Newly adopted cat having bowel problems- diarhhea or middening?

Hello all, first time poster, and also the first time adopting a cat.

The post is a bit long, but please bear with me- I am new to this issue and wanted to give you guys all of the facts.

My wife and I adopted a 5-year old longhaired cat a couple weeks ago, pumpkin.  We have gotten him the same type of food, and a bigger litter box (the foster place had so many cats using the same one).  The fine litter used is an arm and hammer brand.

Now here is the issue- starting from day 2-3 from when he came, every 2 to 3 days, he always poops right outside his litter box.

At first, we thought it was the litter box not being clean, and therefore we made sure we cleaned the litter out twice a day.  He is also very comfortable with us- compared to the few days when he stayed in a corner closet room for the entire day, he greets us by rubbing against us to be petted (I don't know if that is a word haha), and eats well and drinks water well.. (water by the way is sometimes tap and sometimes brita filtered water, cold- would this cause issues?)  Therefore, we had to rule out the cleanliness of the box as the main issue.

After several days of anxious research, I found out that it might be a case of "middening" that occurs for cats if they are stressed out about something.  However, our litter box has been not next to anything that produces harsh noises, and we also have no other pets.  In addition, I would suspect that if Pumpkin indeed would have been doing the act of middening, he would do it it different places around the house all the time.  However, he only does it every 2-3 days, once.  Also when I scoop the litter out, there is plenty of litter that gets scooped out as well, so it seems that he does this just sometimes.

Also, when I see him pooping outside the box, he then furiously tries to scoop some of the fine litter outside the box and tries to cover up the poop- I would think that if middening, cats would leave it out smelling on purpose.

Then I also noticed that the poop outside the box was very soft and fluidic, like (sorry for the reference) softish nutella.  Now I am thinking that maybe every few days, pumpkin suffers from diarhhea and cannot hold enough to go in the box so he might just rush it?  There are also times when the poop stain is left on the rims of the box as well.  Again, this only happens once every few days.

I am in need of some advice.  Should I somehow incorporate to pumpkin that we like it when he poops inside and hate it when he poops outside?  

We are going to ask about his situation to the vet tomorrow as well.

As I mentioned before, I am sorry for writing in such incoherent and discorded style- I am just worried for our pumpkin who just came into the family and am going through such behaviors!  And reading from research shows that this act is something I shouldn't punish but should act quickly.

Thanks to all in advance for your helpful advice.

Pooping-or-peeing,just-outside-the-litter-box,happens,because-they-did-not-get-all-of-their-bee-hind,inside-the-box.Their-bee-hind,hangs-just-outside-the-litterbox.

How-large-is-your-box?

How-high-are-the-walls-of-the-box?

Is-it-a-hooded-box?

What-do-you-feed?The-diarea,is-most-likely-caused-by-what-you-are-feeding,and/or,its-possible,he-may-have-worms.Never-use-over-the-counter-wormers,they-are-not-safe.It-should-be-done-by-the-vet,they-mostly-use-Drontil,and-if-you-can,bring-a-fecal-sample-with-you,to-the-vet.

If-the-foster,had-many-cats,its-possible,they-fed-a-not-so-good-quality-food,to-save-money,feeding-that-many-cats.

Make-sure-you-tell-the-vet-he-has-diarea.Ask-for-an-x-ray.It-will-show-if-his-intestines-are-inflammed,it-will-show-up-as-dark,on-the-x-ray.Depending-on-what-the-vet-finds,the-usual-med-given,is-Metronidazol.

We-would-love-to-see-a-picture-of-your-new-kitty.

Thanks for the information!  A little interesting in your typing scheme though

Actually it might be still too small for the box- however, the box we got him was much bigger than the one they had in the foster home- and he took care of his bowels with no problem so I don't see it being an issue.  The box I got him is this:


The food I feed him (that the foster home also fed) is this:

http://cats.about.com/od/catfood/gr/WellnessCH.htm

We have visited the vet, and he does seem to have bartonella and was given prescription.

Also, we were given food and medicine to help his stools- and we have seen the difference.  It has been day 2 and he hasn't pooped outside the box (although he did "graze" the sides of the door once).  

Other than that there wasn't too much other issues.  We will probably have to wait and see.

The key is that on the days Pumpkin avoids the box it is diarrhea or soft stools. He feels discomfort when he is having those soft stools, and blames the box for his discomfort, so goes outside of it.

Many cats don't like closed boxes. Many cats prefer one place for pooping, and another place for peeing. This is a very common preference in the feline world.

Poor kitty, bartonella, that takes a long time to eradicate, make sure he takes all his medicines. If you get any scratches from him while he is being treated, be sure to see your own doctor, because this can be spread to humans.

Regarding the omega box. Many cats don't like an enclosed box, so I suggest you make the second box an open box. And also, those boxes, if you really think about it, are very gross. Every time you roll that box, the contents of the litter box coat the entire inside of the box. All pee, all poop, goes all over the box. Cats have an extremely sensitive sense of smell. Imagine what it smells like in there for Pumpkin. Bletch!

By the way, THANK YOU for adopting an older cat! That makes you real heroes. Welcome to TCS and congratulations on your new family member!

How many boxes do you have? You should have 1 box per cat plus one extra.  Some kitties are weird and like to poop in one box and pee in another.  You can put them side by side or place them in separate areas of the house.  This might work especially since he knows to go in the box and goes to the box location, just not IN the box.  Also, be sure to clean the place where he's pooping with an enzymatic cleaner very thoroughly as he smells his scent and that's where he'll go again.

There's a great thread in the behavior forum that addresses litter box problems, specifically pooping outside the box:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/19767/inappropriate-poop-problems-answered

This article might help (there's tons of good articles on her site):  http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/pooping-outside-the-litter-box/

PS Since you are feeding a dry diet, you may want to have a look at this site:

www.catinfo.org

There is a wealth of information there about what to feed cats. A dry diet is not optimal, especially for male cats. The site is written by a vet who never stops learning and researching cat nutrition.

Dang.  Thanks for all the help! I should have just posted here instead of doing so much research before!

Just as a small update- Pumpkin has been medicated and has been properly pooping for about 4 days (counting when I posted etc).  Yesterday night he actually pooped outside, but just a little bit, and it also seems that the stool was rather soft (although not as soft as before).  We are continuing the medication though, and it should get better.  We definitely made our behavior much more smooth and without frustration, punishment, etc.  

Also the advice about 1+1 boxes are informative as well- we have a rather small home and couldn't see where a good second place would be for a litter box.. Even though since you mentioned that it could be side by side, I might go ahead and put it right next to the one we have and see how that will work out.  The smell will probably resonate more around the house but we will have to see.

As with the comment about the litter box- yeah it will be a bit smelly for him and from what I heard, cats have a 16x better sense of smell than humans.  I will have to see his continued behavior.  

Also with the enzymatic cleaners, can you recommend an effective yet not as expensive brand(if possible)?  Also, Pumpkin is starting to explore a bit and go to places where he shouldn't- maybe some suggestions on good cat repellant sprays will be good as well.

I will also read up on all of the articles.  

Thanks for the compliment- my wife used to have dogs and I didn't have any pets before- it seems adopting Pumpkin has been one of the best choices my wife and I have ever made.

Thanks so much!

Glad he's doing better!  What kind of medication is he on?  Have you taken him to the vet?

To help with the poop smell, that can be changed with a change in what you're feeding.  After he gets over this, then you can work on that if you want.  For an enzymatic cleaner, you can use something like Nature's Miracle, found at many pet stores, or a brand that I think is only available online called, "Nok Out".