Ten year old cat started pooing indoors?

Question

We moved into our new house four weeks ago. Our ten year old cat has started to poo indoors, including my son's bed and one of the spare bedrooms.

Basic question I know but am at a loss to know what to do.

Answer 1

Hi Pam...since this is something that recently developed, 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
- aging cats tend to develop other health problems when under stress

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...

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

at a guess, the sudden pooing indoors may be stress-related due to the move and the new environment. When you aren't around to supervise him or otherwise be "on to of him," I suggest that you confine him to a single room. Put his food bowl and water bowl there and also his litter tray. Cats get very stressed in any new environemtn. This is kept at a minimum if you do not "open up" the whole house for the cat to cope with all at once. Let him stay in one room slowly acclimatizing himself to the new smells and sounds and so forth. Let him out to "investigate" when he is ready and when you can be there to reassure him. Some cats use their poop to "mark" territory instead of urine. Unlike us, cats do not necessarily find the smell of their own poop disgusting. I think your cat is spreading his "mark" around the house as a kind of comfort mechanism. Once he gets used to the new place and is sure that it is safe and that it is his house, he will stop the behavior - unless there is a medical reason for it, like UTI. Then he could associate the litterbox with pain and refuse to go do his duty in it.

Answer 3

he is stressed. The house move was traumatic. There may also be problems with new cats in the area and he has to find his place among them but is afraid. I would keep the bedroom doors closed, make sure he has a litter tray available at all times and just offer plenty of reasurrance. Telling him off or punishing him right now will only make the matter worse. Give him lots of attention and treats. Try keeping him indoors for a couple of weeks to see if he becomes more secure in the new surroundings. Poor old chap is totally confused.

Answer 4

its stress, cats love their territories more than anything and you have just taken his away, there are a lot of bigger younger cats out there now and he/she will have to face down all of them to find his/her place, you can see why he/she is fed up and stressed, territory is an odd thing, a garage roof for example can be one cats territory in the afternoon, and anothers at night, fences are usually walkways but everything else is dangerous for your cat, even his/her own back garden, this is going to be tough, but if you love your kitty you are gonna have to be a bit tolerant.
you need to shut the bedroom doors for a start, if you have the money have you thought about putting a nice fenced in catrun in the back garden for him/her then he/she could get some fresh air and be safe from the attentions of the neighbourhood cats, also he/she would then have a bit of territory of their own, which would give them a bit of confidence and help no end.
if you cant do that, try to confine your cat a bit, I know it sounds harsh, but a smaller area for him/her will actually help, then open it up a bit at a time.
poor kitty, he/she must be really confused and unhappy, but dont worry they will get used to it eventually!

Answer 5

She's upset, and it's fairly common. You need to find a secluded room in your home (spare bathroom, laundry room, etc. Put her in there with the litter box, food, water, toys, sleeping blanket... Visit her daily and clean up, feed and change the water.
after a few days let her out when you're home, then in week to 10 days, she should be better. You may need to repeat it in the future, but it works.

Answer 6

Our cat is 15 and he also started pooing on the floor. We moved his bed into the kitchen and made him sleep there, which he didn't mind. We then sent him outside with no breakfast if he pooed on the floor, and he is fine now. It may seem hard to not give him breakfast but it works. No cat is to old to be trained! (Don't be to harsh though!)

Answer 7

A friend of mine just moved into a new house, and his cat urinated on his recliner, also when my cousin moved into a new home, his cat urinated on the carpet.
I think it's the new environment, and I don't think it will last.
Just repeatedly put the cat in the litter box or let it outside as often as you can.

Answer 8

obviously you love the cat and dont want to have to get rid of it, your cat is nervous because of the move, I suggest keeping it in a room, or porch with wipable floors, put a litter tray down, when you know he has been to the toilet let him explore the house with you supervising, may take a few weeks but should get better, goodluck :)

Answer 9

Have a word with the vet. My cat started to do the same thing at that age - also she used to screech for food (even when just fed). The vet told me it was something that often happens as they get older - something to do with their kidneys I think. Best to check with the vet...

Answer 10

Maybe your cat is nervous in your new home. Do you have any other cats that live around your area? Has he been in contact with them?

Because my cat used to get nervous around other cats and poo indoors because he was scared.