Soiling outside the litter box

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Hi 

Sorry Can't offer any advise other than patience and love and hopefully things will improve. 

[Frances]

but I do wonder if it was this very problem that caused her to be given up to Cat's Protection.

I also wondered this .

I had a phantom pooper in random places for several months until I discovered James (RIP ) pooping in the bath. He had arthritis but was otherwise medically fit and nothing had changed in his environment.  He had two different vets at the time and I discussed it with each of them but none of us could work out why he suddenly started this behaviour.  When he became blind in his final year he could no longer find his litter tray so I accepted that daily poo (and pee) hunts were the new normal .

I don't think Panda is being wilful - something is driving her to poo outside her litter tray as a sign that all is not right in her world.  Sadly this could well be something in her past that you will never discover.  Cats do choose their slaves and she has found someone who can cope with her "issues" .

[papa cat]

Oddly enough I am familiar with dealing with this sort of thing as one of my previous cats also had a bowel problem and wherever he sat or lay he leaked liquid poo. He couldn't help it!
When he knew he needed to go, he went to the litter box so it wasn't wilful or deliberate (like this new cat) At least with this cat it is solid and easy to scoop up.

She doesn't do it every day (but it's nearly every day) and I can't figure out a reason for that inconsistency!!

Nothing I have done, (and I have tried a few more things since my original post) has made her use a litter box instead.
I guess I am just have to leave the plastic runner down so it's easy to clean up (and be cautious when I walk near the front door!!

I have no knowledge of her history before she went into rescue, but I do wonder if it was this very problem that caused her to be given up to Cat's Protection.
I can imagine a family with young children wouldn't want such a thing happening AT ALL whereas I can cope with it. I'd prefer not to, but I can

[Frances]

I do sympathise papa cat.  One of mine has had a gut problem which lead to him pooing outside the litter trays (three of them plus the Great Outdoors).  He initially had several places but finally settled on, you’ve guessed it, the door mat by the front door .  Coir matting is a  to clean.  I put down XXL puppy pads to replace the mat.

He is currently on steroids which has helped the gut problem.  I haven’t put the mat back yet as just as I think he’s now out of the habit of pooing by the front door he uses the puppy pad .

I’ve always considered a single instance of toileting outside of a tray to be a cat’s way of communicating that they have a problem; the tricky bit is working out what that is.  If you are sure Panda has no medical issues then it’s probably behavioural and has now become a habit, particularly if she was doing it in rescue (and possibly before that?). 

Sorry I can’t offer any actual solutions other than keep watching her and be patient.

[papa cat]

I recently got 2 cats from Cat's Protection to replace mine that died (at different times) a while back.
Both are female, a bonded pair, 3.5 years old, named Panda (black and white) and Nancy (tabby)

I was advised before they came that Panda had the habit of pooing outside the litter box. For about 2 weeks she didn't do that, but she has started it now and always in the same place, behind the front door on the door mat
I have tried putting a covered then an uncovered litter tray there and a then very shallow plant tray with litter in it, in that spot, but she did it next to it on the mat.
She is using the litter trays to pee in. ( I have 4 in total throughout my flat)
To enable me to clean it up easily I moved the doormat and replaced it with a plastic carpet runner so I can scoop it up easily. She hasn't done it on the doormat since, she is doing it on the plastic runner, so it would seem that it's the locaton that matters to her and not the door mat.

I should add that in every other way they are both very happy and contented and affectionate so I don't think it's an insecurity problem

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I might solve this problem ?