Litter Box Issues With Foster

DET_CAT_DAD

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Messages
102
Purraise
398
My wife and I took on a foster cat back in January. I've posted about Ziggy here before. He's older (going on 10) and we are at least his third home with multiple stops at the same cat shelter as well. He is a super awesome little guy. But he poops outside the litter box. And he's so overweight that sometimes his poop gets stuck to his butt and gets all over the bed in that room. I've tried multiple litter boxes, different litters and calming oils with no answer. He checks out at the vet perfectly fine. We have three other forever cats and Ziggy has lived in his own separate room since we got him. His previous owners turned him back in to the shelter we foster with because of his litter box issues. Our cats and Ziggy know each other live here. But I didn't want to fully start to integrate them until we solved Ziggy's litter box issues. He pooped on the sheets in the last week and I took them off to wash them. There is always this blue fleece blanket on the bed in his room that he likes to burrow under. The blanket was washed recently and not pooped on so I took off all the sheets and kept the blanket on the bed. I went in there yesterday to put the sheets back on the bed and noticed he has now peed in a bunch of different spots on the bed. I am so frustrated at this point but I don't want to let him down over some poop and pee. He keeps getting pushed around to different homes and I truly want this to be his forever home. Does anyone have any other suggestions to try?
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,189
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
Try something very low sided, perhaps even a fairly good sized cardboard box lid, and use puppy pee pads rather than litter. Given his age and being overweight he could also be experiencing some arthritic pain which could be attributing to his litterbox issues. It's worth a try!

Is he in good health otherwise?

Bless you for taking him in and not wanting to give up on him!
 

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
Bless you for taking him in and not wanting to give up on him!
Yes, thanks for not wanting to give up on him. Hopefully we can help get to the bottom (pun intended) of his troubles.

I've tried multiple litter boxes, different litters and calming oils with no answer.
By "multiple litter boxes" do you mean different types, or more than one at a time. If you only have one litter box out for him, try putting a 2nd one. Some cats like to pee in one box and poop in another.

And he's so overweight that sometimes his poop gets stuck to his butt and gets all over the bed in that room.
Has he lost any weight at all since you've been fostering him?

Any chance of trimming the fur around his butt?
Be Kind To Your Cats' Behinds! Dirty Cat Butts Prevention And Treatment | TheCatSite

Also, is his poop normal? Tootsie roll shaped?

Does he ever poop in the litter box?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

DET_CAT_DAD

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Messages
102
Purraise
398
By "multiple litter boxes" do you mean different types, or more than one at a time. If you only have one litter box out for him, try putting a 2nd one. Some cats like to pee in one box and poop in another.



Has he lost any weight at all since you've been fostering him?

Any chance of trimming the fur around his butt?
Be Kind To Your Cats' Behinds! Dirty Cat Butts Prevention And Treatment | TheCatSite

Also, is his poop normal? Tootsie roll shaped?

Does he ever poop in the litter box?
There are two different litter boxes in there right now. And I was using two different types of litter but he wouldn't pee in the one I was using that Cat Attract stuff in so I just stuck with my normal Tidy Cat stuff.

I don't know if he's lost any weight or not. I THINK so but he's like 16 lbs. so it's hard to tell.

I can try to trim around his butt but he gets very temperamental when I try to help him clean his butt so I'm not sure how well that would go over.

Yes, his poop is normal 99% of the time. Sometimes it's wet which turns into an issue because it gets all over his room.

Yes, he will occasionally poop in the litter box but not very often.

Thanks for the help.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

DET_CAT_DAD

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Messages
102
Purraise
398
Try something very low sided, perhaps even a fairly good sized cardboard box lid, and use puppy pee pads rather than litter. Given his age and being overweight he could also be experiencing some arthritic pain which could be attributing to his litterbox issues. It's worth a try!

Is he in good health otherwise?

Bless you for taking him in and not wanting to give up on him!
Try something very low sided, perhaps even a fairly good sized cardboard box lid, and use puppy pee pads rather than litter. Given his age and being overweight he could also be experiencing some arthritic pain which could be attributing to his litterbox issues. It's worth a try!

