My cat defecated in her food bowl on top of her own food last night!!! Why did she do this?

Question

She is a 10 yr old cat who has never had a problems before. She knows exactly where her litter tray is and always uses it properly. I just can't understand why she would do this. I actually saw it happen and couldn't believe my eyes!!! Any ideas as to why she would do this as i am a bit concerned?

Answer 1

Hi there...first consider all the possibilities such as:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
- cats are consider seniors around the age of 10/11 years. They will sometimes develop Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) http://www.felinecrf.com/what0.htm or hyperthyroidsim http://www.marvistavet.com/html/thyroid__signs__symptoms_and_d.html which is common among senior cats. Immediate attention is required for these two diseases as they are considered life-threatening.


If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

Answer 2

Maybe she could not get to the litter box and simply had to take a crap really bad and the bowl was the only thing available with any material that she could cover it up with. I know you are glad she didn't chose the carpet; Smart cat

Short Story: My mother had a cat that got fastened in a room without a litter box, several hours later we returned from a shopping trip, the cat had defecated on top of a bed. The cat lived to a ripe old age but was never allowed to stay inside the house again.

Answer 3

she may have dementia. Cats all have their quirky weird and odd ball habits but this isnt one of them. An very elderly cat I had used to get very confused (she'd had a couple of minor strokes that we were unaware of at the time) and started choosing some strange places to do her business. When she saw her litter tray you could see the expression on her face, oh so that's where it is! But we hadnt moved it. Our old girl didnt poo on her food but we'd often find it near her bowl or wee. The vet said she's gone abit senile through brain damage (however minor). Sorry I cant be more helpful than this. Good luck anyway, maybe someone can come up with a gentle solution.

Answer 4

It could be that she was upset about a change in the household (or in her comfort zone) or not getting enough attention, and did it to retaliate. Cats can relieve themselves in inappropriate areas when they're upset, although I don't think it's a given that they will do this every time. I've had this happen a few times in the past, but I've had cats for over a decade, and it is not the status quo. If you can determine what might have upset her, then maybe the problem can be resolved. As I say, it's probably just a fluke, because my cats get upset sometimes, but they do not make a habit of this. Good luck.

Answer 5

Maybe the cat is getting old... hate to say that becuase she is only 10. But I have read that older cats often become senile and display confused behavior such as what your cat did. She probably thought that her food bowl was some place to potty becuase of the smell of left over food ---- no, no... don't laugh... my cat often tries to "bury" his food bowl when there is some left over food in it (he scratches around the food bowl and sometimes completely topples it over to "cover" the food smell). So I am thinking that you kitty may have confused the food bowl for her litter box. A possible solution would be to take away her food bowl as soon as she is done eating.

Answer 6

wow 10yrs

she could be developing dementia

or decided that's how to tell you she don't like the food

at this age cats tend to do some really silly things my 12 year old has tried sleeping in her tray in the passed (when it needed changing)

keep an eye on her she could be coming down with some kind of mental problem

I'm not joking it's been discovered recently that cats can get dementia

Answer 7

It is very unusal for cats to go to the loo where their food is. I would have a word with your vet & perhaps take her in for a check up. I helped at a cat shelter for a while & if someone was having probs with cat poo-ing in the house one of the recommendations was to feed the cat in the place they had been using for the loo. You are right to be concerned so I would phone for advice today & make an appointment at the vet for after xmas when they reopen. Good luck & merry xmas

Answer 8

Shes in the 2 out of 10 cats that dont prefer Kitty-Cat.

Answer 9

New food bowl? Dry food that looks like litter? Litter box close to food bowl? Just a couple of things to consider. Other than those I'm stumped.

Answer 10

I doubt she was making a comment on the food you give her so I suggest you see the vet about the possibility of her developing dementia. Animals get it just like humans and that is very similar to the sort of thing a human with the disease might do.