Q.  Hello- sometimes my cat goes poop on my bed, or in my closet. I keep the litter box clean and in the bathroom. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to this...messy behavior. Can you explain why he might be doing this?

A.  There are lots of reasons cats defecate inappropriately. The timing of the behavior can tell you a lot about the cause. Many cats do it when their owner is away, which can indicate they are stressed by the owner leaving. If this is the case then he may need to be confined in a room with the litter box until he "earns" the right to have the run of the house by not soiling. There may be other sources of stress in his kitty life as well - changes in the household, neighboring pets or children, or sounds or smells he doesn't like.

If he does it right in front of you that sometimes can be a sign that he does not like his cat litter or his litter box. Switching cat litters (clay, clumping, or pearls, or maybe a non-scented variety) can often help. Switching letterboxes (covered vs. open) may help also. Be sure to keep the litter box extra clean by scooping once or twice a day. And in multi-cat households you need at least one litter box per cat.