text: My cat was using the litter box just fine and now all of a sudden she keeps pooping in the same spot on the carpet. We live in an apartment and I can't afford to have the carpet ruined. I don't know what to do to make this stop. Is there something I can put on the carpet to repel her? Please Help!
  Asked by r_elizabeth2290 at 8:16 AM on May. 31, 2011 in Pets
  Answer by dys-shattered at 8:19 AM on May. 31, 2011
  There's is nothing that will work, believe me, I am speaking from personal experience. We tried repellent sprays, tried getting her her own litter box (we had 2 cats at the time), tried putting a litter box in the spot on the carpet where she would poop (she'd contiue to pee/poop) just outside of it, we had her fixed on the advice of our vet who said it would take away her urge to mark her territory (it did not). At the point that a pet psychologist was recommended, I decided I had had enough and I gave her away to a shelter.
  Answer by Anonymous at 8:28 AM on May. 31, 2011
  Oh, and we did have the carpeting replaced thinking there was something in the old one that she was reacting to (a previous pet?) and she did the same thing when we had the new carpeting installed.
  Answer by Anonymous at 8:30 AM on May. 31, 2011
  try spraying the cat with a water bottle everytime you think shes going to mess or even come close....cats hate water
  Answer by barabra at 8:32 AM on May. 31, 2011
  i can't put her outside. we live in an apartment. and she has no claws.
  Comment by r_elizabeth2290 (original poster) at 8:34 AM on May. 31, 2011
  Did you recently change her litter? My cat refused to use hers when I changed the litter, and as soon as I changed it back she went back to using it just fine. Also make sure the litter box is clean and doesn't smell. If all that is fine, you can try the repellent, I've never used them myself so I don't know how well they work. Good Luck!
  Answer by noahsmom13 at 9:27 AM on May. 31, 2011
  I'm in the middle of this with my cat and the couch. It helped for months when we layed a blanket on the right side she dumped on, but just a few weeks ago she started with the other side. She's also got a spot in the master closet and one upstairs by the guest bath, but we are able to keep her out of those two areas.
  We have her locked in the basement for now trying to figure out what to do. A friend recommended a product called "Dumb Cat", but I've heard mixed reviews on it working. She's also declawed and we don't have a way to properly fence the back yard, so sending her outside is not an option.
  I'm also switching brands of litter and replacing the litter box to see if that helps. Otherwise I'm at a loss on what to try next.
  Answer by anng.atlanta at 2:11 PM on May. 31, 2011
  I recommend MORE LITTER BOXES..let her know where they are..i believe its 2 or 3 litterboxes per cat if im not mistaken..i work at a vet clinic and when clients call because of eliminating issues such as yours..drs recommend to try more litter boxes and if that doesn't work..it may be a whole new issue.
  Answer by jlepley at 8:16 PM on May. 31, 2011
  First off I'd have her looked at by your vet to rule out any physical illness. Cats are VERY clean & wont go to the bathroom outside their box, unless something is wrong. They do this to get your attention; alerting you something is wrong, since they cannot tell you themselves. You say "now all of a sudden she keeps pooping in the same place on the carpet". This is obviously not her normal behavior, so have her checked soon by her vet. Cats are very good at hiding pain & illness, so for her to deliberately poop outside the box means something could be wrong with her. Is she peeing outside the box as well? If she is, I'd definitely get her to your vet asap. If the vet says she's ok, then I'd try a larger litter box, & different litter. Is her box in an area where there is privacy for her? Is it a quiet area without foot traffic? These are other reasons why some cats will stop using their box. Please have her seen by the vet.