Cat W/ibd Pooping Outside Litter Box

My cat is 10 years old and has IBD. I adopted her 3 years ago, and she was fine the first year. Two years ago she started with diarrhea and pooing outside the litterbox – usually on the litter mat or the carpet by the box. Her box is in my bedroom, and we have another cat that has a box in my sister's room. She also poops outside of that box.
After a lot of behavioral/diet experimenting, we've finally gotten the IBD diagnosis and are controlling it with Prednisone and Science Diet Urinary & Metabolic Care, but she still poops outside the box most of the time. It's mostly by the box, but for the past few months, she's been going on the carpet in the closet and along the walls of the rooms.
We're in the process of changing out the flooring in those two rooms to laminate flooring. If the issue continues, my dad's going to make me get rid of her...Please let me know how I can retrain her to use the box!
In case this helps: The litter boxes we use are storage containers because she pees while standing, and we can't find normal litter boxes tall enough. We don't have the option of moving the litter boxes out of those rooms.

Hi! Put a tarp underneath the box to protect the floor, block the closet and put furniture or boxes along the walls. If necessary put tarp there too, and try some different types of litter. There's even one called Cat Attract. It's a little expensive but some people sprinkle it on top of other litter to help with the cost. Hang in there!!

myfurbaby said:

After a lot of behavioral/diet experimenting, we've finally gotten the IBD diagnosis and are controlling it with Prednisone and Science Diet Urinary & Metabolic Care,

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That's not the correct prescription diet for IBD Vets typically prescribe a sensitive tummy type food for IBD such as Hills Z/D. Prescription food isn't even needed at all either. Many IBD cats do well on a bland-ish commercial limited ingredient type diet.

Here are two web sites on treating IBD:

IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time
Feline IBD

The first web site has a link to a FB group to discuss all things IBD with other cat owners. You're certainly welcome to post here on TCS about your IBD cat, too

What is the texture of the poop? Normal? Soft? Very loose? It could be related to the IBD and diet. Many IBD cats have really sensitive tummies and ingredients in food can cause poop issues and a cat may associate poop issues with the litter box. Chicken is a common culprit.

LTS3 said:

That's not the correct prescription diet for IBD Vets typically prescribe a sensitive tummy type food for IBD such as Hills Z/D. Prescription food isn't even needed at all either. Many IBD cats do well on a bland-ish commercial limited ingredient type diet.

Here are two web sites on treating IBD:

IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time
Feline IBD

The first web site has a link to a FB group to discuss all things IBD with other cat owners. You're certainly welcome to post here on TCS about your IBD cat, too

What is the texture of the poop? Normal? Soft? Very loose? It could be related to the IBD and diet. Many IBD cats have really sensitive tummies and ingredients in food can cause poop issues and a cat may associate poop issues with the litter box. Chicken is a common culprit.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the information! I did have her on Blue Wilderness but had to switch to the urinary diet after she kept getting UTIs. Her poop had been very soft and mucousy before the prednisone and monthly B12 shots.