Inappropriate elimination in cats

Last November a lady phoned me about her cat, JJ.  He was causing major problems in the house, piddling and poohing on the floor, in the bathtub, scratching the doors, etc.  She was at her wits end and wanted him rehomed.  I asked her had she any idea why he was doing this and she didn't. She mentioned they had a dog, and I asked did the two get on alright and she said they were the best of friends.  So I agreed to take JJ and arranged to meet them at the vets where JJ was to be vaccinated.

A big black neutered cat, he was in good health except for a bowel infection which would quickly be fixed with a course of anti-biotics.  Having met the owner I could see she was extremely fond of him and found it hard to give him up but his behaviour was unacceptable.  

I kept him in a dog pen for the first few days to see if he would actually use a litter tray and he did, from the get go.  He was very well behaved, so I let him out and no problem, he continued using the litter tray.  So this was not a physical problem, it was psychological. But what was causing it?  After a week, the owner decided to give JJ another chance and off he went back home.  They had fitted a catflap to allow him come and go as he pleased and hoped that would make a difference.  All was fine for a couple of weeks and then a wee on the floor, it was the last straw. As it was before Christmas, I suggested we wait til the New Year before looking for a home for him. During that time, he behaved impeccably and they decided to keep him.

The owner phoned last week to give me an update.  All is going well with JJ. She has been keeping an eye on him and the dog and has noticed that the dog has a habit, as dogs do, of pushing JJ away from his food and eating it!  So now they've put JJ's food dish on a shelf so the dog can't reach it.  She also noticed that when she's in bed, the dog tends to lie on the bed and push JJ off, so the other day, she lifted JJ up on the bed and the dog had to make do with the floor.  So it appears that JJ was feeling put upon by the dog and causing him to "act up".  By making small adjustments JJ is a happier cat and the owner gets to keep him, a happy ending!

Cats who eliminate outside the litter box have either a physical or psychological problem and are trying to tell you. First thing to do is bring the cat to a vet for a thorough check up to ensure there is nothing physically wrong. If not, look up the internet, google "inappropriate elimination cats psychological" and go from there.