Cat pooped on the bed

[RockStarMom]

There is a stray cat who I have been taking care of for a year. He is fixed, and I have been trying to find him a home, but he has issues and no one wants him, so he's basically ours, but he drives me insane.
Last night, in the middle of the night, I felt him pawing around at the foot of the bed and woke up to find that he had pooped there. He's not sick and doesn't have any health issues that would cause this, and he has absolutely no trouble waking me up to go in and out(he meows to be let in and out all night basically, and we have a studio apartment so I hear him loud and clear). Is there any reason he would do this? He also loves to mark his territory on my clothes, but I've been barricading the closet and it hasn't been an issue. But I have no idea how to keep him from pooping in the house, and no idea why he even did it. Argh. Help?!

[phatchristy]

Are you saying that you have him indoors and don't have a litter pan? I'd get him a pan to use indoors. For all you know he was ing and you slept through it.

With regards to clothes, is he urinating on piles of clothes? Human sweat contains urea, and that mimmics the odor of urine to the cat, so that wouldn't be surprising if he eliminated on a pile of clothes. Keep the clothes off the floor and get kitty a pan.

Otherwise, if this behavior continues a vet visit is in order. There most definitely can be health issues that aren't apparent on the surface.

[greenmagick]

What do you mean you mean you let him out when he meows? Is he separated from his litter box?

[heartmama]

Definitely get him a litter box and make it as attractive as possible to him. Most likely he doesn't want to go outside, he just wants to go the bathroom, and doesn't know what else to do.

If it is a studio apartment it's critical to keep all clothing up off the floor and away from where he can dig and paw in it. Lots of cats are infamous for peeing on owners clothes.

It's also helpful to have a spare sheet that you lay over your bed during the day. Try not to use one that smells like you--buy one for just this purpose. I do this to keep cat fur off the bed but it's also a good smell barrier. Keep the bed made up neatly so there is no temptation to dig and paw among piles of sheets/blankets.

[Talula Fairie]

Do you have multiple cats? It helps to get each cat their own litter box. Also, Feliway can help them to feel more comfortable and not want to mark territory. Get the real stuff, the 'herbal' knock offs don't work. And wherever he marks territory you need to get rid of the stink with an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle, or he'll do it over and over again (he may do it anyway though, but this helps).

I have three cats and they all do this to some extent. They stopped for awhile until we got a new cat who does it, and causes them all to do it. It's kinda frustrating but the only things we can do is have lots of clean litter all the time for them, and clean up a lot.

[RockStarMom]

I don't have a litter box due to the fact that our studio is basically a very small room, and there are no windows, and it's extremely hot(no AC), so when there's cat poop or pee, the smell just overpowers the place and there's no way to air it out...I do feral cat rescue and whenever we have one recovering here, it just reeks and the smell lingers for days. So I really want to avoid a litter box, although I guess it would beat him pooping on my bed whenever he feels like it. He has no trouble waking me up, and I'm quite certain he didn't try when this happened. Anyway, thanks for all the advice. I guess I'll have to get a litter box if it happens again.

[PlayaMama]

we keep ours in the bathroom with the door shut.

[Sol_y_Paz]

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9563
HTH