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Owning and taking care of cats can be a tricky job more often than not. There are so many things to take care of that one might lose track of your cat's health and needs. Hence, reading more about cats and their behavior could help. If you have a house-trained cat that is suddenly pooping next to the litter box, it can be a cause for concern. Cats are known to act this way due to many possible reasons. Read more to find out why!

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Why is my cat pooping on my bed?

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Behavioural reasons

In many cases, cats poop next to the litter box or on your bed due to certain behavioural changes. For example, if you have changed their living environment or made any changes in their house, it could be a cause for this situation. Moreover, cats could also get triggered if there are any new family members in the house. Hence, you must always ensure that no drastic changes are taking place.

Another major issue that could be responsible for this behaviour is the type of litter box you use. There could be various problems like the smell, location, type of filter, and cleanliness. Furthermore, the requirement of cleaning the litter box every 4 to 5 hours is critical for your cat. Cats are very fastidious animals, so if they notice any kind of abnormality with the litter box, they will not use it. Hence, one must always ensure cleanliness and hygiene, along with proper material and filter usage.

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Medical reasons

• Older cats may have severe or mild joint pain, which prevents them from being in the correct posture to enter the litter box. This makes it difficult for them to urinate or defecate at the given spots, resulting in spillage.
• If your cat has any issues with its gastrointestinal tract, it could be a possible reason for this behavior. Conditions resulting in diarrhea and constipation are primarily responsible for your cat's inability to urinate inside the litter box. 
• Sometimes, separation anxiety also causes your cat to defecate in weird places around the house. If a strange event occurs anywhere near the litter box, your cat might start avoiding it. Additionally, it can be a very difficult issue to address. Thus, you must always cater to your cat's needs and try to keep your cat happy at all times.

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How to stop my cat from pooping on the bed?

Here are some steps that you can take in case your cat keeps pooping outside of the litter box:

• Have 1 more litter box in the house than the number of cats residing there
• Explore different combinations of litter boxes as your cat could be quite choosy as to which litter box is comfortable for it. Hence, proper experimentation is required to keep it joyful. Keeping the litter box covered or not is all up to the cat, so one has to try out these variables.
• You must clean the litter box daily as cats are quite concerned about hygiene as well. Replace cat litter on a daily basis.
• If your cat has urinated or pooped on a bed, you must thoroughly clean and sanitize the bed so that even the odor is removed. Since cats have a great sense of smell, try to use professional odor neutralizers.
• If you keep your cat engaged during the day, such problems would be very rare. Hence, do your best to keep your cat busy during the day with walks, playtime, and exercise.
• If none of the above methods are working, consult a veterinarian. Your cat might be facing certain medical conditions that result in this behaviour.

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This article is endorsed by perrovets' vet, Dr James Blanshard