Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

My cat sometimes pees in the litter box but then she sometimes sprays as well (or at least doesn’t squat as much, lifts her tail quivering high and shoots pee out instead of down), she covers both as if she is just peeing. She seems confused about the two actions. She is a confident, healthy (no UTI’s or medical condition — I took her to the vet and had her checked), spayed 5-month-old female. Have you ever heard of this and is there anything I can do? Obviously when she sprays it goes over the side of the litterbox. She did this before being spayed and as well as after.

~ Colleen

Image courtesy of Kingsbrook Animal Hospital blog

Siouxsie: Well, Colleen, in fact we have heard of this, and we think we can help you!

Thomas: This is actually a pretty common problem that cat caretakers have, so rest assured that you’re not alone in your dilemma.

Dahlia: Basically, what you need to do in order to keep the pee in the box instead of all over your walls is to get a larger box with higher sides.

Siouxsie: The vast majority of litterboxes are too small for the cats that use them. As you can see in this picture, a standard-size box works very well for a kitten.

Thomas: But once we start getting bigger, it may not be as comfortable for us to go in a box that small.

Dahlia: The most effective litterbox for a full-size cat is, in fact, a storage tote! The high sides will keep litter from going all over the place when your cat digs — and if your cat is a sprayer or just a cat that doesn’t quite get that you’re supposed to squat until you’re finished doing your business, the pee will stay inside the box rather than on your walls and floor.

Great idea! Cut a hole in the side of a storage tote to make a high-sided box big enough for even the biggest housecat.

Siouxsie: We found some great instructions on how to turn a 25-gallon storage tote into a litterbox. If you use this technique, we’re willing to bet that you’ll never have a problem with your stand-up urinator again!

Thomas: One step they didn’t mention in this DIY guide, which we think is pretty important, is that you should smooth the edges of the hole you cut in the box. Get some fine-grit sandpaper (probably 220 to 240 grit) and gently go over the sharp corners of your new hole. This will prevent any discomfort when kitty enters the box.

Dahlia: These totes come with covers, of course, but we highly recommend leaving the cover off. Most cats prefer not to have covered boxes because they trap the fumes inside.

Siouxsie: Another problem with covered boxes is that some caretakers will forget to clean the box regularly: out of sight, out of mind.

Thomas: For those readers with older cats, check to make sure they’re not having trouble getting into the box through the door cut. If they are, you may have to make the bottom of the entrance door a little bit lower or add a ramp.

Dahlia: And for everything you ever wanted to know about litterbox behavior, kitty litter, product reviews, and much more, we highly recommend The Happy Litterbox. It’s a great site, and even we sometimes go there to get more information on these issues!

Update, Sept. 20, 2o11: Our friend Ingrid King over at The Conscious Cat blog just wrote a review of a new high-sided litterbox called the NVR Miss, which she saw at a cat show, and had a chance to test it. It seems to work quite well, although if you have a bigger cat, you may still want to go with the storage tote solution.

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

Eleven years ago I found two abandoned kittens and took them home. They are both neutered males and have always shared an extra large litter box which I clean twice a day. In the last six months, one of them, Smokie, has stopped pooping in the box. He will crawl in to urinate and then step out to poop five inches from it. I had not changed anything about the box, litter, location of the box, and basic routine when this began. I have tried different litter, an additional box, changing locations and scolding since then and nothing is working. My family is becoming fed up with the issue and I am at loss for a solution. Do you have any suggestions?

~ Josephine

Siouxsie: We think we can help you to cope with Smokie’s pooping issue. But we’re going to start by explaining a few basics about the way cats pee and poop.

The "pee squat"

Thomas: There’s a “pee squat” and a “poop squat.” What we mean is that we take different positions when we pee and poop. The photo to the right shows what a cat looks like when he’s peeing.

Dahlia: As you can see, he’s settled in with his back end very close to the litter, so as to avoid splattering urine on his behind.

Siouxsie: This is a pretty easy and comfortable posture to maintain for however long it takes for a kitty to do his business. It’s almost like our natural sitting posture.

The "poop squat"

Thomas: The “poop squat,” on the other hand, takes a bit more energy. You see that his back is hunched up high and his back legs are set in a serious crouch.

Dahlia: This particular squat helps keep the cat from getting feces on his britches by keeping his bum high above the surface of the litter box (or, in this case, the toilet bowl).

Siouxsie: Because the poop squat requires a lot of strength, it can be hard for  a cat with sore joints or an overweight cat to maintain that posture for the all the time it takes him to do his business.

Thomas: Often, this is why you’ll see an older cat have no problem peeing in the box, but you’ll find his poop on the floor just outside of it.

Dahlia: So, with those things in mind, what’s a cat caretaker to do?

