Hey everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted on this forum, but it's good to see you're all still here helping each other out. I've got the same cat, new problem!
3 weeks ago something she ate gave her a bad case of diarrhea. For a couple of days every time she "went" we had to scoop her up and give her a good cleaning. Furry bums and diarrhhea - bad combination!! Needless to say, she HATES that! Anyhow, we visited the vet and her sickness cleared up within a couple of days, but since then she hates her litter box and now prefers to "go" outside. She's an indoor cat, but we take her outside morning and night (sometimes more if we're home from work) but she is always with us and supervised when outdoors. My dilemma is on those days we can't take her outside or if we are out of the house longer than normal - it seems she is "holding" her business (much like a dog!) until she can get outside and this worries me.
She is not messing anywhere in the house and has gone in her box a few times since all this started. I keep placing her in her box a few times a day to remind her that she indeed HAS a litter box. Sometimes she will actually go when encouraged and given a treat afterwards. Once she even "faked it" so that I would leave her alone and give her a treat already!! (she's waaay too smart!) Anyhow, I know she WILL go in her box and that she knows what it's for. And truthfully, I don't miss the constant floor sweeping and box scooping (altho now I have to scoop the mess from my yard) but I am concerned that this new "habit" is harmful to her since she will sometimes not go pee for two days. A vet once told me they can go 3 days without urinating, but she used to go pee twice a day!
I know she's not constipated or anything because she is going regularly, and does not appear to be straining or in pain, but again she only wants to go outside. I think she has a very bad memory of her litter box and fears that she may end up in the bathtub getting a cleaning afterwards. What do you all you cat experts think? Is this normal? Am I worrying way too much? If I keep giving her positive reinforcement, do you think she will go when she has to in her litter box when we are not home? Because so far, she has only gone once in her box on her own and without being prompted. I'm sure she knows when she has to "go" but I am worried about the length of time she is waiting. Should I just leave her and NOT take her outside?
Any opinions?
3 weeks ago something she ate gave her a bad case of diarrhea. For a couple of days every time she "went" we had to scoop her up and give her a good cleaning. Furry bums and diarrhhea - bad combination!! Needless to say, she HATES that! Anyhow, we visited the vet and her sickness cleared up within a couple of days, but since then she hates her litter box and now prefers to "go" outside. She's an indoor cat, but we take her outside morning and night (sometimes more if we're home from work) but she is always with us and supervised when outdoors. My dilemma is on those days we can't take her outside or if we are out of the house longer than normal - it seems she is "holding" her business (much like a dog!) until she can get outside and this worries me.
She is not messing anywhere in the house and has gone in her box a few times since all this started. I keep placing her in her box a few times a day to remind her that she indeed HAS a litter box. Sometimes she will actually go when encouraged and given a treat afterwards. Once she even "faked it" so that I would leave her alone and give her a treat already!! (she's waaay too smart!) Anyhow, I know she WILL go in her box and that she knows what it's for. And truthfully, I don't miss the constant floor sweeping and box scooping (altho now I have to scoop the mess from my yard) but I am concerned that this new "habit" is harmful to her since she will sometimes not go pee for two days. A vet once told me they can go 3 days without urinating, but she used to go pee twice a day!
I know she's not constipated or anything because she is going regularly, and does not appear to be straining or in pain, but again she only wants to go outside. I think she has a very bad memory of her litter box and fears that she may end up in the bathtub getting a cleaning afterwards. What do you all you cat experts think? Is this normal? Am I worrying way too much? If I keep giving her positive reinforcement, do you think she will go when she has to in her litter box when we are not home? Because so far, she has only gone once in her box on her own and without being prompted. I'm sure she knows when she has to "go" but I am worried about the length of time she is waiting. Should I just leave her and NOT take her outside?
Any opinions?
