Hi Andrea

The very first thing I ever posted to a cats ng concerned exactly the
same problem. One of my cats, Sarrasine, would go on the lino next to
the box but only in the box if you caught her in the act and placed her
in the tray from whence she would give you a "you are being cruel to
your poor little kitty" look.

The first tip I got was to get another box and for a time this worked
perfectly well but after a few weeks we were back to square one....

I found out the answer by accident....I had brought a larger bag of cat
litter than usual and I ended up pouring what I thought was too much
in....I haven't had a problem with Sarrasine and the litter box
since....

Okay so she likes to really kick it about and dig in it and we end up
with hillocks of litter that fall over the side of the box and the
sensation of  cat litter on your bare feet first thing in the morning
(especially after a heavy night) isn't that nice but you can't have
everything!!!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

How long have you had this cat? Any other animals in the household? Any
change that might have precipitated this behavior change? A new household
member perhaps?

I suppose it's often impossible to figure this out, but it would be nice to
have some insight as to what started it. (You already mentioned that a vet
gave him a clean bill of health, but is it possible that he is constipated?
You mentioned "small pieces here and there".)

Anyway, some things I'd try:

- Multiple litter boxes (Many cats like to use one litter box to urinate in
and a different one to defecate in.)
- Cleaner litter boxes - Clean at least once a day, more often if possible
at all. (Many cats use the litter box just when the owner is nearby,
knowing that the box would be cleaned right away. They like things CLEAN.)
- Larger litter boxes
- Covered vs. uncovered litter box types
- Different litter materials - finer sand, grainier sand, clumping,
non-clumping, lighter color (there is a school of thought that cats prefer
lighter-colored sand), etc., etc... give the cat choices. (I prefer no or
little scented ones.)
- Clean the previously soiled area throughly. (But avoid ammonia-based
cleaner. Also avoid phenol-based cleaner as it's toxic to cats.) After
cleaning, use one of those enzyme-based pet odor removers to break down any
remaining smell-causing organic materials.
- In order to break the newly forming habit, temporarily cover the
previously soild areas with something your cat is unlikely to enjoy going
bathroom on again. (Home centers have a thick plastic sheeting material
that people use to cover things when they paint, etc. Or whatever else you
might have around the house should do. Aluminum foil would probably keep
him away for sure, but you wouldn't want to scare him away from using the
nearby litter box althogether.)

One thing I would NOT do (but some might) is scolding him for "going" on
the carpet. It's unlikely to do any good, and may make things worse. On the
other hand, if he "correctly" uses his litter box in your presence, I'd be
sure to praise him after he is done, and I would clean the litter box right
away.

Just some things to try. Good luck!

-Akira
www.californiagull.com