Cat Pooping While Running

Hi all,

Not sure if this goes under health or behavior, so please let me know if I've posted in the wrong area. My 6 year old shorthair Snoopy (indoor only) practically developed litter box issues overnight. I was out for a few days last week, while my wife was with him at home to take care of him. While I was gone, he all of a sudden stopped using the litter box and instead began to run around wildly while dropping feces wherever he would run. We figured at first it was him unhappy about me being gone, but even after I've come home (since last Thursday) he's still doing this.

We took him to the vet and the vet found nothing physically wrong with him (no blockages, bladder felt fine), and his feces tested negative for anything. So we figured we'd just confine him for a while in the room where his litter box is, leave food and water for him and let him be for a bit one afternoon. Came home to find one turd in the box with 3 others outside. So it almost seemed like he was trying to poop there but then decided not to?

This morning we confined him to our bedroom and the room where his litter box is (short hallway distance) and he just got angry with us. Ran around the bedroom leaving turds everywhere. I'm really at a loss for words since he's never exhibited any of this kind of behavior before in all the years I've had him. Even with the introduction of a puppy a few years ago, or two big moves, he's always used his litter box consistently. Any thoughts? Is it worthwhile to go back to the vet again?

Sorry for the giant block of text, just wanted to get out all the info.

Thanks

I wonder if his poops are too hard and are hurting him when he goes. If this might be the case can try mixing a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin into his wet food. It will soften his stool so it is easier for him to go.

I also lean towards something physical. Cats can develop litterbox problems overnight but it rarely includes pooping in the way you describe (frequent small amounts like this). Not to be too gross but what's the consistency of the poop like?
Also, how about urination? Is he still using the box for that?

Are there any other "changes" in your home? It seems you covered his "physical being", other pets in the house, moving from you place to another, etc. What about a change in routine or any new humans in the house? I am trying to figure out if he has nothing physically wrong with him, what, if any other changes in his environment have occurred. Have you changed the brand of litter or is the litter box new??

hsuuperman said:

Hi all,

Not sure if this goes under health or behavior, so please let me know if I've posted in the wrong area. My 6 year old shorthair Snoopy (indoor only) practically developed litter box issues overnight. I was out for a few days last week, while my wife was with him at home to take care of him. While I was gone, he all of a sudden stopped using the litter box and instead began to run around wildly while dropping feces wherever he would run. We figured at first it was him unhappy about me being gone, but even after I've come home (since last Thursday) he's still doing this.

We took him to the vet and the vet found nothing physically wrong with him (no blockages, bladder felt fine), and his feces tested negative for anything. So we figured we'd just confine him for a while in the room where his litter box is, leave food and water for him and let him be for a bit one afternoon. Came home to find one turd in the box with 3 others outside. So it almost seemed like he was trying to poop there but then decided not to?

This morning we confined him to our bedroom and the room where his litter box is (short hallway distance) and he just got angry with us. Ran around the bedroom leaving turds everywhere. I'm really at a loss for words since he's never exhibited any of this kind of behavior before in all the years I've had him. Even with the introduction of a puppy a few years ago, or two big moves, he's always used his litter box consistently. Any thoughts? Is it worthwhile to go back to the vet again?

Sorry for the giant block of text, just wanted to get out all the info.

Thanks

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Wondering if the dog is chasing him.

The only thing I can think of is possibly very hard poop, that is painful to expel? Some sort of stool-softener would be indicated if that is it.

We had a similar problem that took a long time to figure it out what it was and an even longer time to figure out how to treat it. My cat’s poop was hard, that’s why she was pooping outside of the box, as well as running and pooping. The vet prescribed lactulose, but it was hard to figure out the exact right amount (too much and it would be diarrhea, too little and it would still be hard). After reading what was online, I bought high fiber treats (8% fiber), give her 5 a day, and she’s pooping like a champ in the litter box! Also giving her a small amount of laculose on her food. That is the combination that is working for us. It might take some trial and error to figure it out.

What are you feeding him, if you don't mind me asking?

Has there been any changes in his diet that could change the consistency of his poop. Is the litter brand the same that you always use? Maybe standing on the litter hurts his paws? If you do see him trying to go into the box and then run out again, try to observe him in the box. Like the other posters on the thread, the only thing I can think of is some sort of physical pain. He might associate the pain with the box and try to run away from it.

Everyone above has covered about everything. If his stool is hard I would try some of the suggestions above. Milk may also help him with that since a lot of cats are lactose intolerant. Not all cats are though. I wonder if lactulose is just lactose. If so, I'm sure milk would be cheaper. High fiber diet would help to. If none of those seem to help I would suggest doing an ultra sound. It's kind of pricy but it will tell you more than x-rays or blood test.

Something is either scaring him or hurting him. My cat would do this when he developed diarrhea, so I'm sure it was because he was hurting. If there have been no big changes in his food, litter, another cat showing up outside, etc., it is because of the pain of trying to pass hard stool. Don't confine him anymore, obviously it isn't doing much and is changing nothing, just adding more stress. After calling your vet and seeing if it is OK, get some Miralax in the human laxative section and start with adding 1/8 teaspoon with his food or a small amount of liquid, like tuna juice. etc. i went to a 1/4 teaspoon and my poor cat finally passed a huge stool and was much better. Little rabbit pellets like he is leaving, not one long stool, really indicates constipation. Keep us posted!

hsuuperman said:

... My 6 year old shorthair Snoopy (indoor only) practically developed litter box issues overnight. I was out for a few days last week, while my wife was with him at home to take care of him. While I was gone, he all of a sudden stopped using the litter box and instead began to run around wildly while dropping feces wherever he would run. We figured at first it was him unhappy about me being gone, but even after I've come home (since last Thursday) he's still doing this.

