Dirty baggage pooping in the fireplace at night (runny).

[Mikocat]

My 4-year old neutered male has started pooing in the house at night. Always near one or the other of our two fireplaces downstairs. He's not the cleanest of cats (he doesn't bury his poo outside or clean his bottom very well), but we haven't had any pooing in the house since he was a kitten.

We haven't moved recently and our daughter has been around a while now, so no recent trauma I can think of. We've been away a lot at weekends though.

The poo is very runny so I think I vet trip is in order. But he's regularly de-flead and wormed, has his jabs and eats like a tiny pig. His brother seems fine.

Anyone have any idea why he might be doing this? And how do I stop him? He has a cat-flap, my husband has seen him come in and then do it!

[cozietoesie]

I'd suggest that vet trip (if he's been having diarrhoea for several days) and one or two litter trays inside the house.

Think how you feel if you have an upset stomach yourself. Not only might he have gut ache but he could be being caught very short. In addition, if he's not feeling too well, and the poo is perhaps pretty smelly, he might be coming into the house to do his business as that's his 'safe place'. (Cats can feel real insecure going outside if they're not up to scratch and they're pretty sensitive about the smell of poo if they're unwell.)

Hopefully it will stop once his stomach settles down.

[thecatneuterer]

Do you have a litter tray in the house that he's not using in favour of the fireplace?

If you don't have a tray, then you need a tray. Even cats with cat flaps that normally go outside can sometimes not want to go out - if it's raining, or cold, or there's a big scary tom hanging around, or he's just not feeling very well.

If he does have a tray but isn't using it then have you tried different types of litter? Or a bigger tray?

[Mikocat]

He doesn't have a tray right now, not since we discovered that if we provide one he NEVER poos outside. He hasn't pooed indoors since we took it away though (until now).

[cozietoesie]

Now is different - best put it back.

For what it's worth, some cats prefer to poo and pee indoors even though they go outside. I've had two of them and I never minded in the least. Seemed like a small home comfort for them and certainly stopped any potential problems with neighbours.