Cat pooing in litter tray ... eeks

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Yes I know but he never has before, just a pee, not sure if other one does a pee, but since changing on to the round crystals it has been great .......... till this week............ so I intend to throw it all out and start afresh, is it the fact that it has not been changed for a while: last month for example I just topped it up with a new bag, so it is quite deep now, and has some that is discoloured from the pee.

 

[Goldenstar]

I change completely litter daily and take out whatever in between , is this not what everyone does ?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

don't you want him using the litter tray?

I dont change litter daily as my cat doesnt use the tray in the summer and rarely in the winter-it doesnt stay there for a month though and is skipped out as and when needed.

 

[Lanky Loll]

They don't usually like it too deep. I used to "skip out" daily with a small top up in required, then change completely weekly.
Thankfully neither of ours use a tray anymore!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

No, its there as an emergency measure really, they go in and out the window, sometimes windows might be closed, but they are supposed to go out immediately after feeding, this has always worked up to now.
This cat has suddenly started coming in from his nightly patroling, and then pooping!!!
I have moved the litter tray out of my bedroom, it is in the bathroom now.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I change completely litter daily and take out whatever in between , is this not what everyone does ?

No I hardly ever have to change it because they only ever peed, up to this last week.
The round crystal absorb all smell, so really no need to change very often.

 

[JillA]

I don't change it completely - they need the smell of it to encourage them to use it. I've got a sort of sieve thing that removes clumps and solid (urgh!) and leaves cleanish litter behind. But my cat rarely uses it now, especially since it is within sight of the dogs!

 

[CBAnglo]

I change completely litter daily and take out whatever in between , is this not what everyone does ?

Yes, this is what we do too; we have 2 cats and one of those jumbo ones with the hoods with the carbon disk. They both use it (they lived in London for the first 18 months of their lives so had never been outside despite being kittens of a stray). Now they are outside all day long and come in to use the toilet. I cant imagine either of them figuring out they could use the flower beds (especially the girl cat - she is a complete princess).

 

[MotherOfChickens]

maybe there is a new cat on the block so he feels insecure going outside? could be any number of things really-is it that big a deal? just get some poo bags and scoop out.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

maybe there is a new cat on the block so he feels insecure going outside? could be any number of things really-is it that big a deal? just get some poo bags and scoop out.

No new cats, this is absolutely new behaviour, very unwelcome as he is BIG cat and the litter tray thing is in my bedroom, he comes in about 2.00 am and POOPS, its very smelly!
I have put it in the bathroom, and he will have to "ask" to use it!, bloody cats!
He has usually got very public toilet arrangements in neighbours flowerbeds.
I am going to "man up" and throw him out the door, and keep windows closed to keep him out until he learns to behave properly. He sleeps on the best places all day, which I only allow because he is nocturnal by nature.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

maybe your neighbours are fed up with your cat dumping in their flower beds and have planted some cat-repelling plants

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

maybe your neighbours are fed up with your cat dumping in their flower beds and have planted some cat-repelling plants

I understand that, but he has a whole acre of woodland to poop in, normally he only poops in neighbours gardens after they have planted nice marigolds, its not the plants, its the fact that it is easy to dig in to. Normal routine is to spend 16 hours a day in the undergrowth of the woodland, poop in neighbours planting and then sleep in my house for 8 hours per day.
I have lots of neighbours, but he always selects the cat hating one. He covers up his poop, so they should not complain ......... its free fertiliser...........

 

[milliepops]

I have lots of neighbours, but he always selects the cat hating one. He covers up his poop, so they should not complain ......... its free fertiliser...........

urgh, i hope that's a joke! working in a garden full of your neighbours cat poo is gross. I hate cats precisely for that reason. Grim!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

urgh, i hope that's a joke! working in a garden full of your neighbours cat poo is gross. I hate cats precisely for that reason. Grim!

No, he has several acres of woodland, and if he pops he covers it up, really its not a problem. I am a gardener, and only very few cats poop on lawns, pooping in soil, , I have never seen as a problem, I have never seen it, maybe in a town there may be a difficulty, be where I am, his poops are mostly in the jungle.

 

[Shady]

i shouldn't laugh but your 'outrage' over your cats pooping is quite funny to read!! however there is nothing more stinky and horrible than a 'turd alert ' in the middle of the night, if he was mine i'd be wondering if something had frightened him in mid poop or that he is getting older and feels safer in his box or he really likes the crystals so change for a bit to something else, the trouble with cats is they develop habits that are difficult to break, i have one that pees in the bath or the shower, i'd suggest taking it away but you have to be careful they then don't get cross and do their stuff on the floor, maybe trial it outside for a bit, not much else i can think of, am assuming he is well in himself? .xxxx

 

[milliepops]

No, he has several acres of woodland, and if he pops he covers it up, really its not a problem. I am a gardener, and only very few cats poop on lawns, pooping in soil, , I have never seen as a problem, I have never seen it, maybe in a town there may be a difficulty, be where I am, his poops are mostly in the jungle.

