An inexplicable and annoying behavior: the cat goes to the toilet in the tub or shower, ignoring the litter box. Why does this happen and how can we solve the problem?
An annoying and even a little disgusting behavior that no one would want to see in their home: the cat goes to the bathroom in the bathtub or shower, completely forgetting the existence of its own litter box. This eventuality is more common than one might imagine and, in the most serious cases, it could hide a serious medical problem.
Understanding the cause behind the cat’s habit of pooping and peeing in the tub, shower, but also in the bidet or sink is therefore essential to know if our feline friend has something wrong: once you understand why, it will be possible to intervene in the most effective way to resolve the issue.
In this article, we will find out why the cat goes to the toilet in the tub or shower, how to make it stop and what are the behaviors to avoid with a cat.
Why is my cat going to the toilet in the tub?
There are a number of possible reasons behind the bad habit of the cat pooping or peeing in the tub, shower or more generally in the bathroom: in most cases, the problem could be related to the litter box, but there are also other causes potentially more serious and dangerous for the cat’s health.
1. The problem is the litter box
If your cat starts to urinate outside the litter box, it is usually because the litter box is dirty or there is too little litter in the box. In other cases, the position chosen for the litter box is not very pleasant for the cat: make sure it is not too close to the place where the bowls of food and water are.
If the cat prefers to do the toilet in the tub, it could also be a problem related to the size of the litter box: perhaps it is too small, or has the wrong shape or is too technological. Many domestic cats, in fact, are frightened by the noise produced by modern self- cleaning litter boxes and prefer to go elsewhere to carry out their bodily functions.
Cats also have a bad view of covered litter boxes, both because they retain bad smells inside and because they can make the cat feel “forced” into a space that is too narrow: cats can’t bear the idea of feeling trapped, they love their freedom too much !
2. The cat is stressed
Cats are animals of habit, which suffer a lot from stress in the face of changes in their daily routine: if the cat goes to the toilet in the tub or in the shower, ignoring its litter box, it could be the way it has chosen to communicate its emotional distress.
Be careful, therefore, to face small and large changes in the least traumatic way possible: for example, take care of the cat during a move, or deal in the best way with the arrival of a new cat or other animal in the house, but also the birth of a baby.
Cats may also be disturbed by much less important changes: it may be enough to move their litter box or bowls slightly, to cause them deep emotional stress. Try to observe other possible signs of stress in the cat: inappetence, tendency to hide or obsessively lick the hair.
3. The cat is sick
There are a number of more or less serious and annoying health problems that could prevent your cat from using the litter box correctly, causing it to fold over the bathtub, shower, sink or much more simply on the bathroom floor to do the toilet.
These are almost always diseases and disorders related to the intestinal sphere, such as constipation in cats, problems with the anal glands or feline inflammatory bowel disease. Furthermore, if the cat poops or pees in the shower tray, it could be due to the difficulty in jumping into the litter box: in this case, the cat could be suffering from arthritis or other joint diseases.
Once the possible causes inherent in the litter box and stress have been excluded, it is advisable to contact a veterinarian to understand if the cat’s unwelcome behavior is linked to some disease and to find the best way to treat it.
The cat goes to the toilet in the tub or shower: how to make it stop?
There are some very specific steps to follow when you want to teach the cat to stop doing its own needs in the tub, shower or sink : you have to teach the cat again to use the litter box correctly, encouraging it a little at a time. Here are the 5 steps to follow:
1. Leave some water on the bottom of the bathtub or shower tray: this will discourage your cat from using them as their own personal litter.
2. Choose a litter box that is suitable for your cat’s needs, in terms of size, depth, shape but also as a type of litter.
3. Some cats prefer to have two separate litter boxes: one for feces, the other for urine. Try arranging two boxes.
4. Make sure the litter box is away from where your cat usually eats and drinks.
5. If the problem persists despite these precautions, take your cat to visit the vet.
Finally, pay attention to the behaviors to absolutely avoid when the cat goes to the toilet in a place that is not its litter box: do not scold it, do not rub its muzzle in poop or pee and above all never hit it, for any reason!
