Incontinent Cat - Need Help!!!

Hello all,

I have two sweet 7 year old cats -- a brother and sister that I adopted.   About three years ago, my female cat, Sally, a long hair domestic, had diarrhea.  I took her to the vet, who prescribed metronidazole and prednisone, and it seemed to get a little bit better and then got much worse. Over the past three years, her chronic diarrhea has continued.  She's been to the vets many times and been on all sorts of meds, B12 shots and her blood tests show nothing.  We've also tried a number of different diets with her. She's had canned pumpkin, probiotics... you name it. We suspect that she has inflammatory bowel disease. I spend a lot of time searching these forums for IBD cures. Nothing has helped, at all.  In fact, it's gotten much worse.  

Over the past year, she started frequently going to the bathroom outside of her litter box and all over the house.  She's a long hair cat and it gets all over her.  Not only that but she often steps in it and carries it with her.  She has a bath every other night or so.  I've tried setting up litter boxes (multiple boxes) in different spots throughout the house in case it's behavioral... this hasn't worked at all.  

She's also ridiculously hungry all the time.  When we are in the kitchen, she's meowing for food and will eat anything.  We can't leave any food on the counter without supervision because she'll devour it (pastas, soups... you name it).  

I brought her to the vet again a few days ago and she weighs only 5 pounds.  She's severely underweight and all bones.  She's not absorbing all of that food she's eating. We put her back on the metronidazole and upped her dose of prednisone to help keep some weight on her. 

Her incontinence has gotten so bad that she'll go wherever she is -- on the couch, while walking around.  She broke into our room while we were sleeping the other night and went on our bed while we were in it.  

I am pregnant and hitting the point where I won't be able to keep up with the constant bending over to clean up after her.  My husband will have nothing to do with it.  He likes the cat but the incontinence puts him over the edge.  It's a major point of conflict for us.  

She is the sweetest cat I've ever had and I love her to pieces.  I'm hitting a point of despair though.  Our vet suggested an ultrasound but pointed out that we'd probably only find out if she has cancer or IBD and we'd treat cancer with chemo... since I am pregnant I can't go near it anyway. 

My mom suggested locking her in the bathroom but there is no window in there.  I'm toying with getting some sort of large crate.  

Does anyone have any ideas for how to control this to make it more manageable?  Or how to treat it?  

THANK YOU!

My moms cats, father and son both had the same issues. They were 23 and 21 and the doctor said it was cancer.
They wouldn't so much poop it was the other way around, constantly puking everywhere and anywhere if it had to happen.

Unfortunately given their ages they were put down.

I hope that's not the case though! Good luck!

Could it possibly be a parasite?  Hoping @catwoman707  can offer some thoughts.

Can you tell us what all tests have been done? Has she had any biopsies done (this would confirm IBD)? Has she been checked for a malabsorption disorder?

Chronic diarrhea for 3 years is what is causing her to be so light and thin, she is unable to keep the nutrients in her system long enough to absorb them, which over time will cause some real issues.

Her not using her box initially was likely the discomfort association, but at this point it sounds like it literally runs right out of her, whether she has to push it out at all or not, this has become her way so she doesn't have the discomfort of keeping it in the second she feels she must go.

You don't want to manage the mess, you really need to find out why she has this ongoing diarrhea.

Has she had a fecal float and PCR test for parasites? Floats can easily show no parasites so the PCR is used for extra accuracy.

I would ask for ponazuril even if the parasite testing doesn't show anything.

It's a broad spectrum anti-parasitic med and works amazingly well.

Some vets are much more conservative then others, and if they don't see the parasitic cysts they don't treat, others know good and well there is a good chance there is something there but hasn't been spotted and will prescribe a med based on the likelihood.