Sitting in the litter box

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Katherine&Ruby

Katherine&Ruby

Member Since 2020
Right now, Ruby is sitting in the litter box. A few days ago she did the same thing, I coaxed her out and then she went back in a few minutes later to leave a large poop.

A few minutes ago, I fed her some water from a can of salmon and she lapped it all up but then went back into the box again. Is it constipation? If so, what else can I do aside from encouraging her to drink more water? I have noticed that she has been drinking less water since I moved her to all wet food.

Could it be something more serious?
 
You need to keep an eye on if she's peeing. If not its an emergency and it can't wait.

Does she look like she's trying to poop?
How did the poop look?
She's trying to tell you somethings wrong...

Mine doesn't drink either since they only got raw and canned food.
 
SashaV said:
You need to keep an eye on if she's peeing. If not its an emergency and it can't wait.

Does she look like she's trying to poop?
How did the poop look?
She's trying to tell you somethings wrong...

Mine doesn't drink either since they only got raw and canned food.
Click to expand...

She did pee. She scratched around the box afterwards and then just sat there. She left a few minutes ago, still no poop.
 
Next time grab a paper towel and squish the poop if its rock hard its constipation. That she did poop is good but going back to the box and sitting there... means she feels like shes not finished. You might try adding 1/4 a teaspoon of miralax to her food its tasteless and mixes in well.
 
Hi CatMom,

Response to your queries (no particular order):

OK, easy one first. With the change to an all-wet diet, Ruby's fluid intake will have increased significantly. Most dry foods only contain 5-10% moisture, whereas wet food moisture content is typically 70%+. Many who make the switch stop visiting the water bowl. To increase fluid consumption, members often add a couple of teaspoonfuls of water to each feed and mix it through.

Next to litter box matters. If a cat starts doing litter box lurks it's typically a sign that something is up.

I agree with Sasha's recommendation to check that Ruby's peeing OK because if she's not able to then that is 100% an emergency situation and you need to get her to the vet to check for any urethral blockage.

Litter box positions:

1. When wishing to urinate:

wZXo64vBXRG2YYIqpwnqvedEajhq3Q9sxWtZbZaNe1b1jkfGV_-9gh0pu0ke2M3YgYEbYEqYP5FlIDL6VB2XUJXadQ-mi0nBMABjiiYuJry4fzGLTGCVF2gMFAqRy0bbupQ7EgJU



2. When wishing to defaecate:

zIjBY0erB4ikR44mw1CzmOqBYj9j-bczvK3hi8YvXCiT2dgC7fMu7v4cE4Nqn5Sd-H_XRh-9O0V9fgsQd2a4QN-ZQL5RpPW6VLz2-sV4g941i-s0YxhN3KJ0YMpAu-A-7T_HqLjw



If Ruby starts straining in the litter box then the position she adopts should help you to identify whether she's having a problem with peeing or pooping. Another thing to watch out for is whether she starts worrying at her nether regions as that can also be a sign of discomfort relating to waste elimination (though not as inidicative as the littler box positions).

By way of general information, unregulated diabetics can experience problems with the nervous system. It's most obvious in cats who develop difficulties with their limbs (plantigrade stance, problems walking and/or jumping) but it can sometimes affect the digestive tract, resulting in food moving more slowly along its length. That, in turn, may give rise to constipation. However, this is just one potential cause of such a problem.

If you suspect constipation then the first step is to ask the vet to give Ruby a check-up to assess whether she is 'backed up' and also to make sure that there is no obstruction in the gut. (This is vital for safety before looking at any preventative treatments.) Once the latter has been ruled out, if consitpation is the problem then the vet will be able to give appropriate initial treatment. A few days' treatment with metoclopramide (Reglan) can help 'get things moving' a bit better.

For more information on feline constipation and preventative treatments, this site is incredibly helpful:

felineconstipation.org


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
Hi CatMom,

Response to your queries (no particular order):

OK, easy one first. With the change to an all-wet diet, Ruby's fluid intake will have increased significantly. Most dry foods only contain 5-10% moisture, whereas wet food moisture content is typically 70%+. Many who make the switch stop visiting the water bowl. To increase fluid consumption, members often add a couple of teaspoonfuls of water to each feed and mix it through.

Next to litter box matters. If a cat starts doing litter box lurks it's typically a sign that something is up.

I agree with Sasha's recommendation to check that Ruby's peeing OK because if she's not able to then that is 100% an emergency situation and you need to get her to the vet to check for any urethral blockage.

Litter box positions:

1. When wishing to urinate:

wZXo64vBXRG2YYIqpwnqvedEajhq3Q9sxWtZbZaNe1b1jkfGV_-9gh0pu0ke2M3YgYEbYEqYP5FlIDL6VB2XUJXadQ-mi0nBMABjiiYuJry4fzGLTGCVF2gMFAqRy0bbupQ7EgJU



2. When wishing to defaecate:

zIjBY0erB4ikR44mw1CzmOqBYj9j-bczvK3hi8YvXCiT2dgC7fMu7v4cE4Nqn5Sd-H_XRh-9O0V9fgsQd2a4QN-ZQL5RpPW6VLz2-sV4g941i-s0YxhN3KJ0YMpAu-A-7T_HqLjw



If Ruby starts straining in the litter box then the position she adopts should help you to identify whether she's having a problem with peeing or pooping. Another thing to watch out for is whether she starts worrying at her nether regions as that can also be a sign of discomfort relating to waste elimination (though not as inidicative as the littler box positions).

