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Written by Wendy Christensen
Q: M Dad has a 16 year old calico cat that is healthy except she has stopped using the litter box. We've had her to the vet twice. Her litter box is clean. She will not use it anymore. She just goes on the carpet. My Dad said if she keeps doing this, he'll have to have her put down. She's very healthy otherwise and is getting worse about this problem all the time.
There are no new changes in the house. We took her off all canned food (vet's recommendation) as her stool is somewhat loose. Nothing has helped. We have done about everything we can think of, and I need to save her life. It will tear Dad's heart out and mine - not to mention putting down a mobile, healthy cat.
A: As cats age, their systems can slow down, just like humans. Aging cats are also prone to getting fussier about important things in their environments, such as litter boxes.
Many elder cats develop constipation problems. When this happens, they can become VERY uncomfortable. It affects their appetite, and they can stop eating or cut back dangerously. Defecating can be difficult and painful, an especially severe problem in an elder cat who may also be suffering from stiff, achy joints and the other problems of old age. The cat associates the pain and distress with the litter box (where she experienced it initially) so she starts to avoid the box - to avoid the pain.
A constipated cat will often go wherever she has to urge, avoiding the box as she sees it as "part of the problem."
Some cats also develop (or have chronic problems with) inflammation of the bladder, called cystitis. Since it's not a bacterial infection, it won't show up in a urine test. But it has many of the same effects as a urinary tract infection: the cat has a very uncomfortable or painful bladder, and a constant urge to urinate. Again, the cat may well associate the distress with her litter box, and find a "less painful" place to go. Carpet is often a first choice. Don't forget, cats are very clean and fastidious animals by nature and instinct. A cat who wants to avoid the "painful litter box" seeks a place where the urine or feces will "disappear" (into carpet or other soft material) or be well-hidden (corners, closets, etc.). The cat feels as bad about the situation as you do, in addition to her physical distress.
There are some medications that can help cats with this condition. I would definitely take your calico back to the vet to check out the possibility that she might have an inflamed bladder - and to check for constipation and other digestive tract problems.
Older cats often have stiff joints and arthritis, and have trouble getting around. As in people, their level of discomfort can wax and wane. Getting to the box in time, every time, can be a problem.
Older cats can also become forgetful and "senile," just like some people. Remember, your 16-year-old is the equivalent of an 80-year-old human. As cats live longer, they're suffering from the same kinds of problems humans do, for example, Feline Cognitive Disorder, also known as "Kitty Alzheimer's." Post-mortem examinations of the brains of cats who evidenced cognitive disorder show the same kinds of tangled fibers -- called "beta amyloid plaques" -- seen in the brains of human Alzheimer's victims.
One of the signs is confusion and getting lost even in familiar environments. So even if she's otherwise healthy and mobile, your cat could be experiencing occasional confusion, and just plain forget where her box is.
Herding Cats at Home - September 2005 2
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