Siouxsie: First of all, try to have some compassion. I have to admit I have an issue with leaving my poop outside the box, too. It’s mostly because, well, I’m not exactly a kitten anymore (I’m 15), and it hurts my hips to maintain that pooping pose — so when I have to poop, I prop my back feet on the edge of the litterbox and leave my front legs on the floor. As you probably know, there are muscles that contract when we do a No. 2. Sometimes those muscle contractions propel my back feet off the edge of the box and onto the floor. And by that time, I can’t stop the poop from coming out … so it ends up on the floor.

Thomas: The second thing we’d suggest is what we tell anyone whose cat has had a behavior change: Take Smokie to the vet to have a checkup and make sure he doesn’t have any other health issues.

Dahlia: If Smokie is obese, work with your vet to put a nutrition plan together to help him get back to a healthy weight.

Siouxsie: And if it turns out that arthritis or other aches and pains may be causing him to be unable to maintain his “poop squat,” try giving him a glucosamine/chondroitin cat treat as a daily supplement. Mama gives me a Hip Action treat every day, and I get to eat it just before supper. It does help my joints feel better, and I love the taste!

Thomas: But even with a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement, your cat may still have issues with poops outside the box. Fear not, though; there are two solutions that will make it easier to clean up.

Dahlia: First of all, some behaviorists and vets advise using a large litter box with very low sides–perhaps even a cookie sheet. You could probably put the cookie sheet with some kitty litter in it right outside the edge of the box where you usually find Smokie’s poop. This would allow him to bury his waste a little and make it easier for you to clean up.

Siouxsie: Another option, which might be helpful if Smokie poops in different locations around the box, is to put a plastic carpet runner under the box. This will catch the waste and, once again, facilitate cleanup.

Thomas: Another benefit of a carpet runner is that it will catch the litter scatter and keep your cats from tracking litter on the floor.

Dahlia: Don’t scold Smokie. Cats don’t respond to scolding, and it only makes them confused and possibly resentful.

Siouxsie: Scolding could also have the unfortunate consequence of making Smokie think it’s bad to use the litter box at all.

Thomas: So, in short: Take him to the vet and make sure all is well; make it easier for him to poop in an appropriate place that’s easier for you to clean — and finally, encourage your family to have some compassion and understanding for Smokie’s changing needs and abilities.

Dahlia: We hope this helps a little. Good luck, Josephine, and please let us know how things turn out!

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

My cat is about 2 years old and recently got outside for a couple of hours (he’s an indoor cat). We found him under the neighbor’s house — there are always other cats going under there, and he sits at the window and watches them. He’s fixed, but a couple of days after we brought him back in the house, he started mating with everything. I know this is common because I have another male cat that does it all the time. But then, about a week later I saw him squatting on the floor and peeing — but not like what he would normally, just small short squirts. I rushed to put a towel under him, but I’m catching him doing it everywhere and now im finding pee spots all over the house. Please help me!

~ Rachelle

Cats typically mark their territory by spraying, as this cat is doing. Even neutered males and female cats can spray when they're stressed about territory. But cats can also mark territory by urinating or defecating. Photo courtesy of purrfectcatbehavior.com

Thomas: When he got outside, he found that all those other cats hanging out by your neighbor’s house are real and that their territory is very close to his. He may even have gotten in a fight with one of them.

Dahlia: Stressed cats often urinate to mark territory and help themselves feel secure in the knowledge that this is their place.

Siouxsie: The good news is that there are things you can do to help your cat feel less anxious.

Thomas: We’d recommend that you start by covering up the windows where your cat looks out to see the other cats in and around his yard. You can do this by putting cardboard in the bottom halves of the windows and moving furniture away from places that make it easy for him to look outside.

Dahlia: It’s not pretty, but you won’t have to do this forever — just until he settles down and stops peeing in the house.

Siouxsie: Next, you’re going to have to find all the pee spots and clean them up with an enzymatic cleaner. We recommend a product called Anti-Icky-Poo. Yes, the name sounds silly, but it really does work better than anything else we’ve found.

Thomas: You can find the urine stains by using a black light, which will cause the spots to glow. Use the enzymatic cleaner according to the directions, and even the faintest odors will disappear.

Dahlia: Whatever you do, don’t use ammonia-based products to clean up cat urine. It only makes the smell stronger.

Siouxsie: You can also try putting some deterrents on the area where your cat likes to pee. Plastic carpet runners placed upside down are uncomfortable but won’t cause injury.

Thomas: Then you’re going to have to de-stress your cat. We’ve successfully used a product called Feliway to solve territorial spraying and peeing problems. Feliway is a product made of synthetic “happy cat” pheromones, and it’s well-enough proven that many veterinarians use it in their cat exam rooms.

