering confusion and outright attacks of “poop-prehension.”
If you have been going through this personally, my thoughts are with you. When I discovered my cat’s first stray poop, the emotions ran as high as the pile of paper towels I desperately grabbed to clean it up with.
At first, it was denial. “Surely, that must be a raisin, or maybe it’s just a Tootsie Roll … oh no, nope, it’s poop.” Then it was a concern: “Oh no, is my kitty sick? Stressed out?” Then I got a second of frustration: “But why? The litter box is right there!”
Finally, as I rolled up my sleeves, I vowed to “fix this once and for all,” with the determination of a part-time janitor, part-time pet detective ready to solve a cold case—cold, in this case, because that rogue “Tootsie roll” happened to be there longer than I wanted to admit.
So the big question is, why do cats poop outside of the litter box? Aren’t cats fastidiously clean creatures who groom themselves for hours and smell like baby powder? My cat really did smell like that, by the way!
Related: Why Is My Cat Peeing in My Bed?
What’s Up With Cats Pooping Outside of the Litter Box?
Quick reality check: Your cat isn’t depositing his surprise packages to get back at you. Forget the whole idea of revenge pooping, there’s no such thing as poop payback in the feline (or canine) world. Rather than trying to be jerks, cats who happen to miss the litter box are waving a flag of distress. They’re trying to let you know that something in their world is ultimately not right.
With this clarification, let’s look at some down-to-earth reasons why cats may miss the box and engage in “feline inappropriate defecation.”
Medical Problems
When it comes to medical problems associated with the cat’s digestive system, we must consider conditions that may cause cats to develop soft stools/diarrhea and conditions that may cause hard and dry stools.
Soft Stools
In the case of soft stools/diarrhea, there is a great sense of urgency which can lead to struggles in “holding it.” Soft stools or diarrhea are often seen in cases of dietary problems, parasites, and colitis (inflammation of the colon).
Now, here is some encouraging news about messy poops given by a professional who has made pet behavior problems their area of specialty:
“A large percentage of cats that I see with inappropriate defecation have elimination issues related to chronic or intermittent diarrhea of various etiologies. In many cases when this underlying disease is controlled, the fecal house soiling resolves spontaneously,” explains board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Lore I. Haug, on DVM360.
Hard Stools
On the other paw are conditions associated with dry, hard stools, leading to straining and pain. This can be the case with cats who are not drinking enough or cats with kidney issues who become constipated, since their kidneys don’t retain enough water to help soften their stools.
These hard and dry stools are painful to pass, causing the cat to associate the pain with the litter box—much like blaming your shoes for a stubbed toe.
Any other painful conditions, such as arthritis, impacted anal glands, matted fur, and tail injuries, can cause cats to associate the litter box with pain, since these body parts may hurt as cats assume the position to defecate. Damage to the cat’s spinal cord or weakened nerve function may instead lead to fecal incontinence.
Senior cats suffering from cognitive decline may also start house soiling due to the disorientation they experience.
Related: Tips for Home Care for Your Vomiting Cat When You Can't Visit the Vet
Photo by Noemie Roussel, Unsplash
Problems With the Litter Box
If cats are fastidiously clean, then why are they pooping out of the box? Doesn’t this go against their school of thought? Actually, it’s the other way around. Some cats are so clean that they’re borderline obsessive creatures who will “go on strike” if their litter box doesn’t meet their standards.
Who can blame them though? How would it feel for you to walk in a smelly public toilet with no shoes on? Cats deserve credit for not wanting to enter a dirty litter box.
Sometimes, the issue is not a matter of cleanliness. The litter box may look, feel, or smell different if you have made recent changes to it, such as adding liners, scented litter, or a cover in hopes of giving your cat more privacy.
We must also consider location. If the litter box is located in a busy area where there’s lots of coming and going, loud noises, and unfamiliar smells, this can be off-putting to a creature who cherishes peace and quiet and sticking to their routines. Nobody likes to poop in the middle of Times Square!
Feline Stress
While cats don’t have to worry about paying bills or meeting deadlines, they are creatures of habit that can be sensitive to any changes to their routines, which may trigger them to feel stressed.
Abrupt changes to their lives, such as the arrival of guests, a new spouse, a new baby, changes to the pet parents' work schedules, or even the arrival of a new vase or the rearrangement of furniture, can trigger stress and its dreaded stress-related peeing and pooping.
Cats, like dogs, may also develop separation-related distress that can cause house soiling when their pet parents are out of the home.
Multi-Cat Households
If your cat shares the home with other cats, and these other cats tend to bully him, such as by blocking his access to the litter box, this may lead to regressions in their “litter box training.” Life with other cats can sometimes get stressful!
Speaking of stress pooping—here is the story of a kitten who “adopted us.” We also had an intact male cat dropping by for some food. This intact male perceived the kitten as a competitor and would chase him away. This poor little fellow was so frightened that he would literally poop his pants (and emptied his anal glands too)!
