Another litter box problem

[littledaisies]

Hi everyone! I'm somewhat new to this thread. I'm one of the rat forum members but today I have a problem with my cats! It's a litter box issue!

I have 2 kittens, turning a year this month, male and female. I have 2 litter boxes for them set up in an empty closet. Lately they haven't been using the litter box all the time. They had accidents once or twice before but now it's almost every week, sometimes every other day. It happens when I'm at work. I come home to a poop/peed filled closet. Instead of using the box they both ( I assume it's both of them) go outside of the box in the closet. I don't understand why they are doing this. It's driving me insane but more importantly I can't have them messing up the carpet in my apartment, my landlord wouldn't like that.

I haven't changed the litter or done anything different. I scoop the litter box every other day from both boxes. Every time they do this I scrub the carpet with a special cleaner and I use Nature's Miracle. The only thing I noticed is that my male cat doesn't always cover his poop. He just leaves it out in the open. I'm wondering if that's making them do this.

I would greatly appreciate some suggestions!! Thanks!!!

[Marybelle]

Your best bet is to take them to the vet and get them tested for intestinal parasites.  This can cause litter box aversion, as it's uncomfortable for them to go, so they associate that with the litter box.  Also, you might want to switch to scooping every day, as some cats just don't like a dirty box.  I have one of those.

[tazzyboo]

my cat does this to. i've learnt that you have to scoop the box every day and clean it totaly out every other day. but in my case both male cats share one box. but i have also learnt that if you keep it nice and clean for them. they use it more often and less mess we find infront of our box. but also take them to the vet to make sure. just a helpful hint. i've also bleached but i wouldn't recomend that on carpet. get a carpet shamppoer and clean up where they go make sure that you go over it a few times let it air dry and they might stop. if all else fails. open up a cardboard box under both pans n then u don't have to clean as much.. i tried to help. thats what i've done with my boy.. talk later and gl

[littledaisies]

Thanks for the advice but I think I figured out the problem. The air conditioning unit is leaking which caused the entire floor in the litter box area to be wet. So the wetness is from the leaking and I bet the pooped on the floor because they are mad it's wet in there.

[Heather]

Just in case that's not the problem, pooping outside the box can be from parasites like someone else said, and peeing outside the box can be from infections or in your case, the starting of bladder sludge which can create blockages or crystal formation. I would go ahead and scoop the pan everyday anyway just because it's more sanitary that way and if you still have issues, buy the Cat Attract scoopable litter. It worked WONDERS for my girl who was peeing outside her box (behavioral) and having diarrhea right in front of the box (the vet suspected tapeworms, I suspected over feeding so she was wormed and I feed her less so who knows what the culprit was). Our one cat used to poop outside the box when it was too dirty for her liking and since we scoop everyday (twice if we scoop before she poops.. she has awful poop smell) she's not pooped on the floor once. I think the litter helps with that too.