Current Events > Now our kitten started going to the bathroom under the couch

(+) Yeah! (+)

Ugh. She's like 7 or 8 months old now, had zero litter box issues up until this week and then last night we smelled something and pulled the couch out and she had left droppings there.

And then this morning it was droppings and urine (a lot).

Thinking of setting up a second litter box since the main one gets full pretty fast but idk if that'll help

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Oh wow is it separation anxiety

Was her litter box dirty? Some cats wont use them if theyre full of poop/pee.

Couldve also just been an accident or she was trying to send a message.

Get a second litter box. Also you might try adding a bit more privacy to the boxes. She might go under the couch because she can't be seen there.

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Get her checked for a infection as well

Cats are VERY picky about their litter box. My cat is an adult but whenever I clean his box or even get him a new box with new litter, if he doesnt like the smell hell poop on the floor a few times until the new box smell is acceptable.

^all of that is great advice - sometimes cats act out and thats why youll see a change in routine

second box would probably help out a lot

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Move the litter box under the couch. Problem solved.
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soulunison2 posted...

Oh wow is it separation anxiety

I don't know we adopted her several months ago and she has been using the litter box responsibly since day 1, not sure what anxiety she would be feeling there.

But she does get harassed by one of the older cats so we think maybe she is going there since... well, she already hangs out under the couch periodically since it's like a safe space for her. And the harassment has gotten worse the past couple weeks.

Bumjuice001 posted...

Was her litter box dirty? Some cats wont use them if theyre full of poop/pee.

Couldve also just been an accident or she was trying to send a message.

Was thinking it's a full box but I don't know, I try to keep it clean and there have been times where I went to clean it and she came up and used it just fine, like she had been waiting -_-. I know that's not good either.

None of our other cats have ever done anything like this. Well, the one cat did go a little native at one point when we started letting her hang out outside, and she started using the house plants as a litter box, but we put a stop to that. The kitten also discovered houseplants on her own but we took those out of reach a couple months ago so she can only use the litter box.

For a "private" litter box would a covered one be fine? Never owned one of those before so I don't even know how you clean it (I imagine you pop the top off >_>). Any recommendations would be welcome. I've also seen the ones that are hidden inside planters or little pieces of furniture, wonder if those are any good.

JlM posted...

Move the litter box under the couch. Problem solved.

ngl I am really tired this morning and I had that thought a few times -_-

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How many cats do you have and how many litterboxes?

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3 cats, 1 litterbox, I realize we definitely need another (and actually we do, just need to fill it with litter).

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Hexenherz posted...

3 cats, 1 litterbox, I realize we definitely need another (and actually we do, just need to fill it with litter).

They say 1:1 is best, mostly because some cats need to territorially mark their own section or they'll start trying to mark other places if they can't claim a spot

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This house is terrible for litter boxes so idk where we would put a third one even lol. Are they fine next to one another?

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2 cats can share the same toilet if they are bonded but if you have more than that and they're "roommates", then yeah, 1 box per cat is necessary and yeah they can be next to each other like a public bathroom lol

Try that first before thinking about underlying health issues.

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Because you got kibble instead of the wet stuff or fish obviously.

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There are also a lot of ways to pretty up or hide a litter box if that is the issue.

But yeah each cat wants its own bathroom.

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I would also recommend looking into one of those litter boxes that has a dome like cover on it. Helps nervous cats feel a little more secure going in it.

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Three cats to one litter box is not enough. At all.
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Corrupt_Power posted...

Three cats to one litter box is not enough. At all.

This. We have one litter box per cat and the only time we have issues is when I pass out drunk without scooping da poop

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Gwynevere posted...

This. We have one litter box per cat and the only time we have issues is when I pass out drunk without scooping da poop

Does the poop end up on your passed out body then?