Why Is My Cat Pooping In The House
If your cat is pooping outside of its litter box suddenly or regularly, you might be wondering what is causing this behavior. While it might feel like your cat has a personal vengeance against you , there are some common reasons and causes behind this naughty behavior.
Your cat’s behavior could be stemming from medical reasons, or it could be because of something as basic as not liking the type of litter you are using. Find out why your cat keeps leaving poop around the house and how you can get your kitty to stop going to the bathroom everywhere it shouldn’t.
Should I Watch My Cat For Constipation
Track the frequency of your cats litter box deposits and stool consistency initially for at least twice a week, then weekly or biweekly.
If you see hard, dry feces, or if you notice that your cat is straining while defecating or exhibiting other symptoms of constipation, contact your veterinarian – especially if diarrhea is a factor as dehydration may quickly become a problem.
Is your cat showing symptoms of constipation? Visit our Somerset County veterinary emergency hospital to receive urgent care for your cat. Any time of the day or night, our emergency vets are here whenever your pet needs us.
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Available Treatments For Cat Constipation
Even though some constipation cases are mild and can be treated with lifestyle and diet changes, in addition to at-home remedies, some situations can be severe and require veterinary care. These serious issues can also become emergencies if they are not treated.
Constipation has to be treated as fast as possible to lower the risk of permanent damage as a result of prolonged distension of the colon.
The underlying problem has to be identified and fixed in order to treat your cat’s constipation. Impacted feces should be removed and recurrences prevented. The inability to pass urine or feces, or pain when passing urine or feces, is considered a veterinary emergency. Your veterinarian may first run any applicable diagnostic tests, then provide fluids or an enema for immediate relief, and prescribe medications or recommend over-the-counter meds.
We need to stress that veterinary expertise is mandatory in order to safely and effectively perform the enema – these should not be done at home as some types of enemas designed for humans are toxic to cats.
If your cats constipation is long-term or they are suffering from obstipation , they may have megacolon, an enlarged intestine due to a defect in the colons muscle strength.
Cats with chronic constipation or megacolon that doesn’t respond to medical treatment might need to have the infected section of their large intestine removed.
At-Home Remedies for Treating Your Constipated Cat
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Changing The Way Your Cat Feels
If your cat associates her litter box with unpleasant things, you can work to help her develop new and pleasant associations. Cats cant be forced to enjoy something, and trying to show your cat that her litter box is safe by placing her in the box will likely backfire and increase her dislike of the box. Its usually not a good idea to try to train your cat to use her litter box by offering her treats like you would a dog, because many cats do not like attention while theyre eliminating. However, a professional animal behavior consultant, such as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist may be able to help you design a successful retraining or counterconditioning program. Please see our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help, for information about locating an applied animal behavior professional.
Sometimes retraining to overcome litter-box fears or aversions may not be necessary. Here are some steps that you can try to help your cat learn new pleasant associations:
Treatment for Household Stress
Treatment for Multi-Cat Household Conflict
Medications
Always consult with your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist before giving your cat any type of medication for a behavior problem.
My Cat Is Constipatedwhat Should I Do
Cats who are straining to go to the bathroom or arent going at all are likely constipated. This can be caused by lots of factors, such as:
- Too little fiber in the diet
- Not drinking enough water
- Over-grooming, which can lead to hair blocking the digestive tract
- An obstruction caused by a swallowed object
- A tumor or other blockage in the intestines
- An illness, such as diabetes
If your cat is constipated, give your vet a call for advice, especially if you suspect some sort of blockage or illness. Your cat may need surgery to remove the obstruction or treatment for the specific ailment. To help alleviate constipation, your vet may prescribe a stool softener, laxative, or other medication. Constipation can also be helped by:
- Feeding your cat a high fiber diet
- Trying to coax more water intake
- Encouraging more exercise
Adding fiber-rich fruits and veggies to your cats diet can be useful as well. Check out our Infographic of pet-safe fruits and veggies for ideas.
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Causes Of Cat Constipation
Anything that causes dehydration in a cat may result in constipation, says Dr. Bales. Some issues are mild and treatable at home with dietary and lifestyle modifications, and some can be serious.
Constipation can happen if the intestines arent moving things along normally, keeping the stool soft and moist. This can be caused by underlying issues like stress and anxiety, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, nerve problems, and even some kinds of cancer.
Chronic diseases that can result in constipation in cats include kidney disease, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism. may also cause your cat pain with defecation and may result in constipation. Cats eating dry food diets are predisposed to dehydration and constipation as well.