In multi-cat households, it can be difficult to find out which cat is making messes. The solution for this is to place cameras to capture which cat is the “troublemaker.” The goal here is not to play the blame game but to identify which cat needs help.
Alternatively, here’s a trick of the trade that we often suggested to multi-cat owners when I was working for a vet’s office: You can feed your cats some shavings from non-toxic crayons mixed with their food, with each cat fed a different color. The crayon shavings will pass through and show up in the stool, helping you identify the pooper. Color Me Mine just “litter-ally” got a new creative twist!
Happy Pooping: Is There Such a Thing?
I witnessed this form of pooping one day when we left our cats with a pet sitter while we traveled with our dogs across the country. Upon our return, I couldn’t believe the reaction of my female cat—she was so happy!
She was purring and rubbing herself against our legs and then climbed on the bed to rub her face against our dogs. Then, out of nowhere, as she was doing her happy dance, she pooped on my pillow. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
In the past, this may have been mistakenly perceived as a case of cat “revenge pooping,” basically, the cat “getting back at you” for being left out from the trip, but what was likely happening in this case is that her pooping was an expression of eustress—an emotional release triggered by excitement or overstimulation.
Can Cats “Mark” With Their Poop?
While cats often mark their territory with urine, they rarely do so with feces. The technical term for this is “middening,” and it typically consists of cats defecating in common areas to make a statement about territory or leave a message for other cats, explains Carlo Siracusa, a board-certified veterinarian, in the book Decoding Your Cat.
Related: Why Is My Cat Having Trouble Pooping?
Photo by Oleg Opyschko, modified via Canva
Tips to Help Cats Poop in the Litter Box Again
Helping a cat start using the litter box again is crucial. Left untreated, house soiling can quickly become an ingrained habit. Studies have found that feline house soiling (urination or defecation outside the litter box) ranked as one of the most common reasons cats are relinquished to shelters.
1. Rule Out Medical Conditions
As mentioned, several medical conditions causing cats discomfort at the gastrointestinal level are known to increase their urgency to defecate. Painful conditions impacting the cat’s joints, spine, and tail may also predispose to house soiling.
In a 2023 study involving Italian cats, cats suffering from medical issues, such as gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal disorders, were found to be more than twice as likely to poop outside of the litter box compared to healthy cats.
It is, therefore, crucial to rule out medical causes, especially considering that cats may come to develop preferences for other areas to use as their “bathroom,” which may be challenging to solve once there is an established learning history.
2. Record Your Cat’s Behavior
It may be difficult at times to get to the bottom of what is causing feline house soiling. Cats may have sneaky bathroom habits, and it can be difficult to catch them in the act. A recording can provide valuable information.
When working for a vet, one of our clients reported to have watched a recording of her cat. The recording revealed that right after defecating, her cat would race from the litter box after using it. He would sometimes vocalize.
Her promptness in scheduling a vet visit likely prevented the behavior from getting worse, considering that the cat was showing signs of dyschezia—that is, painful defecation.
3. Add an Additional Litter Box (or Two)
Some cats dislike peeing in the same box they poop in. Adding an additional litter box gives cats the option of peeing in one and pooping in another—or at least they can pick another box if, for some reason, they’re not entirely happy with one.
In multi-cat households, adhere to the “number of cats +1 rule.” Provide an extra litter box beyond the total number of cats in the home. For example, if you have two cats, provide at least three litter boxes, and place them in at least two different locations.
4. Offer a Litter Box “Cafeteria”
Variety is the spice of life! Offering several types of litter boxes with different traits and different litters all in one location may help establish whether the cat has a preference for one litter box over another.
Some cats may find the use of large storage tubs preferable to regular commercial litter boxes. Placing some litter boxes in different locations can also be helpful in determining what locations the cat prefers.
5. Avoid Scents
In other words, no scented litter and no strong-smelling cleaners or disinfectants to clean litter boxes. Just stick to water and a bit of liquid dish soap.
While cats have high standards of cleanliness, they struggle to tolerate certain scents. This can be exacerbated by the use of covered litter boxes, which may trap the smells inside.
6. Clean Messes Properly
Any soiled items, such as rugs, blankets, or sheets, should be discarded. Alternatively, they should be treated with odor neutralizers like Nature’s Miracle. Angry Orange is an enzyme-based cleaner that may further act like a repellent, considering that most cats have a natural dislike for citrus-based scents.
7. Change Preferences
If your cat is always defecating in a particular spot, he may have developed a substrate preference for that spot. In these cases, it may help to block access to that spot by closing the door or using a baby gate.
Another option is to place a clean litter box in that area or totally change the function of that area by placing the cat’s toys, food, and water bowl there (cats normally don’t soil the areas where they eat, play, drink).
8. Try Cat Attract Litter
Developed by a veterinarian, this special litter was designed with cats soiling outside of the litter box in mind. It’s made of 100% bentonite clay for maximum clumping and is blended with a natural herb attractant. Cat Attract has a texture that is designed to “please the cat’s paws.” There is a line of litter specifically designed for kittens starting at 8 weeks old.
