Inappropriate defecation

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Jennifer and Katie

Jennifer and Katie

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So, today is the fourth time Katie has pooped out of the litter box. And today's was formed, so I don't believe she couldn't get there in time. We have two litter boxes in the house, one upstairs, and one on the main floor. Her defecating out of the litter box is relatively new, only starting within the last few weeks. And it's always in about the same spot: int eh formal living room, right next to the organ. Any ideas on what could be causing it? Or how to stop it?
 
is katie straining at all? or is she making repeated trips to the box?

not saying its the same, but my cat was doing this just a mere month ago, and it turned out to be a bladder infection.

at first i thought it was odd, cos i would see her go in the litter box, do nothing, then come out and poop on the floor. i asked my vet about this and she said that since kitty was straining to pee cos of the painful bladder infection, she would associate the pain with the litter box, and go in other places that she felt were more comfortable (like the hallway, or her cat bed, etc)

maybe observe her litter box habits for the next little while to see how many times she goes in and how much is coming out. usually when a cat goes outside the box, they're trying to tell you something
 
Hi Jennifer,
Katie is OTJ, correct? Other that the pooping in the living room, any other problems you've seen? I agree with jewelsmom, she is trying to tell you something. When I met my wife many years ago, she had a cat named Boots. At the time, my wife was living with a girlfriend who for whatever reason, Boots despised. So much so that when they would do laundry, and stacked the clothes in separate piles, Boots would poop on the girlfriends clothes, or she would poop on her pillow. Never any other incidents outside the box, just on this poor girl's personal stuff. Boots didn't like her, and let her know that.
I'm wondering if Katie has an issue with something like that. It's always in the same place? This may sound stupid, but does anyone ever play the organ? If so, do you ever see a reaction from Katie?
It is most likely a physical, rather than an emotional reason that is causing this, though. She could be, as jewelsmoms said, having difficulty peeing in the box, associating the box with pain, and using this to let you know that. So, is she peeing in the box, and if so, have you seen any signs it is a problem that might cause her to be in pain?
If she is using the box to pee, then you should be able to rule out any mobility related problems like it's hard to climb in the box.
Other than this, does she seem to be in any sort of distress?

Puzzled,
Carl
 
im having this problem now although we are on day 3 with no poop outside the box for this week and its not all the time either, mine had a bad incident (totally my fault) where i completely forgot to clean out the box for a week and from that point i got the mess from them (have yet to figure out who is doing it) now i make a point to clean out that box at least 3x's a day and its getting better, plan is to get another box but havent had the time

now prior to patches getting the diabetes he was pooping outside the box but i took that as him not being happy of the move to the new house, finding out he was actually sick....mine are older now so im taking it is a being picky thing with them due to my forgetfulness and they think that is what they will be walking into
 
Well, I was hoping for an OTJ kitty, but I had to give her insulin last night. *sigh* Still, she went four days without any insulin, so I consider that an accomplishment.
Anyway, I've been watching her, and she doesn't frequent the litter box. Also, she's not straining in the slightest. I don't see any symptoms of pain; she's playing, walking, and acting just like normal. And she does defecate in the litter box when she's upstairs. It just seems like she's too lazy to climb the stairs to get to the litter box when she's downstairs and has to go. Since the first two times were accidents, could she have decided it's more convenient to go there? It's always in relatively the same spot. But no one has played the organ for a long time. When I used to play the piano, if I got in the lower range of sound, she would come up and bite my ankle, but I haven't played for a few years now.
Other than the pooping, I haven't had any problems with her. We have been packing boxes as of late, getting ready for another move, so I suppose Katie could be doing it in protest of the packing.
 
Oh boy .. Do I ever understand this situation .. our sugar kitty mocha has her BM outside the box whenever she is mad at us .. if we are gone for an hour, a day, a night, etc. she will go directly in front of her box .. If we are sleeping and won't play with her, she does it again .. if we are ignoring her in any way she does not approve of, she will have her BM's right in front of either LB .. If we are at home, and playing and all is well with her, she goes in the box without even thinking twice .. She can go days and days without incident, but if I go out to lunch with a friend, I know exactly what to find when I get home! I do not know how to break her of this habit! At least both boxes are on linoleum for easy clean up .. :YMSIGH:
 
Tom has done that a few times and we realized that it's because of constipation (likely due to CRF)
He would go to the box and strain, not be able to get it out completely. He would then come back upstairs, and would find a spot to "finish his job". Poor thing.

