We have 3 cats: Tache and Bidouille (two neutered brothers) and Craquotte, a female we rescued. They all get on well together.
For several months now, Bidouille has been pooping in front of our front door. Yet, he still uses his litter tray to pee...
We’ve already tried:
- Moving the litter trays in front of the door (it only works half the time...)
- Even when the trays are sparkling clean with bleach, he won't use them.
- Not telling him off.
- Catching him in the act: we told him off, then took him to his tray and gave him a fuss, but it didn't change anything.
- Taking the lids off the trays in case he felt too enclosed or didn't like the smell... (but that hasn't worked either...)
We have two theories about why he's behaving like this:
- We let the other two cats out, but not Bidouille, because every time he goes out he ends up getting lost. We have to search the whole neighbourhood to find him in a neighbour's garden because he doesn't know how to get back home...
- I'm pregnant and have been at home for the last 2 months. Maybe he's a bit unsettled by the change...
-> Just to clarify, he hasn't changed towards us; he's still just as cuddly.
What do you think we should do? Do you have any ideas or solutions?
We're a bit at our wits' end and don't know what else to try...
Thanks everyone!
Translated from French
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Hi there, I’m currently having the same issue with my cat. He’s 4 months old and has been litter-trained since he was 2 months old. I’ve recently moved flats and since then he’s been pooping in front of the door, but only when I’m out.
Hi everyone. Is your cat still going in front of the door? Ours started doing it about a month and a half ago. She uses the litter tray for a wee, but 7 times out of 10, she poos right in front of the door 😭 We’re going on holiday in two weeks. A cattery is out of the question as they’re all fully booked, and leaving her with someone is pretty much impossible—she can't stand anyone except my partner and me! Feliway has been useless. No change at all. We’ve had four trips to the vet. After the third one, we even decided to change vets. But still nothing.
However, letting an unspayed female cat go outside isn’t particularly responsible... You’re taking the risk that she’ll wander off to find a mate or end up pregnant. She could also catch serious diseases, and you’re really not doing rescue centres any favours if she ends up having a litter.
If it’s a question of cost, keep in mind that most vets will let you pay in instalments. Now is actually the best time to get it done, as female cats start coming into heat as early as February or March. After that, it’s kitten season and animal charities are swamped with intake requests, while struggling to find homes because it’s so easy for people to just get a kitten for free on sites like Gumtree.
Hi @Howtocat,
Thanks for your advice!
No, we haven't had the youngest one spayed yet. We really need to get it done, but she's a bit skittish and we have trouble getting near her (even though she is starting to trust us more and more).
No, we haven't actually tried Feliway yet; that could be an interesting one to test, especially with a baby on the way—I wouldn't want our cats to get too stressed.
The thing is, our cat goes into the neighbour's garden and yowls his head off until we come and get him... And other times, we find him doing the same thing, howling in other neighbours' gardens. He doesn't seem to know how to find his way back...
Yes, I bought some GPS trackers for their collars, but it doesn't really change much if we're constantly forced to bother the neighbours to go and get our cat back every time.
We're also going to try buying him a harness and letting him wander around our garden so he can burn off some energy. 🙂
Hi there,
I assume the female cat has been spayed as well?
Have you tried using Feliway?
It definitely sounds like your cat is quite stressed, which is likely because he isn't allowed out anymore. That kind of restriction is incredibly frustrating for a cat. When you say he gets lost, do you mean he disappears for several days at a time? Is it possible he’s just found himself a second home?
You should try to tire him out as much as possible so he doesn't feel the urge to wander, but with a baby on the way in a few months, you might not have the time to give him that much attention. There are also GPS collars available...
Thanks for your reply Goupil 70... I'll suggest that to our landlord 😁
As for the pregnancy, I really think cats are capable of sensing that something is going on. 😁