How To Remedy The Situation
The treatment for your kitty will depend on the severity and the cause of the constipation. Obviously, if theres an underlying health condition, such a gastrointestinal obstruction or fractures, those need to be addressed.
With mild cases of constipation, your veterinarian may recommend adding a small amount of plain canned pumpkin to your kittys food every day for additional fiber and moisture. He or she may also recommend switching to a diet with more fiber.
Despite what you might hear online, do not give your cat mineral oil because it can cause vomiting and your cat may subsequently aspirate the oil.
For cats that are dehydrated, providing subcutaneous fluids, encouraging drinking and/or switching to a canned diet that contains more water can help reduce the occurrence of hard, dry stools. Still other kitties may need laxatives, stool softeners or medications to improve intestinal motility. In severe cases, your veterinarian may recommend an enema to loosen up and remove the logjam.
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Cat Will Pee But Not Poop In The Litterbox What Can Be The Reason
Many cats tend to ignore pooping in the litterbox whereas they have no problem peeing. Even if youre positive about the fact that the issue is behavioral, you should have your cat inspected by a veterinarian to ensure there isnt an underlying medical issue.
There are a variety of medical conditions that might be causing your cat to avoid pooping in the litter box.
Cats prefer to have two litterboxes- one for peeing and the other for pooping. They do not like to pee and poop in the same litterbox. If you dont have a separate litterbox for them to poop in, they will simply poop on the floor or the bathtub.
In this article, we would be discussing the reasons why cats pee but not poop in the litterbox and how to deal with this issue as a responsible cat owner.
S On How To Make A Young Kitten Poop
Also, make sure that the litter box is regularly cleaned and disinfected because kittens can be very particular with scents and odors. Also, see to it that your kittens litter box is in a quiet area of your home and away from too much noise and activity.
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How Vets Diagnose Cat Constipation
First, your veterinarian will get a history of the problem. Youll describe the symptoms, when they started, and other factors that may be related to your cats constipation.
Providing a full history is very important because straining in the litter box can also be a symptom of lower urinary issues and diarrhea.
After getting your cats history, your veterinarian will perform a physical exam. In constipated cats, a vet can often feel the hard stool, but not always.
Next, your veterinarian will recommend X-rays to evaluate the extent of constipation to determine the best initial treatment for your cat. Bloodwork is often required to assess underlying diseases that may predispose your cat to constipation.
Reasons Why A Kitten Is Not Pooping When Stimulated
If your kitten wont poop when stimulated there may be something wrong inside her tummy. If youve observed that the kitten isnt pooping for about 24 hours already you should closely monitor her but if its been more or less 48 hours you should seek the help of your vet at once.
Here are the common causes of why a kitten is not pooping:
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Consider Location Location Location
Even though cats have been domesticated, they still have natural wild instincts. When your cat uses the litter box, they know they are vulnerable to attack. You want to place the litter box in a quiet, private location where they wont be disturbed by loud, sudden noises that would scare them off the litter box.
If there are other cats in your home, the litter box may be a source of contention. Your other cats may be intimidating your cat during litter box visits, causing them to avoid it and eliminate outside the litter box. Make sure the box is in a location that offers a clear and easy escape route for your cat and, even better, make sure you have several boxes in different locations so your cat has options.
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How To Change Out Your Cat’s Litter
If you do have to change out your cat’s litter for a better brand, do so gradually. That means first mix 4:1 , then mix , then mix 1:4 until you’ve transitioned them entirely over to the new over the course of several weeks. This is sure to fix the problem. Consider some of the best all-natural cat litter brands.
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How Often Do Kittens Poop
Cats and kittens will pass faeces when they receive a signal from their bowel that faeces are present and ready to be passed. The exact frequency with which faeces are passed will depend on each individual, their diet, and if they are stressed or have any underlying problems such as bacterial, viral or parasitic infection.
It is normal for kittens to pass faeces as often as they are fed a meal. So at eight weeks old, your kitten is probably being fed 3-4 times a day and could, therefore, be expected to pass faeces up to four times a day. However, as your kittens digestive system becomes more efficient and dealing with food and waste products, this may well decrease down to once or twice a day. An adult cat would usually pass faeces once or twice a day.
More important than how many times a day your kitten is passing faeces is whether the faeces look normal, are passed easily and without any pain or distress.
What Can I Do If My Cat Is Kicking Litter Out
Boy, was this a big issue in my house! My cat Zoe was kicking so much litter out of the box that the floor in the area felt like a sandy beach, and I had to keep a broom nearby just to keep up with this messy behavior.
