Getting kitty to use litterbox again

I have a 14 yr old female cat. She has had dry food all of her life. She has always been healthy and active. A few weeks ago she starting meowing strangely and then jumped on the bed where she strained to go poop. She went on the bed which was large and hard. I realized she was constipated and started to find things to help her. I have given her hairball remedy which hasn't really seemed to help. She hates pumpkin. I finally found some canned food that she enjoys. Problem is she is still going on the bed. Fortunately so far it has not been loose so I have been able to clean it up fairly easily as well as washing the bedding as needed. Any ideas how to get her to go in the litterbox again? She does pee in the box. Also any other ideas to help her with the constipation? She does not go every day. Thanks.

Add an extra box. Maybe even shut her out of the bedroom for a bit till the habit is broken.

This may sound crazy, but it's always worked for me with kittens who are a little confused. When she poops on the bed (or elsewhere) don't throw that out. Put it in the litter box and show her. She'll know what it is and smelling it in the litter box may help her recognize that's where she should go.

Has she been to a vet? It may be a good idea, if she hasn't, just to make sure there's not another hidden problem.


Some members have luck retraining cats with a litter and litter additive called Cat Attract.

Thanks for the ideas. I actually have another cat that is 15 years old. These two cats grew up together. So I have two litter boxes set up already. I have been putting the cleaned up poop in the litter box hoping that when she goes in to pee she would smell it but that hasn't worked. I will try what you suggest and take her to it after I put the cleaned up stuff in it.
I haven't taken her to the vet yet. Money is a little tight right now as my hubby is laid off during the winter months.
I tried the Cat Attract but that didn't make any difference. Just cost a lot of money.

Then your only course of action now would be the vet visit. Money might be tight right now, but what if this is from something that could be preventable or at least a lot easier to treat? If you wait and it gets worse you risk your cat's life and most likely would end up spending a lot more.

You could try a third box, maybe of a different style than the other two, to see if she wants that as her new poop only box.

My kitty is using the litter box again. I have been giving her canned food which I add a 1/4 tsp Miralax. I have also been putting out a small amount of milk which she really likes. I also got some Litter Attract. So not sure what is exactly working but something is. She still has large poop for a cat her size but apparently she's having an easier time of it. She seems to be much happier and no more pooping on the bed.
One question I do have is can I add more Miralax to the soft food? My other cat also eats this food so he's getting some of this too. So she's not getting the full dose. I was wondering if maybe if she got a bit more, her poop might get a bit smaller in size. Any opinions?

Has your vet ok'ed the use of Miralax? If so, before increasing the dosage please consult your vet, and if not - Miralax really isn't something that should be used regularly (even in humans) and you must have a vet following your cat's health.

I haven't contacted a vet as she seems to be doing just fine. I was doing some research on the net and have found that I can give this dose of Miralax twice a day indefinetly. A number of people have been told this by their vets especially for senior cats. So I guess I answered my own question.

Originally Posted by gleason

I haven't contacted a vet as she seems to be doing just fine.

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I still urge you to seek a vet. There may be more going on that you're not aware of, being unable to due blood tests and x-rays, that further down the line could lead to complications.