We are adding more water to his food as well as lax-a day.
 
Jennifer and Katie said:
Well, I was hoping for an OTJ kitty, but I had to give her insulin last night. *sigh* Still, she went four days without any insulin, so I consider that an accomplishment.
Anyway, I've been watching her, and she doesn't frequent the litter box. Also, she's not straining in the slightest. I don't see any symptoms of pain; she's playing, walking, and acting just like normal. And she does defecate in the litter box when she's upstairs. It just seems like she's too lazy to climb the stairs to get to the litter box when she's downstairs and has to go. Since the first two times were accidents, could she have decided it's more convenient to go there? It's always in relatively the same spot. But no one has played the organ for a long time. When I used to play the piano, if I got in the lower range of sound, she would come up and bite my ankle, but I haven't played for a few years now.
Other than the pooping, I haven't had any problems with her. We have been packing boxes as of late, getting ready for another move, so I suppose Katie could be doing it in protest of the packing.
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Jennifer,
I'm sad to hear that Katie needed insulin. I'm wondering, if the pooping could be a "protest", or just a reaction to the stress in the house caused by an upcoming move? If so, then maybe that same stress is making her BG higher? It is an accomplishment that you were able to get her OTJ, even if just for 4 days. And that also makes it highly likely you'll be able to do it again. Once you get settled, maybe Katie will too.

Let us know how she (and you) are doing,
Carl
 
If she is pooping in the same place, make sure you have enzymed that spot well. Cats have better noses than we do and will repeat if they still smell the poop there. Enzyme like Petastic, Anti Icky Poo and others..

Moving can definitely stress out kitties. Is any moving/noise generating things near the litterbox that could have startled her? Are boxes being packed near the litterboxes? Have the litterboxes been moved? Same litter? Same cleaning routine for the litterboxes?

I gather this spot is nowhere near the actual box. Try an additional box right there where shes pooping..it will not look nice but she might use it there.

Anectodally, many cats seem to poop outside the box and its discovered that they are hyperthyroid. The only actual reference to this I found other than "word of mouth" is that hyperT kitties sometimes have loose stool and go outside the box..but I have heard of other kitties pooping (normal) poo in the bathtub and later dxed with hyperT.
 
hmmm .. that is very interesting .. mocha's poo's are always normal .. but she has never gone anywhere other then 1 foot in front of her LB .. and she's done it in front of both boxes ..
 
PeterDevonMocha said:
hmmm .. that is very interesting .. mocha's poo's are always normal .. but she has never gone anywhere other then 1 foot in front of her LB .. and she's done it in front of both boxes ..
Click to expand...

hm.. well I asked if the spot was near the box because "usually" when a cat goes outside the box in the immediate vicinity of the box, there is something about the box itself or litter that they do not like. I assume you have tried different things since its been going on a while?

You may have tried them but:
If the boxes are next to each other, change litter in one box.. clumping is by far the most popular litter, pellets/crystals least popular. Of course there are always exceptions.
If the boxes are in different rooms, add a box to one room and try different litter.
If it has a hood, or liners, take them off one box.

Usually the word of mouth about the hyperT was a kitty newly not using box, not an ongoing issue.
 
Well we haven't tried much to be honest, we figured it was her "meezer ways" .. About a month or two ago we switched litters to the scooping kind, and it was surprising to us that she took to it right away while our civvie pooped outside the box, once .. then she started using the box as well ..

Both boxes have been in the same spots since we moved in here almost 8 years ago .. Mocha can go weeks without incidents, then if we leave for the day, she'll have her BM outside her box .. She goes in the box every time to pee, and about 90% of the time to poop.

Like I said, she tends to do this when she isn't getting "her way" We aren't paying attention to her at night, while we are sleeping .. Since I stay home all day every day, on the rare occasion I go out to lunch with a friend she does it while I'm out .. If we go away on vacation she does it as well .. I scoop both boxes every day and every few months we totally scrub out the boxes with hot water (we use liners, always have, but just to get "dust" off the boxes) We change out the small filter pads on top every few weeks as well ..

Her BM's are always normal, never runny ..

I think really she does it because she get's mad at us .. She's been tested in the past for Hyper T and her results were in the normal range ..
 
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