Cat jealousy

Could this be the reason that Leenie has lost a bit of weight?

When I got the girls – Leenie was the cuddly one from the word go. Lil kept herself to herself for a long time – well over a year actually. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know what they went through before they came to me but whatever it was I think Lil got the worst of it. She was always nervous and flinched every time a human hand (mine or my friends who are all cat lovers) came near her.

Recently though, Lil gained confidence with people and wants to be cuddled, and loved and show her presence. She doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t push Leenie away - thereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s enough room for both of them on the couch, bed or wherever but Leenie wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t stay with me when Lillie comes. If they are alone they still cuddle each other though. They are very close to each other.

Leenieâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s not ill. Her stool is “normal†and sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s not throwing up any more than she always has – she has longer, fluffier fur than Lil. However I did find poop in the bathroom today.
Lil used to be a “protest pee-er†in the beginning but never pooped anywhere where she shouldn't and Leenie has always used the kitty litter.

Leenie does eat too! I started watching to make sure recently. I thought, that because Lil is bigger (at least 4 or 5 pounds or so) that she was eating Leenieâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s food but thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s not the case.

I love both of my cats and want them both to be happy with me.

Is this another of these “just give it time†scenarios?

Any time a cat starts acting off in any way, such as pooping out of the litterbox, even if you do not think the cat *looks* or acts sick, it is prudent to go to the vet. Cats are very effective at hiding pain- it is an act of survival, innate in all of them, even cherished pets. I would take her in and get her looked at if it were me. Better safe than sorry.

According to our vet - Leenie is physically healthy! She (the vet) thinks that Leenie got down to her “normal†weight now that she feels comfortable. Leenie is naturally petit but in the animal shelter she ate more than she needed and thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s why she seemed/was fat. Now she feels safe, she doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t need to over eat and just eats enough to satisfy herself. Lil is just a bigger cat and that has nothing to do with Leenie even though they are sisters. (I took Lil with us to the vet even though she is healthy) The vet doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t think that Leenie is sulking because of Lil – she said that they are both just adapting from whatever (awful things) happened before being with me to being loved and feeling secure.

I hope her diagnosis is correct and Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll keep watching Leenie and Lil

but her emotional state might not be healthy

Make sure you clean the poop properly, preferably with enzyme based cleaner and not with anything that has amonia in it.

If you find that they go outside the litter box again, you may want to look into two things - litter box and/or stress. You may want to check this article for some litter box tips -
http://www.thecatsite.com/cat_care/care.php?a=box

Of course, this is all assuming they are both healthy. I hope that your vet has checked for FLUTD - this is something that definitely needs to be checked everytime you have a cat that goes outside the box (esp. as you say one of your cats has been peeing outside the box as well). Make sure that a urine sample has been tested for both of them.

my oldest cat CC started pooping outside of the box when we got our kitten. the vet said she was perfectly healthy, but that changing the litter box arrangement might make a difference. so we placed the litter boxes beside each other, so she could "choose" which one she wanted to use. it worked great! sometimes cats just get upset if they feel others are invading their space and they do something they aren't supposed to to get your attention. the cats even started a new system, the small litter box is for number 1, the big covered box is for number 2

I'm happy to report that Leenie is fine and very much back to her old self! She's even gained weight again but is not as chubby as she was when I got her. Maybe it was just a little sulky phase!

The pooping outsied the litter box was a one off and has never been repeated. Lil stopped peeing outside the litter box when I caught on to what she was protesting about - there's one particular kind of litter that she just doen't like!

We're a happy family again!!!! (phew!)