By way of general information, unregulated diabetics can experience problems with the nervous system. It's most obvious in cats who develop difficulties with their limbs (plantigrade stance, problems walking and/or jumping) but it can sometimes affect the digestive tract, resulting in food moving more slowly along its length. That, in turn, may give rise to constipation. However, this is just one potential cause of such a problem.

If you suspect constipation then the first step is to ask the vet to give Ruby a check-up to assess whether she is 'backed up' and also to make sure that there is no obstruction in the gut. (This is vital for safety before looking at any preventative treatments.) Once the latter has been ruled out, if consitpation is the problem then the vet will be able to give appropriate initial treatment. A few days' treatment with metoclopramide (Reglan) can help 'get things moving' a bit better.

For more information on feline constipation and preventative treatments, this site is incredibly helpful:

felineconstipation.org


Mogs
.
Click to expand...
MOGS! You've come to my rescue once again! :bighug:

Her peeing is fine--I can hear her strong pee stream when she's in the box. I have a motion sensor installed next to the litter box so I get a notification on my phone when someone is near it so I can get up and go to see who is doing what in there. I have the Smart Cat Box with the pee drawer that allows me to test Ruby's pee for glucose and ketones, so I keep an eye on it because she shares the box with her sister Olive and I want to keep the drawer clean to get a good reading when Ruby goes. Most of the time though I wake up in the morning to poos in the box so I don't know who has done what, but I'll keep an eye out for Ruby going in there again if I'm awake when it happens to see if she is straining.
 
If you keep a written note of when poops appear in the box then you should be able to deduce whether someone isn't pooing frequently enough, even if you can't catch anyone in the act. :)

I also suggest keeping an eye on how much Ruby's eating. Constipation can lead to poor appetite (for the obvious reasons) and may sometimes trigger vomiting. Also, keep an eye out for watery diarrhoea: sometimes more liquid faeces can make its way around a stuck stool.


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
I also suggest keeping an eye on how much Ruby's eating. Constipation can lead to poor appetite (for the obvious reasons) and may sometimes trigger vomiting. Also, keep an eye out for watery diarrhoea: sometimes more liquid faeces can make its way around a stuck stool.
Click to expand...

Ruby did vomit this morning but it was probably a scarf and barf and she ate more right afterwards. Her appetite has been good, having been an elite member of the clean plate club ever since she went on insulin. She has had a few bouts of diarrhea but it was early on when she just started on insulin and I was changing her food to wet.
 
PerfumedCatMom said:
Ruby did vomit this morning but it was probably a scarf and barf and she ate more right afterwards. Her appetite has been good, having been an elite member of the clean plate club ever since she went on insulin. She has had a few bouts of diarrhea but it was early on when she just started on insulin and I was changing her food to wet.
Click to expand...
She did poop earlier today right?
 
PerfumedCatMom said:
MOGS! You've come to my rescue once again! :bighug:

Her peeing is fine--I can hear her strong pee stream when she's in the box. I have a motion sensor installed next to the litter box so I get a notification on my phone when someone is near it so I can get up and go to see who is doing what in there. I have the Smart Cat Box with the pee drawer that allows me to test Ruby's pee for glucose and ketones, so I keep an eye on it because she shares the box with her sister Olive and I want to keep the drawer clean to get a good reading when Ruby goes. Most of the time though I wake up in the morning to poos in the box so I don't know who has done what, but I'll keep an eye out for Ruby going in there again if I'm awake when it happens to see if she is straining.
Click to expand...
Have you ever thought about putting a cam up to monitor the box? I have a Kasa cam that has a motion detector and records when it senses movement. I can check the footage on my phone to see what happened in the box. You can also view it live. I have another set up in the living room so I could watch them in real time when I was away too.
 
katiesmom said:
Have you ever thought about putting a cam up to monitor the box? I have a Kasa cam that has a motion detector and records when it senses movement. I can check the footage on my phone to see what happened in the box. You can also view it live. I have another set up in the living room so I could watch them in real time when I was away too.
Click to expand...
What a great idea!
 
Bumping this post again because I found Ruby sitting in the litter box again this morning. Eventually she did expel a 6 inch long poop that was the consistency of dryish clay--not rock hard, still a little soft. A week ago I introduced Fortiflora to her diet that she absolutely loves. She comes running whenever I open a new packet of it and gobbles up anything I sprinkle it on and she seems to be drinking a little more water since then, but it doesn't seem to have changed the consistency of her poop. I tried pumpkin and she won't even go near it.

Should I try a little Miralax? Is there another probiotic I could try?
 
I have only popped back into the forum just now, so am likely missing something.
Has there been any changes in your household that coincide with her litterbox sitting? work schedules, foods, company, temperatures, litter types, other cat's behaviour? My civvies will do it when stressed, and did it when being competitive when I got a new cat. Rhubarb also started getting weird when I kept trying to catch her in the litter box. Is it possible she is waiting for you?
 
majandra said:
I have only popped back into the forum just now, so am likely missing something.
Has there been any changes in your household that coincide with her litterbox sitting? work schedules, foods, company, temperatures, litter types, other cat's behaviour? My civvies will do it when stressed, and did it when being competitive when I got a new cat. Rhubarb also started getting weird when I kept trying to catch her in the litter box. Is it possible she is waiting for you?
Click to expand...
Hi, the only thing that has changed in the house is Ruby's diabetes! The litter box with the Tidy Cat Breeze pellets is sorta new, since her diagnosis in September, but she obviously likes being in there. She is stressed from me pricking her but I think that is getting easier as the days go on.
 
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