Dahlia: We recommend you purchase a diffuser and plug it in where your cat likes to hang out, and a bottle of the spray. Spray the Feliway by the windows and the places where he’s peed. But don’t spray it near his litter box.

Siouxsie: Feliway is available at pet stores, online, and at some veterinarians’ offices.

Thomas: As an extra added bonus, Feliway can also help cats cope with other stressors like moving house, going to the vet, or illnesses of animal friends and the important people in their lives.

Dahlia: Good luck, Rachelle. Please let us know how things turn out.

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I’ve got a problem with my senior cat: she has started walking into the house with poop on her paws. Obviously it’s inconvenient to keep cleaning up, but my main concern is that she’ll end up ingesting it when she cleans herself. I clean it off her as much as I can but I’m not at home all the time.

She’s always pooped outside. I’ve made sure the flower bed that she uses is free of fallen leaves and I’ve loosened the earth to make sure she can bury her waste. I also tried a litter tray so she doesn’t need to go out when it’s raining, but I’ve found that she sometimes buries the poop and sometimes doesn’t. She also does this outside, hence the problem.

I wanted to continue with the litter tray, but because she doesn’t always bury her poop the smell can get quite bad. When I’m at home I just put litter over it, problem solved. However the people with whom I share the house don’t like walking into a very smelly house — which often happens if they come home from work before I do and I haven’t had a chance to clean it up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

~Dave

Siouxsie: It seems to us, Dave, that these issues are probably due to the fact that your cat is getting older. But the good news is, there are some things you can do to help.

Thomas: Although behavior changes can be attributed to aging, you should take your cat to the vet for a checkup, just to rule out any problems with her physical health.

Dahlia: You may want to bring a fecal sample with you to the vet’s office so they can test for worms or other parasites, particularly since she goes outdoors. Also, some parasites can cause feces to smell really horrible!

Siouxsie: Once your cat gets a clean bill of health and you’ve taken care of any parasitic infections she may have, then you need to address other aging-related issues.

Thomas: As cats get older, they can get kind of creaky and suffer from arthritic pain. If this pain is in the hips and knees, it can cause a cat to have trouble holding the “pooping stance.” This can result in pooping outside the box or stepping backward into their own waste.

Dahlia: A daily glucosamine/chondroitin treat can help alleviate some of the aches and pains of arthritis. Siouxsie’s 14, and Mama gives her one just before supper every day.

Siouxsie: And it really does help me feel better. Mama notices the difference in my activity level and my temper if she forgets to give me a treat.

Thomas: If your cat has long hair, you might want to bring her to a groomer and have her trimmed. This could prevent feces from getting stuck in the fur around her feet.

Dahlia: On a side note, don’t worry too much if she cleans the poop off herself. If there’s a lot of it, yes, do clean her up. But very few of us will actually get sick from cleaning up our own poop with our tongues.

Siouxsie: Now, on to the burying issue. Some cats bury their waste, and some don’t. Leaving waste in the open is a territorial marking behavior: it’s a clear signal that this spot belongs to the cat that left the feces sitting there.

Thomas: And then sometimes, especially with older cats, it may just be that they “forget” the proper behavior or they’re too sore to dig and bury their waste.

Dahlia: Some older cats do get senile — it’s called cognitive dysfunction syndrome — which can cause loss of house-training. However, this is usually about pooping outside the box rather than not burying their waste.

Siouxsie: As for the litterbox stink factor, there are some things you can do to moderate the smell of your cat’s feces. As a rule, higher-quality food produces less foul-smelling waste — something we can attest to from personal experience.

Thomas: Changing food can be tricky with senior cats, and you may have to do this gradually. We’d recommend that if you’re going to try changing brands, try getting small packages of dry food or just one or two cans of wet food, so you don’t end up spending a lot of money on food your cat won’t eat.

Dahlia: We’ve got some general tips on changing foods in this column, which might help you through the process. Your vet will also be able to give you some hints on successfully transitioning your cat to a new food.

Siouxsie: You also might consider putting the litter box in the bathroom and leaving the fan on when you’re away from home. The fan will help get the odors out of your house, so that might make your housemates more amenable to the idea of letting your kitty do her business indoors.

Thomas: If you have to move the litter box, you need to do it gradually so that your cat will be able to find the box when she has to use it. If you’ve already gotten rid of the litter box, you won’t have so much difficulty in putting it right in the bathroom.

Dahlia: We know some houses have really small bathrooms and you might not have room to put the litter box in there. If that’s the case, consider putting it in a place where you can keep a window cracked open.

Siouxsie: Good luck, Dave. We hope we’ve been able to help you figure out how to resolve your cat’s issues. Let us know how things turn out!