To tackle this grainy issue, I first tried putting a top on the box with a flap in the front. Unfortunately, Zoe did not approve of the flap and let me know right away by pooping at the entrance to the box. However, she was okay with the top, which helped keep some of that litter inside.
I also put a mat under the litter box, which has helped a great deal. You can buy a mat like this online or at a store that sells pet supplies. The mat catches a lot of the litter that gets kicked out, so at least it doesnt spread out all over the floor. While the problem isnt completely solved, its much better now, and I dont always have to sweep up before I start a load of wash.
I hope that answered all of your unasked questions about cat poop. I know I feel like a cat poop expert nowalthough I think Ill avoid adding that to my resume )
The information presented in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute or substitute for the advice of your veterinarian.
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Create A Safe And Calm Environment
If you often ask yourself, Why is my cat so scared of everything? and now the feline started pooping everywhere, your answer is because shes stressed out. Moreover, a stressed cat will show more symptoms. If your cat has diarrhea but seems fine, it could show shes stressed. Your cat might also have a change in appetite, start hiding from you, or scratch the furniture excessively.
The best way to deal with this issue is by creating a safe environment away from all the stress factors.
Below are just some suggestions of how you can make your home a more cat-friendly and stress-free environment:
- Secure the garden around your home to help prevent other animals from entering the yard
- Ensure all pets have their own parts of the house and separate bowls and litter boxes
- Never let new pets meet right away and initially let them meet through a door, gradually increasing their contact time until they are used to each others presence
- Help to stimulate your cat with plenty of toys, cat trees, and places to hide
- Give your cat a quiet room it can retreat to if there are guests in your house
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
I still remember when my cat pooped on the floor for the first time. Seeing your cat suddenly pooping outside the litter box is not a good sight! However, the smell and the messiness are actually the least worrying part of the situation. As a responsible cat parent, probably the first thing on your mind is whether your cat is okay.
How Are Constipation And Megacolon Diagnosed
In most cases, a diagnosis of constipation can be made on the basis of the cat’s clinical signs and medical history. Affected cats usually strain unsuccessfully to defecate, and may cry in pain. Any feces passed are hard and dry. The cat may also show signs of lethargy, reluctance to eat, abdominal pain and distension, and vomiting.
Unless your cat is obese or tense, your veterinarian can often palpate or feel the accumulated fecal material in the colon. Further tests may be needed in order to diagnose the cause of the constipation. These may include abdominal and pelvic radiographs to look for pelvic injuries, colonic strictures , or tumors, as well as bloodwork and urine testing to look for underlying disease conditions that can contribute to constipation. Radiographs are also the primary test for the diagnosis of this condition.
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When To Be Concerned When A Cat Poops Outside Their Litter Box
If your cat has pooped outside the litter box once or twice and then returned to using the litter box normally, this is likely not cause for concern. Your cat may have been blocked from reaching the litter box or may not have been able to get to the litter box quickly enough.
Its always a good idea to periodically review your litter box management, so this is a great time to double check that you are following all of the recommendations above to give your cat a clean and welcoming litter box. If your cat does not poop outside the litter box again, then theres likely no cause for concern.
If your cat continues to poop outside the litter box, then its best to see your veterinarian for an examination and diagnostic testing. Your cat may have an underlying medical issue contributing to the inappropriate defecation. Once an underlying cause for the inappropriate defecation is diagnosed, your veterinarian can prescribe appropriate treatment to help get your cat back on track.
How Do I Get My Cat To Pee And Poop In The Litter Box
Try unscented litter if youve been using scented litter. Playing with your cat near her litter box is a good idea. Also, in the surrounding area leading to her box, provide food and toys for her to locate and enjoy. However, dont put her food dish next to the litter box because cats dont like to excrete near their food.
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What Causes Constipation In Cats Dehydration
Now its time for some borderline gross discussion of a cats physiological pooping mechanism.
After your kitty swallows his food it is digested in the stomach. Then it moves to the first part of the small intestine where its broken down even more by bile and pancreatic enzymes. The next part of the small intestine absorbs nutrients from the food which now looks something like gravy.
Once the remains of the food reach the large intestine, theres not much left besides indigestible fiber and water. The large intestine absorbs water from the food waste according to messages from the body based on how much water is needed at the time.
The last part of the large intestine is the rectum. Thats where the dried food waste collects until the cat has poops to get rid of it.