I've looked through the "solve your poop problems" postings and my particular problem doesn't seem to be addressed, so I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions.
Our cat is 7 and is entirely an indoor cat. We got a puppy several years ago and she adjusted just fine, putting him in his place appropriately. Well, we now have a 1 year old running around the house and she is not adjusting well. When he was first born we had some incidents of her pooping outside the box, but she was also having irritable bowel issues at the same time and we attributed it to that. Now that our son is mobile, though, she is pooping consistently outside the box in various places that are associated with either me or my son (such as under my office chair, in front of his room door, next to his toys, or on the bathmat immediately after I get out of the shower). She has also sequestered herself in our bedroom while he's awake, so I know that she's upset about the whole thing. We were away this past weekend and she pooped in the box while we were gone - no problems at all. Once we were back for a full 24 hours, she started going on the floor again.
We love our cat and want her to be happy. At the same time, I feel that I cannot allow my son to end up picking up this poop and putting it in his mouth like he does with everything else. I'm starting to get desperate for a solution. She has been checked by the vet half a dozen times in the last year. She does have an occasional problem with her anal glands not emptying appropriately, but I just had her at the vet a couple of weeks ago and they were fine. I get them emptied if I see her showing signs they are bothering her. I have also changed her diet to deal with the colitis issue and her poop seems normal now. I am certain this is a behavioral issue, although I'm taking her to the vet again next week just in case there's something physical going on.
Does anyone have any suggestions? We are considering letting her outside during the day, but that terrifies me because she's never been out for longer than an hour or so and that's been with us right there watching her. I just don't know what else to do. Thanks in advance for your help.
Our cat is 7 and is entirely an indoor cat. We got a puppy several years ago and she adjusted just fine, putting him in his place appropriately. Well, we now have a 1 year old running around the house and she is not adjusting well. When he was first born we had some incidents of her pooping outside the box, but she was also having irritable bowel issues at the same time and we attributed it to that. Now that our son is mobile, though, she is pooping consistently outside the box in various places that are associated with either me or my son (such as under my office chair, in front of his room door, next to his toys, or on the bathmat immediately after I get out of the shower). She has also sequestered herself in our bedroom while he's awake, so I know that she's upset about the whole thing. We were away this past weekend and she pooped in the box while we were gone - no problems at all. Once we were back for a full 24 hours, she started going on the floor again.
We love our cat and want her to be happy. At the same time, I feel that I cannot allow my son to end up picking up this poop and putting it in his mouth like he does with everything else. I'm starting to get desperate for a solution. She has been checked by the vet half a dozen times in the last year. She does have an occasional problem with her anal glands not emptying appropriately, but I just had her at the vet a couple of weeks ago and they were fine. I get them emptied if I see her showing signs they are bothering her. I have also changed her diet to deal with the colitis issue and her poop seems normal now. I am certain this is a behavioral issue, although I'm taking her to the vet again next week just in case there's something physical going on.
Does anyone have any suggestions? We are considering letting her outside during the day, but that terrifies me because she's never been out for longer than an hour or so and that's been with us right there watching her. I just don't know what else to do. Thanks in advance for your help.
