Hello; I have a 10 year old Abby that is driving me nuts. This is a one cat household. We have three litter boxes for this cat and they are kept clean and scooped every day with fresh litter added. We have used the same litter since we got Callie as a kitten and she is not declawed. After all that, here is the problem. Callie has started to poop on the cement floor in the cellar. She always used the cellar litter box for defecation until recently. The bizarre aspect of this whole thing is that she still uses the same litter box to urinate in. At first, I thought she might have arthritis that might hamper her getting into it (it is uncovered). She apparently has no problem getting into the thing which is plenty big to accommodate her. I have heard of cats suddenly stop using a litterbox but never to stop using it for one function only???? Help!
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Bizarre litter box behavior????
- Thread starter billmac
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- Feb 24, 2015
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First thing you need to rule out is some sort of medical issue. Cats often change bathroom habits when they are having pain. They associate the pain they feel with the location they feel it and try to avoid it. A trip to your vet is recommended.
This definitely sounds like a medical issue. When my cat was constipated, it hurt or was uncomfortable to defecate, so she associated the pain with the litter box and tried to find different, more comfortable spots to poop. She still had no problems urinating in the litter box.
First, the pain or discomfort has to be resolved. While you're trying to figure that out, I recommend laying newspaper or puppy pads out on the floor for easy clean up. Then, once her issue has been resolved, she still is going to be afraid that the pain will come back if she uses the litter box, so you will probably have to change something up, like getting new litter boxes or litter and the placement of the box, so she can try it and discover that when she goes there, she feels fine, and she'll keep using it. Cats generally prefer using litter so they can cover up their waste, so it's normally not too difficult to convince them to use a new litter box once the medical issue is fixed.
If constipation might be the problem (if her stools are round, small, and/or hard, she is going less frequently, or she yelps when defecating), then you can try increasing her water intake by switching to canned food/adding extra water to her canned food, brushing her more often (hair sometimes gets caught up in the intestines and makes constipation worse), and making sure she's getting playtime and exercise. If these do not fix it, you can ask your vet about Miralax, a stoool softener, a fiber additive like canned pumpkin, and probiotics. Because constipation can have a few different causes and things like fiber can make certain kinds worse and certain kinds better, it's best to have her seen by a vet before you make any additions to her diet. For my cat, her constipation issues went on for months until I finally started adding probiotics to her food, and she's been fine ever since.
First, the pain or discomfort has to be resolved. While you're trying to figure that out, I recommend laying newspaper or puppy pads out on the floor for easy clean up. Then, once her issue has been resolved, she still is going to be afraid that the pain will come back if she uses the litter box, so you will probably have to change something up, like getting new litter boxes or litter and the placement of the box, so she can try it and discover that when she goes there, she feels fine, and she'll keep using it. Cats generally prefer using litter so they can cover up their waste, so it's normally not too difficult to convince them to use a new litter box once the medical issue is fixed.
If constipation might be the problem (if her stools are round, small, and/or hard, she is going less frequently, or she yelps when defecating), then you can try increasing her water intake by switching to canned food/adding extra water to her canned food, brushing her more often (hair sometimes gets caught up in the intestines and makes constipation worse), and making sure she's getting playtime and exercise. If these do not fix it, you can ask your vet about Miralax, a stoool softener, a fiber additive like canned pumpkin, and probiotics. Because constipation can have a few different causes and things like fiber can make certain kinds worse and certain kinds better, it's best to have her seen by a vet before you make any additions to her diet. For my cat, her constipation issues went on for months until I finally started adding probiotics to her food, and she's been fine ever since.
I agree about the constipation. You should have her checked out immediately.
We have an adopted Russian Blue we got when he was six months old. We had him in a "safe room" while we were integrating him and a second one we adopted at the same time with our 16 year old blind cat. He plainly didn't like being locked up and howled like a fire truck. He also defecated right beside the litter box in protest.
We finally took all three to a feline behaviorist. The solution to the litter problem was a new litter called Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract. Darwin watched as my husband replaced the litter and immediately hopped in. He hasn't made a mistake in over five years now. Dr. Elsey's has herbs that attract cats to the box. It's lightweight and almost dustless. It works beautifully in electric cat pans, and we've not had a pan break since we've been using it. Give it a try when your baby is well.
We have an adopted Russian Blue we got when he was six months old. We had him in a "safe room" while we were integrating him and a second one we adopted at the same time with our 16 year old blind cat. He plainly didn't like being locked up and howled like a fire truck. He also defecated right beside the litter box in protest.
We finally took all three to a feline behaviorist. The solution to the litter problem was a new litter called Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract. Darwin watched as my husband replaced the litter and immediately hopped in. He hasn't made a mistake in over five years now. Dr. Elsey's has herbs that attract cats to the box. It's lightweight and almost dustless. It works beautifully in electric cat pans, and we've not had a pan break since we've been using it. Give it a try when your baby is well.