I see you've edited this now. Not wanting to derail your thread but it really isn't a town v country thing.. my parents live in the sticks and their neighbour's 3 cats all cross the road to poo on their lawn. Minging. They are surrounded by forestry and farmland, but the lawn is like a magnet.I lived in a town when it was a problem for me, and mine was the only 'tended' garden so I got the whole blooming lot. Sorry, your apparent lack of concern really pressed my buttons. Hopefully it's not an issue, as you say.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Ours just gets skipped out after each poop then a full wash and change about once or twice a week depending on smelliness from the wee, we don't skip out the week as they have catsan and taking out the wee churns it up so that just gets taken out on the full clean.

 

[Clodagh]

Cat pooing in neighbours garden is not funny, it is gross and if the law wasn't a complete ass about cats you should and would be liable - in my dreams.
On the litter tray issue, well done to anyone that can do it. Cat food stinks and cat poo is unspeakable, I had to look after a friends cat while she was in hospital, I wouldn't have one as a 'pet' for love nor money. They make humans look well adjusted! Good luck getting him to go in the bathroom.

 

[SpringArising]

No, he has several acres of woodland, and if he pops he covers it up, really its not a problem.

Normal routine is to spend 16 hours a day in the undergrowth of the woodland, poop in neighbours planting and then sleep in my house for 8 hours per day.
I have lots of neighbours, but he always selects the cat hating one. He covers up his poop, so they should not complain

Sorry but that would be a huge problem for me. There is honestly nothing more vile than cat crap. If my neighbour's cat was constantly doing it in my garden I would be knocking on his door every single time I find it and getting him to clear it up. If the cat didn't stop I would let the dog out as soon as I saw it coming.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

No worries folks, in all the years I have had him, I have only ever seen one public pooping, and there is no reason to think he uses this spot regularly, else cat-averse neighbour would be knocking on my door, [or worse], she is a real nutter.
Note: I see numerous dogs every day outside on the public area which neighbours use as a toilet for their numerous dogs, and they may pretend to de-poop, but the evidence proves otherwise.
Update: he has just come in from his late evening patrol, seems OK about change of arrangements, so far, so good. I might cut back on wet food just the same.

 

[chestnut cob]

Sorry but that would be a huge problem for me. There is honestly nothing more vile than cat crap. If my neighbour's cat was constantly doing it in my garden I would be knocking on his door every single time I find it and getting him to clear it up. If the cat didn't stop I would let the dog out as soon as I saw it coming.

My Dad does this (demands neighbour cleans up) as he has a big issue with his neighbour's cat cr@pping all over his lawn. I hate it - imagine if dog owners allowed their dogs to go to the toilet all over neighbour's gardens then said "oh it's just dog poo". Grr.. I hate it. Our neighbour's cat occasionally does it on our garden, it truly foul. I know which cat it is so I put it on his lawn now. Thankfully their cat and ours (who is mostly, by choice, an indoor but goes out when whether is nice) have had a couple of set-to's which have resulted in no other cats ever coming into our garden since!

To the OP's questions: IME cats are funny things and will just randomly decide they do or don't like something. Sounds like he's just decided he'd rather go indoors. No point in really worrying as by the time you've figured out what to do next, he'll have changed his mind again and started going outside.
Ours only uses the litter tray, even if she's outside all day and eve, she comes in to use it. We skip out poo and wee as often as needed (several times a day if we're in, or as soon as we get home if not), top up daily then empty completely and sanitise the tray every weekend.

 

[StoptheCavalry]

I really disagree about cats and pooing in flower beds not being a problem.. I have a raised flower bed on my drive which neighbours cats regularly use as a toilet. The flower bed needs weeding and replanting but I am putting it off as I am pregnant and cat poo can be toxic and cause toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. Don't really see how it is fair that my neighbour choosing to have 7ish cats means I shouldn't be able to keep my garden tidy. Burying it is irrelevant if not worse as you don't know to avoid it. This actually enrages me, I wouldn't take seven dogs to poo on their garden, maybe burying some as a nice surprise when they want to do a bit of gardening and expect no come back.

 

[hackneylass2]

Cats will decide to 'go' where they want to. I think it could be a territorial thing if he's not poo'd in the litter tray before, maybe when he feels he's more secure he will go back to his old ways. Maybe another cat is patrolling close to your house and he feels he is the undercat?

On the subject of cats cr*pping in neighbours' gardens, that's another reason why my cats are indoor/outside on leashes cats. I do not want my much loved cats being run over and I don't want to incurr my neighbours' wrath if my cats are cr*apping in their gardens. It's not nice to discover cat turds in your garden, I love my garden and do find the odd buried foul nugget! But I don't blame the cats. If I was bothered by cat cr*p in my garden that much I would tell the neighbour if I knew for certain which cat was the culprit but as for letting a dog out? FGS it's the owner not the cat, I can't believe an animal lover would do that!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Update, the old litter was thrown out, replaced with fresh crystals [not deep] and moved in to bathroom, he has not crapped since then so the habit is broken.
There is only one other [male] cat locally, and the dynamics have not changed recently.
For those who are concerned, there are no lawns here abouts, and I am pretty sure he goes in the jungle, I got cats because I need pets to keep me company, they soon made it obvious that they did not want to live indoors all the time, so they are mainly outdoor cats.
I was worried about them being run over, obviously, but it is pretty quiet here, and they have been fine.