Is he in good health otherwise?

Bless you for taking him in and not wanting to give up on him!
He is actually in good health despite his weight. The vet gave him a clean bill of health. I will try the pee pads. I haven't tried those before. And I'm not sure it's arthritis because he can hop up onto couches and the bed in that room.
 

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
Do you know if he was an only cat in his previous homes? Just wondering if it's a stress-related or territorial thing, since you have other cats.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

DET_CAT_DAD

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Messages
102
Purraise
398
Do you know if he was an only cat in his previous homes? Just wondering if it's a stress-related or territorial thing, since you have other cats.
He was dropped off here from his previous adopters who just couldn't handle his litter box issues. He was an only cat and lived with them for a little over a year. The shelter that he was adopted from has a Catfe so he had been around cats before. And as I've heard it from that shelter, he was in a home with another cat before they got him but the other cat was picking on him a lot. I have three other cats (two males and one female) who will all be 5 this year. Ziggy will be 10. He's just been let down so many times before. I want him to live out his senior years with us being so happy and spoiled and a big part of our family.
 

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
Oh, poor little guy. Do you have a pic of him you can post? :camera:
 

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
Oh, he's super gorgeous! Wonder how big he actually is under all that fur? Have you ever considered taking him to a groomer and getting his fur shaved? Some people get a full summertime shave, but maybe even just get his fur clipped around his hind quarters.

Here's a thread that might be helpful:
Should I have my long haired cat shaved?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

DET_CAT_DAD

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Messages
102
Purraise
398
He's pretty fat even with all that hair. He went to the vet back in March and was 16 lbs. I was actually surprised he wasn't heavier. I'm hoping he's dropped a pound or two since we've had him but I'm not sure, it's hard to tell. There is a groomer close to me and I contacted them a few days ago to get some info. I'm going to try to get him in there. He does get combative though so I'm worried about him tearing up the staff.
 

danteshuman

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
5,030
Purraise
6,077
Location
California
Besides an enzyme cleaner I would get a waterproof mattress liner and then put sheets/blanket on it (be prepared to wash said linens with enzyme cleaner before you toss them in the wash.)

I would try grooming him/his behind everyday for just a few seconds to start with if needed, and then give him treats when you finish. Then just leave the room or ignore him until he comes up to you. Also keeping a cat in one room is very stressful for a cat psychology. So is there anyway you can lock the other cats up in a room and let him out with supervision a couple hours a day? Or maybe an hour, then a bathroom break for an hour, then let him out again for an hour?

Since you said he is arthritis free I would ask the vet about trying him out on Prozac (it comes in cream form.) I know people like to try holistic approaches first but given that he has been bounced around so much, Prozac seems a small price to pay!

:goodluck:
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

DET_CAT_DAD

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Messages
102
Purraise
398
Besides an enzyme cleaner I would get a waterproof mattress liner and then put sheets/blanket on it (be prepared to wash said linens with enzyme cleaner before you toss them in the wash.)

I would try grooming him/his behind everyday for just a few seconds to start with if needed, and then give him treats when you finish. Then just leave the room or ignore him until he comes up to you. Also keeping a cat in one room is very stressful for a cat psychology. So is there anyway you can lock the other cats up in a room and let him out with supervision a couple hours a day? Or maybe an hour, then a bathroom break for an hour, then let him out again for an hour?

Since you said he is arthritis free I would ask the vet about trying him out on Prozac (it comes in cream form.) I know people like to try holistic approaches first but given that he has been bounced around so much, Prozac seems a small price to pay!

:goodluck:
Oh, we've been letting Ziggy out for an hour or two every day with the other cats put away. He often jumps up next to my wife or I and is a purring machine. It crossed my mind to get a waterproof mattress pad earlier this week. I didn't want to have to go to Prozac but if it's absolutely necessary, I'd do it. I was just trying to find other solutions before falling back on that.
 
Top