Dealing with a cat for pooping outside their box (Hint: Don't punish them) (2024)

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Dealing with a cat for pooping outside their box (Hint: Don't punish them)

ByBethAnn MayerMay 16, 2024

Cats have their share of quirks — from staring at you to inviting themselves to Zoom calls. Generally, cats poop in the litter box, though. Sure, you have a box of poop in your living space (hence the tongue-in-cheek viral meme about only getting a cat if you want a box of crap in your home). You also have to clean the box. However, your regular cat regularly goes in the box, and little housebreaking is needed.

Contents

How to punish a cat for pooping outside the litter box
How to stop a cat from pooping outside the litter box
Final thoughts

When a cat starts pooping outside the litter box, you may find yourself concerned, frustrated, and wondering how to punish a cat for pooping outside the litter box. However, you’ll want to avoid punishing your cat and instead take a compassionate and curious approach. Here’s why and what to do instead.

How to punish a cat for pooping outside the litter box

Dealing with a cat for pooping outside their box (Hint: Don't punish them) (2)

Plot twist: Don’t punish a cat for pooping outside of the litter box. When a kitty starts having accidents, they are trying to tell you that something is up and they need your help solving the problem. These common reasons why cats poop outside of the litter box may help you shift your mindset from anger to concern and compassion:

How to stop a cat from pooping outside the litter box

Dealing with a cat for pooping outside their box (Hint: Don't punish them) (3)

Let’s start with what not to do when you notice your cat is pooping outside of the litter box. Avoid rubbing their nose in the waste and screaming “no” or scolding them. While your frustrations are valid, you risk stressing the cat out (which will only exacerbate the issue if stress is the trigger). Also, put yourself in your pet’s paws: Your cat may be unwell, and you likely wouldn’t want your nose rubbed in poop and to get yelled at when sick. Here’s what to do instead:

Ensure the box is clean. Life happens, and you may have forgotten to clean the box. Make the space tidy.
Call the vet. If the cat poops outside of the litter box repeatedly over the next few days, give the vet a ring to rule out underlying conditions.
Clean the area.Use a black light flashlight to ensure you get small, easy-to-miss traces of your cat’s pee and poop. Since cats have a keen sense of smell and use scent to mark territory, a thorough cleaning of the accident space is to prevent this behavior from becoming a habit.
Size matters. Your cat should be able to turn around in their box comfortably.
Be sure your cat has their own box.Have at least one box per cat.
Move the box.If your cat has mobility issues, you may need to make the box more accessible. Keep the box in a quiet spot away from the cat’s food and water.
Put obstacles in the way.Ensure the cat’s litter box is accessible, but block off the accident area with a gate or furniture to discourage repeat offenses.
Wave the white flag.Your cat may have decided they want to use the facilities in a specific spot. If possible, put the box there — at least for now.

Final thoughts

Dealing with a cat for pooping outside their box (Hint: Don't punish them) (4)

Cats don’t poop outside of the litter box to spite us. Instead, they do so to raise a red flag that something is up, such as an underlying physical health condition or stress from a recent move. Avoid punishing your cat, such as by screaming at or crating them. This approach may only exacerbate the issue. Troubleshoot instead, such as calling the vet or moving the box to a quieter area.

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Cats

Why do cats scream when mating? Here’s what to know

Don't panic — this is a standard part of the reproduction ritual

You might get a bit traumatized when you first encounter two cats mating — be prepared for it to turn you off breeding kittens entirely. In fact, we generally recommend that you spay or neuter your animal when you don't want any babies in the immediate future. Otherwise, your pet will go into heat multiple times per year and may exhibit other unusual behaviors during this time. At the top of this list is the screaming that occurs before, during, and after feline copulation. But why do cats scream when mating? We break the whole process down for you.
What does the reproductive cycle look like in kitties?

There are four major pieces of this that start with heat and end up with a pregnancy, we hope, and this cycle is a bit different from in humans. Unlike us, kitty cats have a mating season, which can vary for a house pet, but it usually coincides with spring and summer where you live. If left to her own devices, your female cat, called a queen, will go through this full cycle many times until she gets pregnant during the season.
Going into heat
It all starts when your fur baby goes into heat. Even with no man or tomcat around, she'll likely start exhibiting certain behaviors like restlessness, calling, rolling, and something called lordosis (when she sticks her butt in the air). Even if she looks unhappy, she's really just feeling the urge.
Finding a mate
It's time for your pet to find a suitable partner, which she does with a loud scream intended to attract fertile males (boy cats often do the same to get a female's attention). Oftentimes, man cats fight for their woman's affection, though they don't really need to, as she's happy to have a go with lots of different partners.
Getting it on
Cats mate quickly and functionally. The male first grabs the female by the scruff to keep her in place and then inserts his penis, which is covered in small barbs (we'll come back to this). Both might scream during the act, and it likely feels pretty uncomfortable, at least for the girl on the receiving end. Sometimes, this ends with the queen getting her comeuppance and attacking the tomcat. Afterward, she rests for a while and then starts again.
Stimulating an ovulation
You read that right: Cats don't ovulate unless they have sex, and rarely does one shot get the job done. That's why lady cats will often begin to repeat this process soon after they finish with one tom. It also means your sweet girl can get pregnant from multiple cats at once and have a litter with mixed parentage.
Why do cats scream while mating?