Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
Hello! It'll obviously be no surprise when I say that cats can be extremely picky in their toileting habits. If a cat is trying to wee and making no progress, it could be a dire emergency so run any suspect behaviour past your emergency vet. This often taken for constipation.
The substrate (litter) is often a biggy, as well as being overlooked (or not), The material of the litter tray itself can be significant for some cats; also, scary objects in the vicinity, social interactions with other cats in the house if present (where do they pee / poo?) and with humans. Some cats need to bury their poo. Pain while toileting can also throw them eg hip pain, exacerbated by straining or climbing into and out of the tray, not to mention internal facts such as constipation, pancreatitis or even cancer.
It is generally advised to provide several litter trays, including covered ones if possible, in different locations in the house for each cat. If a cat already likes to poo somewhere, it may help to put a box there rather than trying to change their preferred location. Cats in multiple-cat households can have a particularly difficult time as sharing toileting spots is difficult and complicated for cats.
In short, if you observe messing or the litter or straining, beat in mind that it could be pee or poo and contact your vet immediately for a rapid assessment. Best of luck.
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