Potty Problems

by jennifer
(tarkio, missouri, united states)

the cat on the top of the couch is mr dude while the silver tabby at the bottom is tommy.

hello, I have adopted a senior cat from a local no-kill cat shelter. His name's mr dude, he's a sweet mild-mannered cat that just kinda minds his own business. He's about 11 or 12 (the shelter owner guesses as no one is sure of his actual age but he is an old fella) I've had him since april 30th. Recently for some unknown reason, he has began to poop on my extra bed in my back bedroom.

I've got three litter boxes, all of them are pretty decent size as mr dude is a big kitty (not over-weight, he's a healthy weight for his age) his breed is unknown as well. He will pee in his boxes just fine, he'll poop in them every so often but he's got me cleanin the bedding for that back bed atleast tree times a week, and i live all by myself with him and his "younger brother" of seven months, tommy.

tommy isnt a bad cat, he also minds his own. he'll bring his toys to me when he wants to play, so i know its not a territory thing as these two get along like brothers. i've seen tommy wait for mr dude to get out of the litter boxes, tommy never attacks mr dude, he just kinda sits there, waiting with his eyes closed. i keep their litter boxes pretty clean so i'm still trying to figure out why mr dude poops on that bed and what i can do to solve it. if you can help, please do so. thanks!

RESPONSE:

This isn't an easy thing to deal with but when they've decided on a particular spot like the bed in the back room...covering it with plastic for a period of time may help. I've found (during a similar episode with one of my cats) that they don't like the slippery feel of the plastic.

The heavy duty plastic is typically found in fabric stores and sold by the yard. A couple of yards should do it. It can be attached to your bedspread with Velcro. Mr. Dude will probably be unhappy with the texture on his paws and the slippery feel...then opt for another location.

Try putting a litter box nearby so he gets the message and if it's the privacy of the back room that he is seeking, his box will be there.

You are not alone with this problem and I compiled several pages of similar questions that you might want to browse. Cat Inappropriate Elimination Questions Answered. I will probably add your query to this compilation in a week or so.

I wish you success in resolving this problem. If someone gives you a hint that works that is not covered here, please let me know so we can share it with others.