Why Is My Cat Pooping In The Tub? 6 Reasons To Watch Out For

As a cat owner, I know how frustrating it is to see your cat poop everywhere except the litter box. It’s a tedious chore to clean up after them. So why is my cat pooping in the tub? Over the years, I learned that the litter box itself might be the problem. The level of housetraining, changes in the environment, and stress can also lead a cat to the tub. And in a more serious aspect, a health problem could be the culprit.

Why is my cat pooping in the tub? 6 Reasons 

Is your cat using your bathtub as its newest potty spot? Before you let frustration get the best of you, the following will explain why your kitty did it:

1. The litter box is not clean.

Before you get angry and vent on your cat, you should check the litter box. You probably forgot to scoop it yesterday, which forced your cat to look for another potty spot.

Remember that cats are very specific in the cleanliness of their surroundings. If the litter box is stinky and dirty, they won’t use it.

It’s important to clean the litter box regularly and scoop used litter daily. This reduces the likelihood of your cat exploring alternatives.

Aside from the cleanliness, the position of the litter box might be the problem. A litter box placed in an area with high foot traffic and noise is unattractive for felines.

2. The cat isn’t well-trained.

If the litter box is squeaky clean, you should brush up your cat’s litter box training instead. Some cats take more time to learn how to use the box, especially if they are rescued cats. Many rescue cats were found on the streets, where they eliminate just about anywhere.

It’s important to introduce the litter box properly. Stay patient and let your cat sniff around to make itself comfortable. Never force your cat to get into the litter box, as this will defeat your effort of training the kitty. If you have adopted a stray cat, you should put some effort into its training. Being a responsible pet owner, you should know how to litter train a stray kitten.

3. The cat is stressed over a change.

Cats are sensitive to changes in their environment. If you recently changed its litter box, they may not recognize it as a place for elimination. In the end, you may need to repeat litter box training to prevent your cat from using the tub.

The stress brought by these changes will drive the cat away from the box. Also, the kitty might be scared of the new things.

4. The cats are competing for the litter box.

If you have many cats at home, litter box bullying might be the reason why your cat is pooping in the tub or peeing in the sink.

Your cat is probably being driven away by the other felines whenever it tries to use the litter box. This happens a lot if the cats have to compete on a single litter box at home.

I suggest observing your cats’ behavior and how they react when the tub-pooping kitty is around.

5. The cat doesn’t like the litter.

Another possible reason here is that your cat doesn’t like the litter you’re using. It could be the scent or the texture which puts your cat off from using the litter box. With that, they just resort to defecating in the tub since it’s cleaner, and the bathroom is a quieter place.

As much as possible, avoid highly scented litter. While it adds an odor-eliminating benefit, a strong scent will be suffocating for your cat. Remember that felines have a strong sense of smell, so what seems to be subtle for us might be too overpowering for them.

6. The cat has health problems.

Lastly, you should consider the possibility that your cat is suffering from a health problem. Conditions like bowel incontinence and inflammatory bowel disease will make your cat poop in different places. It can be your tub, living room, or somewhere else. Please read here how to keep a cat out of room

Aside from that, feline arthritis and orthopedic problems can also be the reason behind this. Cats love lounging on bathtubs, but they will find it hard to get out to poop if they have orthopedic problems. And even before they manage to hop out of the tub, they have already defecated.

If you’re worried that your cat is suffering from a health problem, you should bring it to the vet. The findings will help you approach the housetraining problem efficiently.

How do I stop my cat from pooping in the tub?

The following tips will help you discourage your cat from pooping in the tub:

• Fix the litter box. The first thing you should do is clean the litter box and replace it with unscented litter. This way, the box would be more enticing for your cat to use. It should help prevent the cat from pooping in the tub. You should stop your cat from playing with his poop.
• Set up more litter boxes. It’s also important to set up multiple litter boxes, regardless of whether you have one or more cats. This way, your kitty won’t have to travel all the way to the litter box just to eliminate. Place a litter box on each floor of your house to which the cat has access. The bigger the house, the more litter boxes there should be.
• Make the tub unattractive. Once you’ve made the litter box more attractive, you should also make the tub less appealing for your cat. This will stop the cat from lounging in it and potentially using it as a potty spot. You can spray it with lemon juice or a bath product with a citrus scent your cats hate. Apart from citrus, you can use any smell that cats hate the most.

• Get the kitty checked. If the pooping in the tub keeps on happening despite the efforts above, you should take the cat to the vet’s clinic. This way, your pet will be diagnosed with health problems causing the behavior.

Why is my cat in the bathtub all the time?

Cats like the bathtub because it’s cool, especially on a hot summer day. The bathroom is also quiet, and the tub offers a sense of security since it has walls around it. It feels like a fortress for your cat when it’s afraid of something. The depth of the tub is a perfect hiding place.

Aside from that, cats love bathrooms because it’s a perfect playground. There are tissue rolls to pull, a shower curtain to climb, a sink to drink on, and items to push over to the floor.

Also, closed doors often tickle the curiosity of cats. Your feline would want to know what’s behind the closed door, especially since bathrooms have a lot of odors.

Do cats poop out of spite?

No, cats aren’t capable of processing complicated emotions such as spite. If your kitty pooped in your tub, it’s not because of revenge. It’s possibly due to the six reasons I discussed above. 

Instead of getting angry or punishing your cat, it’s best to get to the bottom of the behavior. This will let you correct it right away.

Conclusion

Why is my cat pooping in the tub? It’s possible that the litter box is not clean or that the other cats are blocking your kitty’s access to it.

Sometimes health problems can be the reason for your cat pooping in the tub. If you cant find out the reason behind this problem, you should get the cat checked by the vet if the behavior is recurring.

What’s important is you find out the cause behind it instead of punishing the poor kitty.

I hope the information from this article will help you understand your cat’s behaviors better and will help you strengthen your bond with it.

Thank you for reading!