My cat is defecating outside the litter box...?

Question

Hello, I am the proud owner of a senior citizen cat named Dusty. Dusty is 11 years old, strictly indoor, and has had no major health problems in the past. Lately he has become a lot more 'clingy' around me, and has started vocalizing a lot. He used to never 'talk' to me but now he is meowing so much it has become a nusiance. He has also started defecating outside the litter box, which is very unlike him.

Is all of this because of old age? If so, should I take him to the vet? Any info is appreciated!

Thanks,
MissBuggsy & Dusty

EDIT: He has a covered litter box, and nothing has changed diet wise, or litter box-wise. He is an only cat, and he isnt even pooping near the litter box, it's just around the house in random places. Thanks for answering!

Answer 1

Sad to say, but cats can suffer dementia and only a vet can help you there. But the first thing you need to do is rule out any medical problem. Perhaps he gets constipated, or is arthritic and going in the litter box causes him pain. Therefore, he associates the litter box with pain and avoids it.

His change in mannerisms suggests some medical situation is present as cats are normally very fastidious about the litter box. I have posted a link that discusses litter box issues, and perhaps there is some guidance in that link.

If the vet cannot find a medical reason, having a senior blood profile can be a good baseline measurement for any future problems. I know it can be pricey, but he he has given you lots of years of love and is worth it.

And lastly, any spots he has gone at have to be thoroughly cleaned up to stop him from returning to the scene of his 'crime'.

Answer 2

Sometimes cats can be plain dirty not a common thing but it can happen.You need to have at least 2 or 3 closed in litter boxes which must be cleaned once a day.Depending on what jitter litter you are using may determine why the cat wil not do its big jobs there.ty the most natural one which paper base it smells less and cats love it.Adopting a cat is often difficult as you do not know what haas happened before.l do have a Siamese that can and does do exactly what yours does although he will also do wees outside his BOX given a chance and he knows he is not allowed to do this as have caught him and when yelled he dived for the litter box.Hope you will get some success,Good Luck

Answer 3

Dear Miss Buggsy,
For your Dusty's sake, I'd say, wait no longer for any advice, and on with you and that boy to the vet, posthaste! Something is the matter and rule out physical problems first.
Second, check the condition of the litter. Is it clean every day and changed often enough?
Third, is the litter a new brand? Go back to the old.
Fourth, do you have a new baby and dear old Dusty feels neglected?
Fifth, When all is said and done, I had a cat that defecated outside the box, but with the trots! All was well on my side, but this poor kitty had kidney disease, an elderly cat's disease often. She is no more, but she got very good care when she was living.

Answer 4

You must be fastidious about keeping the litter box clean -- my cat insists that when she uses it even once, she wants her mess scooped and she will come to you after using the box to have it done! If you have changed brands of litter, perhaps it contains something that he doesn't like. Empty the litter, clean the box thoroughly and then start over with fresh litter. The fact that your cat has now become verbal is indeed an indication that he may be in some kind of pain or distress. Nowadays, with indoor cats, it is not uncommon for them to live upwards of 20 years, so I wouldn't say your cat is a 'senior' citizen at this point! In any event, since you have noted pretty drastic changes in his behavior, it would be a good idea to take him in to be checked by a vet. I would definitely want to rule out any serious illness -- particularly if something is going on with him that can be helped with proper medical care. You won't forgive yourself if the 'little pest' was doing his best to 'talk' to you and you didn't 'listen'!

Answer 5

He is trying to tell you something. He is either unhappy (which both of my previous cats did become more picky as they grew older) with the positioning of the box or the type of litter you have bought or he is sick. Have you changed litters recently from a type you used for a long time? If so, this may be the problem.

Also, the smell of the box may be too empowering for him now. As litter boxes get older the smell in them seems to become implanted and gets worse over years of use. His nose is more sensitive then yours so he may be smelling something much stronger than you can smell.

You'll want to take him to the vet for a checkup soon. He may have some urinary problems that need to be dealt with through meds and the vet is the only way you'll know this. Plus, as cats get older it's important to keep regular visits with the vet to make sure they are in top condition.

Good luck and bless your sweet little cat!

Answer 6

Is he an only cat? If there is another cat, you need one litter box for each cat. Did you change the kind of litter you use? Did you get a new litter box? Any other changes in the house? He could have an illness...sounds like he is trying to tell you something. I would call the vet.

Answer 7

Have you changed his litter type (clay to sand or vice versa)? Try changing the litter box to a much larger box - really large. I always had problems with my cats using the litter box but I didn't know what to do about it. Now I just have one cat and I got the largest box I could find. Filled it with lots of scoopable (sand) litter. It gives her plenty of room to move around and sort of feel out the area. I scoop out the dirty litter and replace it with clean. I put a large garbage bag under the large litter box - just in case she should kick something over the side.
I'm amazed that I didn't think of it before when I the other cats (they are long deceased now); I always bought things labeled 'litter box' in the pet store. All you really need is a plastic box of a certain height and you can buy flat plastic storage boxes like that anywhere.

Answer 8

Well, I had two cats, and one of them is still around. They were sisters, and the other died at age 16 (old, but not ancient). If Dusty is acting like you described, he could be mad at you in some way; cats do that (for instance, after we had an addition put on our house, and my cats were locked in my room for a month, one cat wouldn't sleep in my parents bedroom anymore, and the other meowed more often). Other than that, Dusty could be getting sick. I would bring him to the vet.
When my cat started meowing like that, it turned out she had something called Hyperactive Thyroidism. Very treatable, but a sickness none the less.

In response to your edit: if he's pooping around the house, it could be because he's developing arthritis, and getting to the litter box is hard. Is it (and I know this sounds odd) in neat lines, or the same area. To cite my cat again, as she got sicker, she was too tired and arthritic to get to the box, so instead she pooped in the basement where she was staying. However, she was obviously trying to be neat in her bathroom, so her poo was lined up very neatly against the wall.

Answer 9

He may be loosing his hearing, which could cause the loud meows, he can't hear you and he can barely hear himself. Watch to see if his ears swivel to follow sounds when he can't see them.

Is he pooping standing next to the box, or is it a case of his being in the box and just standing too close to the edge so it's dropping outside the side of the box? Some cats turn around and poop with their back feet in the center of the box, but if he's started just standing in the center, that'd put his butt end too close to the edge. A covered litter box may help in this case.

If he's standing doing it outside the box, just lay more newspaper down, and that will catch it when you're not there to ask him to climb inside the box to do his business. He could be developing arthritis and finds climbing over the sides of a box to be hurting his hips.

Answer 10

Cats are very clean by nature, so whenever they stop using their litter box, I think it's always best to get a vet to rule out medical causes first. The increased vocalization might also be his way of trying to draw your attention to a health or age related problem such as loss of hearing, and is worth mentioning to the vet.

Sometimes older cats will call out more often because they want the reassurance of your company. With increasing age, they are not only less active and more emotinally dependent upon us, they are also less physically able to get to us as required. Needing your support to feel more secure, they learn to call for your attention, and generally it's during the night when they feel most insecure. Once you've attended to them, they usually continue with whatever they were doing or go back to sleep feeling reassured. Having learned that vocal communication is effective in getting your attention, they will use this method whenever they feel insecure. Others will cry at meal times, seemingly afraid that someone real or imagined is going to steal their food, and having you by their side as protector helps reassure them whilst they eat.

I hope that he will be feeling better soon and that he has many happy years ahead of him.