I have a one-year old female cat that I am trying to place in a home that has a barn situation.  My cat has been defecating on my furniture everyday since she was a kitten.

I have 3 litter boxes in my apartment (cleaned daily), tried positive reinforcement & different litter.  I’ve even talked to my vet extensively and have contacted 9 shelters in the area, but none of the shelters are willing to take her in.  She is very loving and gets along with other cats/people well—she just has a bit of a mental problem according to my vet.

I live on a busy street and can’t let her outside.  My last resort is to put her down but I think that is cruel. I’m hoping you can help.  Do you have any suggestions?

I live in Connecticut.  Thank you so much for your time.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Dawn

Hi Dawn,

Sorry I didn’t answer before now but I just moved to Vermont (with three large dogs), so it's been hectic.

I got some feedback for you from Dear Sally (Sally E. Bahner), the behavior consultant of Cat Chat.  Well the good news is that it's "only" been one year, not three, which is how long some people wait before taking action on a problem. The bad news is that you have been dealing with this for a long time and the kitty has developed bad habits. Here are some things you can try:

1)  Watch the cat and monitor her body language. When you see that she is preparing to poop you can gently pick her up and bring her to the litter box.  Cats are usually pretty regular in their schedules, which helps with this kind of litter box training.

2) Praise her and give her a treat when she does her business.

3) Place X-mats (in pet supply stores or pet catalogs) on the furniture.  You can also buy sections of the plastic pointy carpet protector to place on the furniture.

4) Confine the kitty to a single room when you are out.

You're right that you cannot let her outside—that is a death sentence, even for a feral cat accustomed to dodging cars.

Although I understand your frustration, euthanasia is way too radical. You've allowed this behavior to continue for a long time, so it is also going to take a long time to change her behavior.

My new book, THE CAT BIBLE, is due out in October.  You can got to the website and pre-order it—it is filled with lots of practical advice and information.

Also, consider calling in with any more questions to CAT CHAT any Wednesday night. It's live from 8-9 PM EST.

Good luck to you!

Tracie Hotchner