We took him to the vet and the vet found nothing physically wrong with him (no blockages, bladder felt fine), and his feces tested negative for anything. ... Any thoughts? Is it worthwhile to go back to the vet again?
...

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Sometimes it doesn't hurt to try just buying a brand new litter box for your kitty, and putting it in the same place where he regularly used the box prior to his current issues with this. No matter how diligently we may clean the box, both on daily and weekly schedules, sometimes a litter box can just get 'saturated' with a smell that may not pass his smell test for 'clean'. Is his litter box many years old at this point, e.g. 6 years old? The plastics can really get a build-up of odors, and even a build-up of cleanser smells, that the cat may not like. He might be trying to avoid the litter box because it doesn't seem fresh for him? Have you tried buying a brand new box?

Hi guys, thanks for all your responses and sorry for the late reply! So as far as his poop goes, it's firm but not super hard either according to the vet when we went to see her. But it probably wouldn't hurt to try a softener. We bought several extra boxes to lay around both levels of the house to see if it would help. For those asking about urinating, he's still using the box for that.

Also, I confined him for a few days in a room with two litter boxes, and he started to use them more frequently. Had one or two accidents but by and large pooping in the box. So I let him out, and for the last few days he's been going back to the room he was confined in to poop and pee. That room is downstairs in our house and he mostly hangs out upstairs, so I left a few boxes upstairs for him, but he seemed to still prefer to travel the larger distance to use the one downstairs.

Strangely enough, after a few days of normal behavior, last night in the middle of hte night woke me up again with a dash and turd of firm-ish texture. After I confined him for a bit and went back to check in on him, I find he's pooped again, with two in the box and two outside. I'm really not sure what to make of his behavior.

A long shot but my girl has occasional bouts of extreme anxiety where she will run from hiding place to hiding place and some times if she is really having a bad PTSD day she will poop as she runs. Is yours an anxious cat where this might be happening?

susanm9006 said:

A long shot but my girl has occasional bouts of extreme anxiety where she will run from hiding place to hiding place and some times if she is really having a bad PTSD day she will poop as she runs. Is you an anxious cat where this might be happening?

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That's something I'm currently considering, but I'm not sure how to deal with it. He's definitely not in hiding so to speak most of the time. He'll hang out with us, climb on his trees, etc etc, so it seems like he's having a reasonably good day, but I can't say I speak cat so

When he runs and poops he does seem like he's posessed with his fur kinda poofing up, so it seems maybe anxiety related, but aside from confining him to get him retrained, I'm not sure how to deal with issues of anxiety.

If this is, indeed, anxiety, there are several medications on the market for cats. Also, if it is anxiety, you can try dosing him with chamomile tea, which is far milder than any of the prescription medications, and safe for cats both internally and externally (for skin "ouchies"). The dosage is, depending on the size of the cat, 1-3 tsp from 1-3 times a day. Just brew a cup, chill it in the fridge, and administer via syringe. Or swab on an ouchy.

LOL, if you are particularly frazzled that day, drink a hot cup sweetened with honey yourself! Oh, and it is good for human skin "ouchies" as well.

It sounds like constipation. I would either increase canned food, or maybe try a hairball paste or treats, those can help with constipation.

cryptic said:

What are you feeding him, if you don't mind me asking?

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What are you feeding him? And as @tarasgirl106 wondered, could the dog be stressing him? I believe some folks have had luck with a plugin Pet Remedy calming diffuser. I like the idea you had of offering multiple litter boxes. Sounds like you are determined to follow through until a solution is found, I'm glad Snoopy has such loving humans. There have lots of wonderful ideas suggested, you came to the right place. Please keep us updated.

hsuuperman said:

That's something I'm currently considering, but I'm not sure how to deal with it. He's definitely not in hiding so to speak most of the time. He'll hang out with us, climb on his trees, etc etc, so it seems like he's having a reasonably good day, but I can't say I speak cat so

When he runs and poops he does seem like he's posessed with his fur kinda poofing up, so it seems maybe anxiety related, but aside from confining him to get him retrained, I'm not sure how to deal with issues of anxiety.

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If he were mine, I would revisit the vet for his opinion and next steps. Maybe it is stress or maybe there is pain somewhere else in his body that makes him lose control of his bowels that the vet just hasn’t found yet. In either case feels like some kind of more comprehensive medical evaluation is needed.

dustydiamond1 said:

What are you feeding him? And as @tarasgirl106 wondered, could the dog be stressing him? I believe some folks have had luck with a plugin Pet Remedy calming diffuser. I like the idea you had of offering multiple litter boxes. Sounds like you are determined to follow through until a solution is found, I'm glad Snoopy has such loving humans. There have lots of wonderful ideas suggested, you came to the right place. Please keep us updated.

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Ah forgot to answer, he mostly eats kibble, and gets treats for furball treatment near daily. We've tried wet food but he never touches the stuff :/

Our dog more or less leaves him alone. They've got a largely peaceful arrangement going on.