Related: 8 Main Reasons Why Your Cat Is Bloated (And What to Do About It)
Photo by Piotr Musiol, Unsplash
9. Reduce Stress
Finding the causes of your cat’s stress and addressing them is important for lowering the stress. For example, if a cat is pooping outside of the litter box because of conflict with other household cats or over space being unequally shared, then the cats should be temporarily separated, and behavior modification to reintroduce the cats should be implemented.
Treats and play can help form positive associations with the other cat’s presence. In between sessions, the cats should be kept separated to prevent one cat from intimidating the other. Calming aids may help through the process.
There are various calming aids for cats on the market nowadays. Pheromone diffusers such as Feliway can help, and there is now a variation specifically tailored for multicat households.
Calming supplements such as Zylkene, Composure, and Solliquin may also be helpful. Consult with your vet for specific recommendations. For challenging cases, your vet may prescribe prescription meds to help your cat out.
10. Avoid Punishment
As frustrating as it may feel to catch a cat pooping in the wrong spot, any form of punishment can backfire. Even verbal reprimands or picking up the cat to place him in the litter box may trigger stress, exacerbating the problem.
11. Consult With a Professional
For challenging cases, consult with a behavior professional. A board-certified veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) or certified applied animal behaviorist (CAAB) can develop a personalized treatment plan to help your feline friend regain their litter box habits.
There are also board-certified feline specialists (Diplomates of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Feline Specialty—DABVP Feline). These are veterinarians who focus exclusively on feline health, behavior, and care.
Related: My Cat Throws Up After Eating ... Could It Be Anxiety?
Infographic by Adrienne Farricelli, Canva
Something to Rule Out
Something important to rule out is the phenomenon of cats with the good intent to poop into their litter box, but their poop is “not collaborating.” In other words, the cat may be aiming for the litter box, but the poop ends up accidentally dropping outside of it for one reason or another.
This can be the case with a large cat and a small litter box, or long-haired cats who end up dropping “poop balls” (ah, the joy of cat dingleberries!) around the house because their feces sticks to their fur and then drops off at some point.
These cases should not be categorized as real house-soiling behaviors.
What’s the Ideal Litter Box?
Ideally, the perfect litter box should be quite large and simple without plastic liners (unless the cat tolerates them well) or sophisticated features such as robots or mechanical cleaners.
As a general rule of thumb, look for a litter box that is 1.5 times the length of your cat, measured from nose to the base of the tail, suggests board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Christine D. Calder.
The box should be located in a quiet area away from appliances, furnaces or any other noise-generating machines. It should be a quiet area that allows the cat to feel safe. No pets should bother or block access to the litter box.
When it comes to choice of litter, it should appeal to the cat, not to us. Scented litters should be avoided. Gifting domestic cats with an experience similar to what their desert ancestors enjoyed may help them become more collaborative.
The litter should be fine and sand-like, with clumping properties for easier clean-up and to help maintain a litter box that aligns with the cat’s hygienic preferences. Just 2 to 3 inches of litter will suffice.
Most of all, the litter box should be clean. Aim for scooping waste once or, ideally, twice a day and changing the litter frequently. Studies show that the physical presence of urine and feces in the litter box acts as a significant deterrent for reuse.
Cats are clean creatures with a history of living in open spaces where they could move freely and pick the perfect potty spot. Instead, after being domesticated (or semi-domesticated, shall we say?), we have forced them to depend on a single spot for eliminating waste. Who wants to use an overflowing porta-potty?
Related: Why Did My Cat's Personality Suddenly Change?
References
Wright JC, Amoss RT. Prevalence of house soiling and aggression in kittens during the first year after adoption from a humane society. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2004 Jun
Patronek GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, McCabe GP, Ecker C. Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1996 Aug 1
Padalino, Barbara & Zappaterra, Martina & Felici, Martina & Ricci-Bonot, Claire & Nanni Costa, Leonardo & Houpt, Katherine & Tateo, Alessandra. (2023). Factors associated with house-soiling in Italian cats. Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery.
Bernstein PL, Strack M. A game of cat and house: spatial patterns and behavior of 14 domestic cats (Felis catus) in the home. Anthrozoös. 1996
Borchelt PL. Cat elimination behavior problems. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 1991
Veterinary Information Network: Choosing the Right Litter Box For Your Cat
Decoding Your Cat: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Cat Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones Hardcover – July 21, 2020 by American College of Veterinary Behavior
Feline Inappropriate Elimination: DVM360
Disclaimer: Dog training and behavior modification, particularly for challenges involving potential aggression (e.g., lunging, barking, growling, snapping, or biting), require in-person guidance from a qualified behavior professional. Online articles are for educational purposes only and do not replace personalized, professional intervention.
By using this information, you accept full responsibility for your dog’s actions and waive any liability claims related to their behavior. If your dog shows concerning behaviors, seek professional help immediately to ensure safety and proper care.
