Roosevelt Pendill: Before anything else, you really should have him checked for infection by a vet, as eliminating outside of the litter box often is symptomatic of things like urinary tract infections.We have 8 cats. 6 Were trapped feral and tamed inside. NONE of them have improper litter or spraying problems because we have followed the advice that I am passing along to you. At the bottom of this posting you will find a book reference. It is the best I've seen on handling kitty problems.The first rule of kitty elimination is that cats hate to eat where they "go" and they hate to "go" where they eat. If you have the food and water next to the litter box, you have committed the most common mistake that cat owners commit, which is the single biggest cause of kittys going elsewhere. A kitty would rather risk going somewhere else or spraying somewhere than risk contaminating their food, so your best bet is to move the food and water either to the opposite side of the room fr! om the litter box, or, even better, to a different room altogether from the litter box. Then make sure you have at least 2 - 3 inches of litter in that litter box and that you keep it scooped and clean. Kittys also hate not enough litter, and they hate dirty toilets. You wouldn't like going in a dirty, smelly toilet. Neither do they.Your next step is to get a cleaner that has a chemical in it that breaks down the enzyme that causes an odor from the urine spray that you may not be able to smell - but your cats can - and clean the spot where kitty has been "doing it" with it thoroughly. Such a cleaner is available at most pet stores, and will help the kitty not to be attracted to that spot. Petco and Pet Smart have "Out" odor remover and "Nature's Miracle". I haven't tried Nature's Miracle but have heard a lot about it. You might ask the employees for their recommendation.Then remember the first rule of kitty elimination again: Cats hate to eat where they "go" and hate to "go! " where they eat. Your kitty needs to be reprogrammed with pos! itive reinforcement for proper elimination behavior. You do this by getting small bowls of food and putting them on top of any and all spots where your kitty has been eliminating (as long as those spots are NOT by the litter box!). In this case you should keep those bowls consistently filled with a dry "kibble" cat food for the next few weeks. This will communicate to the kitty that this is a happy, secure place (which cats associate with food) and not a place for improper elimination or spraying. (This may seem messy and inconvenient, but it works!!!) After a few weeks, you should be able to remove the bowls and the kitty will may longer be attracted to those spots for improper elimination.Keep in mind that these tricks WILL NOT WORK if you have not made sure that the food and water is far away from the litter in the first place.We have 8 cats, have had up to 11 - at ages all the way up to 19 years old, all are indoor kittys, and this method has worked like a charm. All re! spect litter box rules.One last note: Kittys seldom respond to punishment. They are unable to associate punishment with behavior - especially if it is after the fact. They do, however, respond to positive reinforcement....Show more
Mitchell Pickens: Generally a cat will go somewhere inappropriately when they are stressed. I think the problem will resolve itself. I assume he uses the litter box on occasion if you are cleaning it. There are sprays you can spray to keep him off the laundry baskets (don't spray the clothes, spray the baskets). He should adjust soon. A cat who is declawed is defenseless and this cause behavior problems. Defecating in an inappropriate place is a territorial thing so just make sure kitty isn't overwhelmed with lots of kids or other pets and he should settle in nicely....Show more
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