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My 10-year-old cat poops outside the litter box. What can I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed

My cat is 10 years old and she is pooping on my worktop and refuses to use litter tray and I can't seem to stop her

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Debi Matlack

Veterinary Technician

Published on September 27th, 2018

Inappropriate elimination in cats is often a behavioral problem rather than a medical problem, so the first step is to have him seen by your vet to eliminate any kind of illness or condition as a cause for his eliminating outside the box. If medical issues are ruled out, take a look at other reasons. Has there been a lot of unusual activity? Has you cat been left at home or boarded? Is the litterbox in a busy area? Has anything happened recently in this area to make him reluctant to use it again? Is there another cat, pet or person that is preventing him from getting to the box? Have you changed it from a hooded to an open box, or vice versa? Is it big enough? Have you changed the type or brand of litter? Is there something attractive about the spot he uses? Cats dislike disturbances to their routine and may act out to express their dissatisfaction. The general rule is one litter box per cat in the household, plus one. That way each cat can have a place of their own to go in case the box is occupied or another cat has claimed it as territory. They should be scooped daily, if not more often and changed completely weekly, washed with soap and water only. You can offer one kind of litter in one box and another kind in another to see if there is a preference. I don't recommend the crystals, it makes a hissing sound when wet that startles some cats and make them reluctant to use it again. The litter boxes should be located in a quiet, low-traffic area so that the cat can use them in peace. Make sure any other pets or people aren't giving them a hard time around or in the litter box. It may take some investigation and experimentation to find your cat's preference and accommodate him so that everyone is satisfied with the situation. And, when cleaning up pet accidents, don’t use any cleaner containing ammonia. This leaves behind a scent similar to urine which can encourage a cat to return to the same place to eliminate.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Amber W

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on November 9th, 2017

    Inappropriate elimination (peeing or pooping outside the litter box) in cats can be frustrating and difficult to treat. The first step you should take is scheduling an appointment for your cat to see a veterinarian. A lot of times a cat will start going outside of the litter box due to health problems like urinating tract infections, pain, urinary tract inflammation and digestive problems. In Shredder's case it sounds like there is a gastrointestinal problem that is contributing to the issue. He could have an intestinal parasite, food sensitivity, inflammatory bowel disease, or some other internal medical issue causing the loose stool. Once you have established that there aren't any medical reasons for inappropriate elimination the following may be helpful: 1. Cats will urinate or defecate outside of the litter box for stress related reasons. Therefore it is best to keep the litter boxes in several different, quiet areas of the household. 2. A pheromone diffuser like Feliway can be quite helpful. 3. Ensure you have at least one litter box in the household per cat plus one. For example, if you have 3 cats, then 4 litter boxes are recommended. 4. Feeding an all canned food diet can help if there is inflammation in the bladder. There are also prescription diets available to help with bladder inflammation or digestive issues. Your veterinarian can help you choose the best one for your cat. 5. The litter boxes should be cleaned once to twice daily and completely emptied and washed weekly. Most cats prefer litter to be the clumping type that is kept a few inches deep. Certain litter types like Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter may be helpful. 6. If you are still having problems after taking the above steps you may want to talk to your veterinarian about behavioral medication. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Amber W

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on December 28th, 2017

    It is very possible that Bammer has a GI issue leading to him having urgency when he needs to poop so he can't quite make it into the litter box. Inappropriate elimination (peeing or pooping outside the litter box) in cats can be frustrating and difficult to treat. The first step you should take is scheduling an appointment for Bammer to see a veterinarian. He may have an intestinal parasite or bacterial overgrowth causing issues. A lot of times a cat will start going outside of the litter box due to health problems like urinating tract infections, pain, urinary tract inflammation and digestive problems. Once you have established that there aren't any medical reasons for inappropriate elimination the following may be helpful: 1. Cats will urinate or defecate outside of the litter box for stress related reasons. Therefore it is best to keep the litter boxes in several different, quiet areas of the household. 2. A pheromone diffuser like Feliway can be quite helpful. 3. Ensure you have at least one litter box in the household per cat plus one. For example, if you have 3 cats, then 4 litter boxes are recommended. 4. Feeding an all canned food diet can help if there is inflammation in the bladder. There are also prescription diets available to help with bladder inflammation or digestive issues. Your veterinarian can help you choose the best one for your cat. 5. The litter boxes should be cleaned once to twice daily and completely emptied and washed weekly. Most cats prefer litter to be the clumping type that is kept a few inches deep. Certain litter types like Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter may be helpful. Litter boxes should be very large with a low cut out to make it easier for older cats with arthritis to climb inside. 6. If you are still having problems after taking the above steps you may want to talk to your veterinarian about behavioral medication. This article may be helpful to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-litter-box-mistakes/ Thanks for using PetCoach!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Amber W

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on December 18th, 2017

    I'm sorry to hear you are having issues with Dylan! Inappropriate elimination (peeing or pooping outside the litter box) in cats can be frustrating and difficult to treat. The first step you should take is scheduling an appointment for your cat to see a veterinarian. A lot of times a cat will start going outside of the litter box due to health problems like urinating tract infections, pain, urinary tract inflammation and digestive problems. Once you have established that there aren't any medical reasons for inappropriate elimination the following may be helpful: 1. Cats will urinate or defecate outside of the litter box for stress related reasons. Therefore it is best to keep the litter boxes in several different, quiet areas of the household. 2. A pheromone diffuser like Feliway can be quite helpful. 3. Ensure you have at least one litter box in the household per cat plus one. For example, if you have 3 cats, then 4 litter boxes are recommended. Litter boxes should be very large with a low cut out to make it easier for older cats with arthritis to climb inside. 4. Feeding an all canned food diet can help if there is inflammation in the bladder. There are also prescription diets available to help with bladder inflammation or digestive issues. Your veterinarian can help you choose the best one for your cat. 5. The litter boxes should be cleaned once to twice daily and completely emptied and washed weekly. Most cats prefer litter to be the clumping type that is kept a few inches deep. Certain litter types like Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter may be helpful. 6. If you are still having problems after taking the above steps you may want to talk to your veterinarian about behavioral medication. This article may be helpful to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-common-litter-box-mistakes/ Thanks for using PetCoach and good luck with Dylan!

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