old female cat
Written by spikenj
I have a 17-18 yr old female cat who for the last 2 months refuses to release her bowel movements in the litter and instead releases them in corners of the basement floor. She will however urinate in the litter. What is causing this and is there anything I can do?
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She does have diarrhea more times than not..does this mean anything also ?
There can be several causes of diarrhea including a food change, dairy products she may be eating, stress, parasites, not enough fiber or a medical condition such as Hyperthyroidism. If she does have diarrhea several times a week, there is a concern she could become dehydrated, so you may want to see what you can rule out at home, drop off a stool sample at the vet and go from there based on the results of the stool test.
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Wow, a 17 year old (or better) kitty, that's over 120 in cat years! It is not uncommon for geriatric cats to get lazy about litter box use. The reason may be a little bit of senility, it is uncomfortable to get in that position to defecate, a new aversion to pooping where she pees or a medical problem. Many older cats develop arthritis, and as a result they don't jump up on things they use to, they take the stairs slower and some resisit climbing into a litter box that might high or have a hood.
It may be helpful to add a box to see if she will poop there. Also, try to find litter boxes or other plastic boxes with low sides and no hood. If she has an underlying, not obvious medical problem that could be causing her to defecate outside the box, at her age it would be stressful to her to go to the vet and probably get bloodwork done. As long as she is eating and drinking, peeing and pooping, not vomiting, not having diarrhea and does not appear to be in any discomfort, then you may want to try the new boxes for a few days and see what happens.
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I have a very similar issue with my 17 yr old female cat. She has become very picky about her food too. I have tried MULTIPLE kinds. She prefers wet now, never has before. Sometimes she has regular bowel movements, and sometimes it's diarrhea. Sometimes inside the litter box, sometimes outside. It's crazy because there's no real pattern. I'm so over cleaning the messes off the cement basement floor. Also lately, I've noticed tiny flies around her poop on the cement floor. Any idea what that's about? I haven't found anything online. They almost look like a fruit fly???? I agree that a trip to the vet would be more stressful than it's worth. She's a total nervous nellie. I hate the thought of putting her down, but I'm cleaning up several times a week, if not daily. Some days it drives me to tears. I keep half hoping that The Lord will just take her - at least we'd both be out of our misery. In the meantime, do you think a second litter box would be a good idea?
Thank you,
Lisa
Hi Lisa, it sounds like a tough situation for you and your kitty. The reason your kitty may prefer the wet food now is she could possibly have a bad tooth or sensitive gums and it is easier to chew. If you are trying several different varieties of food, it is possible that may cause the diarrhea. Sometimes a better quality food like at the pet stores or vets with as natural an ingredient list as you can find may help. Some cats can eat anything and some are sensitive to diet changes.
I would recommend a second litter box as well and also maybe put a wide area of newspaper on the floor around the boxes. Whenever you pass by a stack of free papers, grab a handful so you have plenty on hand and at least the cleaning would be a bit easier. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions.
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