My cat is using the bathroom on my carpet

by vanessa
(charleston,s.c.)

When we got out cat he had a litter box, than when he was around 1 1/2 yrs old, he started going outside to use the bathroom. He did that for about 3 yrs. Then he just started to use the bathroom in the house,specially in a spot in my son's room. I didn't want to put a litter box back in the house,because I have 1yr old twins and there is no place to put it, that they won't get into, I mean our house is small as is. Well, we started to just pick him up and put him outside, since he did not want to go outside and use the bathroom and we left him longer than usual.

Than we moved,(out of state) and we are renting a home, well he is doing the same. He poops in the house and sometimes has peed. He won't go out. We have to basicly find him and put him out,because he does not want to go outside and use the bathroom. What is going on? He used to be perfectly find using the bathroom outside, when he wanted to go out he would go to the door and when he wanted in he would meow at a door and we would let him in...HELP

Answer by Kate
Hi
Well I can't say for sure but it could be that he just feels uneasy about going outside another cat or dog in the area etc), this happened to my cat for a awhile. Or he could be marking his territory inside the house. A move to a new home can often cause this as can any number of small changes that can happen around the home (please see my page here for more info https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine.html )

usually the advice is to give them a period of litter box training but if you are not providing a litter box in the house, it will be very difficult to get him to feel confident again with his home etc.

The only thing I can suggest is that you create a routine for him. After feeding in the morning, put him outside as this is the normal time for them to want to go to the bathroom. repeat after every meal to try and get him used to this routine.

you will also have to make sure that no residual smell from his urine et is left as even the tiniest spot or whiff will encourage him to go there again
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urine-cleaner.html

To be honest with you the best solution would be to try and find a way that you could have an internal litter box (perhaps a covered one) and give him a period of training with this using the confinement method described here

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-litter-box.html

i hope you can sort something out for you all to be able to live happily together again.

best wishes kate

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