Running After Pooping

[EmersonandEvie]

My mom has a 15 year old cat that is in decent health (some issues but they are being managed medicinally). Recently (within the last 6 months) she has started an odd behavior where she poops and then tears a** ( no pun intended!) out of the room with the litterbox. She will run around for maybe 5-10 seconds and then she is normal again.

The stools do not seem hard. In fact, they seem about as perfect as poop can be in both color and consistency. She still eats, drinks, plays with her jingly balls and laser, and is her general sassy self. She does not vocalize or pay special attention to her rear (licking or favoring it).

I'm not necessarily worried about her as she is normal as can be in every other aspect, but it does make me curious. Any idea what's up? Or is she just, as mom calls her, "a silly old cat that is scared of her turds"?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Is it just the zoomies, is she feeling particularly good these days?

My boy thunders up the stairs and across the house after his biz in the box, although he's pretty much always done this

 

[EmersonandEvie]

It may just be zoomies, but what makes me thinks it's not is that a. She only does it after pooping and b. She doesn't zoom any other time.

 

[Furballsmom]

My furry fella doesn't really at any other time either, at least not in the house (he'll run around at times during his supervised backyard time), but in his case he zoomies after both tinkle and poo.

 

[Tobermory]

Lily does exactly the same thing and has been for about the past year. It’s so weird to see her poop and then tear out of the litter box like she’s being chased by the Hounds from Hell. And she also never zooms any other time. She’ll be 15 in three months so a similar age, too. Very strange. Maybe it’s just a thing with some older cats although I’ve never had any other cats who did it.

 

[Caspers Human]

This is normal cat behavior. Casper does it too.

There is a reason for it...

In the wild, a cat would be both predator and prey. Cats eat some animals and some other animals also eat cats. This puts cats in a precarious position when they live in the wild.

Many predators that would eat a cat are attracted to the scent of feces and urine. What a better time to catch a meal than when it is indisposed. Right?

Many house cats still carry this instinct and will run away from their litter box right after they poop or pee in order to get away as quickly as possible and avoid a possible predator.

 

[Tobermory]

This is normal cat behavior. Casper does it too.

There is a reason for it...

In the wild, a cat would be both predator and prey. Cats eat some animals and some other animals also eat cats. This puts cats in a precarious position when they live in the wild.

Many predators that would eat a cat are attracted to the scent of feces and urine. What a better time to catch a meal than when it is indisposed. Right?

Many house cats still carry this instinct and will run away from their litter box right after they poop or pee in order to get away as quickly as possible and avoid a possible predator.

I thought of that, but it doesn’t explain why she started doing it after 14 years! Maybe she thinks the poop is going to grab her... which it sometimes does since she’s long haired and it hitches a ride on her “feathers.” Also, I always know it’s hers; she never covers it.

EmersonandEvie , does your mom’s cat cover hers?

 

[neely]

This is normal cat behavior.

Our last cat, Neely, was the most vocal of all our cats and literally sounded like the Exorcist after she pooped. When we heard this sound, as she ran through the house with the speed of lightning, we knew it was time to clean the litter box before the dog did.

 

[rosegold]

My long-haired girl Chilli always does this, and never covers her poop. I think it’s because she does get a poop stuck on her butt fluff every couple of months. She HATES having things stuck to her fur and will run around like a maniac as though something’s chasing her. For example, once I put some hairball medicine on her paw after reading online that a cat would instinctively lick it off—nope. She flew around at top speed shaking her foot until I could catch her and wipe it off.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Feeby (14+) stopped covering her pee/poop a few years back - have no idea why. She an 'efficient' cat in that she usually goes both ways with one trip to the box, so I can't say if it is just the poop part (although, I think it is), but when she is done, she 'spiritedly' hops very quickly out of the box afterward. No actual zoomies - but just that 'I need to get out of this box and fast' action.

I thought it might be because she no longer wants to smell the poop that close up??

It would now seem, reading the posts above, to possibly be a trait in some cats all their lives, but certainly one that can crop up in the senior years even if never done before. Kind of crazy!!

 

[MargoLane]

I think it's okay! My cat races away after pooping like someone is after her. Not so much with peeing. She gracefully exits the box, and all is well.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

She no longer covers her poop up. She buries pee still.

 

[Furballsmom]

This is definitely one of those where I so wish she could talk and tell us what she's thinking

 

[FeebysOwner]

She no longer covers her poop up. She buries pee still.

If it is any consolation, Feeby started with the poop (not covering it) and then moved on to the pee...well, probably not a consolation...sorry.

 

[Tobermory]

If it is any consolation, Feeby started with the poop (not covering it) and then moved on to the pee...well, probably not a consolation...sorry.

Lily still sometimes covers her pee, sometimes not. I’ve wondered if it has something to do with her arthritis.

(People who don’t have or don’t adore their cats just don’t understand how truly compelling these conversations can be, right? )

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Baba-Bleu]

My boy Bleu does this. That’s how we know it’s time to clean his tray. It’s a nice warning before the smell arrives, haha!

We always joke about him celebrating a good poop!

 

[Tobermory]

Our last cat, Neely, was the most vocal of all our cats and literally sounded like the Exorcist after she pooped.

My husband calls that The Poop Song, as in, “Lily’s singing The Poop Song. You'd better go check the litter box!”

 

[Furballsmom]

LOL

 

[FeebysOwner]

Oh, btw. Feeby just did her thing, and she actually scratched at the litter, but none of what she scratched was near her pee or poop????