cat pooping throughout the house

Last week my friend asked me to go feed her three cats while she was out of state. She told me I could go about every three days and scoop the box and replenish the cat food. The first day I went there (sunday), there were two distinct cat pee puddles outside the box on a plastic runner. I cleaned them up, scooped the cat box they have and did not go back the next day. Went back on tuesday, and found cat poop in several rooms. So I went back on wednesday and found nothing unusual. Found poop again in several places on thursday and friday. Again on sunday and again on monday.

When I talked to my friend mid week, she acted as though this was VERY unheard of, never had a problem before, but believed it to be their cat named waggles. Waggles is a tortoiseshell and VERY VERY tiny. So very small! She is named waggles because when she walks, her back legs wiggle and waggle back and forth, almost like she is drunk. Since they have gotten home, she continues to poop throughout the house and now they want to get rid of her.

I was wondering if anyone has any idea as to why all of a sudden this cat would start pooping outside of the box? They have had this cat for over a year. They have two other cats, and two dogs. One is a large lab, and the other is a small long haired chihuahua that they recently got in january. But this just started and I was hoping for any advice to give her.

 

Thomas does this every time we/I go on vacation. It is showing his disapproval of the whole thing, even though we always get baby sitters he knows well. He will do this for about 2 days after we come home as well, and then stops. Noone has ever asked him if he can be left alone!

dana

 

They have to give her time. :sad:

 

I know ... they have had her for a year, and she has never done this before, and they have gone on vacation multiple times without this ever happening. The cat is such a sweetheart. Definitely a lap cat. I just wish I could give her something to go on, to maybe help her fix the problem, whatever it may be.

 

I'm with Dana. Ennis used to pee outside the box when I would be away and for a couple weeks after I got home. The owners might this about asking the vet to put waggles on an anti-anxiety drug.

 

Would this happen all of a sudden, out of the blue? They went away for two weeks in December with no problems.

 

Is it formed poop or loose. If loose, it could be an incontinence problem that requires a vet visit.

 

They could try using an Animal Communicator -- I recommend Dawn Allen.
http://www.dawnallen.org/

 

I'd suggest a vet visit first too. Poor thing. I've known cats who poop all over like that when their beans go away, but usually it's expected to happen because the cat does it every time. Though, I guess they all have to have that first time... but I'd still get it checked. Any time a cat who regularly uses the box goes outside of it, to me, means an immediate visit with the vet to rule out health stuff first. In our house it usually indicates a problem. Or that someone moved the LB to the wrong spot. Which is still a problem, in Tux's mind, even if it's not health related

 

That's something to think about. Did they move the litter boxes?

 

the poops are solid, no loose poop. They did not move the litterbox. When I first found the pee outside the box, I asked my friend if she normally cleaned the box every day, but suggested I come about every three, so I wouldn't have to go there everyday, but she said no, she normally does it about every three days as well. Then I found the poop outside the box and when she heard about that, she had no idea what was going on. Said no cat had ever pooped outside of the box before. And not to be gross, but there was a little at the end of the hallway and some in both of their daughters rooms and the kitchen. Then each time I found more of it, it was always spread throughout the house. Not sure if the cat was going that many times a day, or if she would go a little then move to another location and go some more? She thought perhaps it was because they were on vacation and the cat missed them, but the cat has continued to do it even after they got back. They know what cat it is now, it's waggles, their really small one and her husband says she has to get rid of it.

I do want to add in that my friend does nails out of her home, and my sister in law goes to her for her nails. Well the other day she was there getting her nails done, and their newest addition to the family, the long haired chihuahua pooped in the living room. When my SIL asked about it, my friend said that she is still getting used to being around people and in that home. I guess she was in a bad home before, the kind of home that continuously breeds dogs even when they shouldn't be. Maybe the cat is acting out over this? But neither dog were there while my friend was on vacation. They were at her husbands dads house. I just don't know what would cause this, and I hate the idea of them putting down waggles because of it especially because it has just started.

 

When Angus started doing this, it was cancer. I am not suggesting anything so dire for Waggles, but she really should see a vet to rule out physical causes. Cats can develop an aversion to their litter boxes if something is causing them pain when they go.

 

thanks you guys .. I will send her off an e mail with what you all have suggested. I hope they can get this under control or figured out soon.

 

A "newer" dog, beans go away...maybe too much for her at once.???

 

yes maybe ... this cat is the smallest cat I have ever seen ... she is just so incredibly tiny! I just hope it all works out for her ...

 

It would be different if a Saint Bernard was pooping in every room of the house. :smile:

 

I sure hope they take that into consideration before they get rid of the poor lil thing. The world is so big when it comes to extra small kitties. :YMSIGH:

Jeanne

 

The little kitty is threatened by the new addition. She is acting out based on the dog. Cats commonly mark their territory with urine, spraying, and POOP! So even if the dog was out of the house for the vacation, lil miss kitty was busy marking her territory with anything that she thought would be stronger than the dog poop.

It is time for the house to be thoroughly cleaned and the dog to be properly housebroken. This means the chihuahua is confined to a kennel (dogs won't poop where they sleep) and to a single room until he is housebroken.

Lil Miss Kitty should stop when the dog's fecal odor is removed.

 

thanks blue .. I will pass this information along to her .. I know their bigger dog does not go in the house, and he is crate trained. I'm pretty sure she once told me they did not want to put the new dog in a crate, I guess she was in a pretty bad situation before with a crate and it stresses her out.

 

Sounds to me like she is under way too much stress people just do not realize that sometimes the slightest change can throw a cat off I have a aby here who started pooing on the floor because I had put a boy in a run on HIS sun porch how dare I and he showed he was one of our stud boys at the time and is a pet now but will still do it if he is really stressed sound to me like they need to get this kitty in a less stressful situation in their home hate to hear they just want to get rid of her they need to give her a chance with anxiety meds and maybe feliway plugins plus maybe cat attract litter that litter really works. And I will say after years of being a vet tech that anxiety and behavior meds to work if given a chance so keep us updated on this little girl

 

I notice that when a couple of my cats are constipated they will go anywhere but the litterbox. I would tell her to have the cat checked out by a vet. Perhaps there are not enough litterboxes in the house? Stress?

 

they have one litterbox in the house for three cats. It is not really a litterbox though, it is a sterile storage container, just without the lid on it. I have not heard back from my friend after the e mail I sent her. That is not uncommon, she has three kids all under the age of five so she is a busy mom.