FAO Hillary Israeli - OT Cat soiling problem

Hi Hillary,

I've got an older cat (13 years old) that is pooping outside his
litterbox. He's had some problems over the last few months with
fighting with our other cats, so he's been confined to his own room.
We took him to the vet a couple of months ago due to the fighting, and
told the vet then that he has had intermittant diarrhea. We brought in
a stool sample, and it was clear. Slowly over time, he got along with
the cats again. But it started again about 2 weeks ago, and so we
have him confined in his own room again.

Well, since then, I forgot that he hates scented litter, and we bought
some, and he quit using the litter box for poop only. I immediately
bought him unscented again for the litter box in his room. At the
same time, he started having really bad diarrhea, and it lasted for
2.5 weeks. It's now back to being intermittant again, and he
sometimes poops in the litter box, sometimes not, and it's sometimes
diarrhea, and sometimes not.

I've read up on litter box re-training, but all the advice says that
it won't work if there's a health problem. He's an indoor-only cat,
that has had no exposure to any other cats other than our other 4, and
they've had no exposure to other cats, either. What are the chances
he's picked something up since his last checkup? What could be
causing the loose stools? He usually does it right next to his
litterbox.

My reading on the matter makes me think that he's developed a
litterbox aversion, due to painful bowel movements, and that's why he
pees in the litterbox ok, but doesn't like to poop. We've been
keeping the box scrupulously clean, and he'll go a couple of days
without going on the floor, then do it twice in the row on the floor.

Thanks,

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01

In ,
Cathy Weeks wrote:

*Hi Hillary,
*
*I've got an older cat (13 years old) that is pooping outside his
*litterbox. He's had some problems over the last few months with

That's a drag.

*fighting with our other cats, so he's been confined to his own room.
*We took him to the vet a couple of months ago due to the fighting, and
*told the vet then that he has had intermittant diarrhea. We brought in
*a stool sample, and it was clear. Slowly over time, he got along with
*the cats again. But it started again about 2 weeks ago, and so we
*have him confined in his own room again.

Just to clarify - you had him in his own room, and while he was in there -
was he defecating in the box? Or outside? Or both?? And if he was not
going outside the box when in his own room, did he start again after the
reintroduction, is that what you're saying? And at this time, does he go
both in and out of the box, or only out of the box?

* *Well, since then, I forgot that he hates scented litter, and we bought
*some, and he quit using the litter box for poop only. I immediately
*bought him unscented again for the litter box in his room. At the
*same time, he started having really bad diarrhea, and it lasted for
*2.5 weeks. It's now back to being intermittant again, and he
*sometimes poops in the litter box, sometimes not, and it's sometimes
*diarrhea, and sometimes not.

Has he ever been tested specifically for, and/or treated for giardiasis?

*I've read up on litter box re-training, but all the advice says that
*it won't work if there's a health problem. He's an indoor-only cat,

Well, generally speaking, if there is a health problem causing the
inappropriate defecation, that does have to be addressed - for example,
arthritis preventing the cat from being able to enter the box, or perhaps
a colitis causing such urgency that he can't get to the box in time. But
it doesn't quite sound as if that is the case.

*that has had no exposure to any other cats other than our other 4, and
*they've had no exposure to other cats, either. What are the chances
*he's picked something up since his last checkup? What could be
*causing the loose stools? He usually does it right next to his
*litterbox.

This is why I'm asking about giardiasis - it can be intermittent and often
isn't looked for. Just a thought. If he goes right next to the box though
it sounds like he's averse to the litter due to smell or texture. You
might try setting up a few boxes with different types of litter. Make sure
they are all scrupulously clean!!

*My reading on the matter makes me think that he's developed a
*litterbox aversion, due to painful bowel movements, and that's why he
*pees in the litterbox ok, but doesn't like to poop. We've been

Could be.

*keeping the box scrupulously clean, and he'll go a couple of days
*without going on the floor, then do it twice in the row on the floor.

That is such a pain. These things are hard to deal with. I usually start
with having people set up the extra litter pans, though, and sometimes
that fixes it. Worth a shot?

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

(Hillary Israeli) wrote in message ...
In ,
Cathy Weeks wrote:

*Hi Hillary,
*
*I've got an older cat (13 years old) that is pooping outside his
*litterbox. He's had some problems over the last few months with

That's a drag.

*fighting with our other cats, so he's been confined to his own room.
*We took him to the vet a couple of months ago due to the fighting, and
*told the vet then that he has had intermittant diarrhea. We brought in
*a stool sample, and it was clear. Slowly over time, he got along with
*the cats again. But it started again about 2 weeks ago, and so we
*have him confined in his own room again.

Just to clarify - you had him in his own room, and while he was in there -
was he defecating in the box? Or outside? Or both?? And if he was not
going outside the box when in his own room, did he start again after the
reintroduction, is that what you're saying? And at this time, does he go
both in and out of the box, or only out of the box?

When he was back with the other cats, and I introduced the scented
litter, and things were busy, and the boxes weren't being kept
particularly clean, he started pooping (but not peeing) on the floor.
At about the same time, he started fighting again. We isolated him
with his own catbox--which we kept clean-- and he had more than two
weeks of pretty bad diahrrea, that was mostly on the floor along one
wall of the room but most often it was near his box. I wasn't all
that good about cleaning the poop up - I mean I wiped it up, but
didn't scrub the carpet, because we were getting new carpeting. As
long as the box was scrupulously clean, I would find pee lumps, and
occasional diahrea lumbs, but most of his poop was on the floor.
Since we got the new carpet (friday), he has pooped mostly in the box,
and we've VERY thoroughly cleaned it up when he didn't go in the box
(twice now, one firm, one loose). We also bought him a new catbox,
one with low sides (we have purrrfect Privies with the very large,
tall sided roughtotes as boxes, and we thought the tall sides might be
causing the problem. So we got a low-model purrfect privy - see
pfprivy.com in the hopes that he'd like it). We've had the lower-sided
box for about 24 hours, and he's so far not pooped on the floor.

We are hoping not to have to do the litterbox re-training - it sounds
like a pain - but I wondered if I should take him to a vet. What is
giardiasis? How is it treated? When I have diahrrea - it always goes
away on its own, so I figured his would as well - and since he had
been to the vet may 2 or 2.5 months ago, and he was healthy, I
wondered how likely it was that he had something.

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01