Cats pooping on living room carpet - help!

[Barb04]

This started about 2 weeks ago. I have 2 cats, they seem healthy, are eating, and being their normal selves. They are indoor only cats. We've been finding piles of poop on our living room carpet when we get up in the morning.

This morning my husband saw the cats pooping on the living room carpet. He told them no and to get away. We clean it up and put down an enzyme cleaner to get rid of the smell.

We've cleaned their litter box (in a room they can only access through a small door in gate), and keep it with enought litter. We have not changed brands of litter.

The cats will pee in the litter box but not poop in it.

Does anyone have any idea why the cats now want to poop in the living room instead of their litter box?

The cats are 8 and 9 years old and get along with all the dogs.

 

[Kathy29]

How many litter boxes do you have? The general rule of thumb for how many boxes is # of cats + 1. Some cats are picky and will pee in one and poop in the other, refusing to do both in the same box. They can develop odd habits like this.

 

[bubbatd]

Sh*t .....that's no fun !!!! It's better than pee though !

 

[Phoenixangelwyngs]

I don't know. Cats can be funny. First thing, if nothing about their boxes has changed, has anything else in the house changed? Maybe the boxes are old and they want new ones?

I'd get another box, a new box and put it somewhere in the livingroom (not exactly where people want a cat little box but hey, better than cleaning up cat poo) and fill it with the same litter type they are used to.

Another thought is that maybe the manufacturer changed the scent they use in the litter or something. It's amazing how finicky cats can be.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Barb04]

Phoenix... I was thinking the same thing about the litter. I use Fresh Step multi-cat formula. I wrote to the manufacturer but no matter how many times I asked them about if their forumal changed, they avoided an answer.

We've always had just 1 litter box even when there was 3 cats. We clean it 2 to 3 times a day. I'd put one in the living room, but the dogs would eat the poop.

We put an area rug on top of the carpet to see if it stops them. Knock on wood, so far no poop.