Litterbox Problems

Hello. My Bombay cat, Rosie, has been having litter box problems for a long time now. She often goes to the bathroom outside of it but only when she has to poop, never for pee. She does not pee outside of the box. I have taken her to the vet and they recommended I change her food. I should take her back again soon as I have not solved the issue. It's really pretty gross, too. It's a much, much stronger smell than any of my other cats and she just gets it everywhere (sorry, I know it's gross). I've had to throw out clothing and clean carpets so many times. It's 2:30am here but decided I had to make this post after returning from the bathroom to see her using my luggage (got back from a trip tonight) as a litter box. She's thirteen years old and otherwise seems to be in good shape, always wanting attention and still playful. She's a huge sweetheart but incredibly gross when it comes to bathroom habbits. Has anyone else experienced this? I could really use some advice. Thank you to anyone who spent the time to read this!

Some cats don't like to poop and pee in the same box. Adding a second box in a different location could solve the problem.

Sometimes pooping out of the box is a sign of pain. At 13, she might have arthritis setting it, making squatting to poop painful. Cats have weird logic: 'it hurts to poop in the box. Maybe if I poop somewhere else it won't hurt.'

I hope you can get to the bottom (sorry!) of this soon.[article="32366"][/article][article="32341"][/article]

Columbine said:

Some cats don't like to poop and pee in the same box. Adding a second box in a different location could solve the problem.

Sometimes pooping out of the box is a sign of pain. At 13, she might have arthritis setting it, making squatting to poop painful. Cats have weird logic: 'it hurts to poop in the box. Maybe if I poop somewhere else it won't hurt.'

I hope you can get to the bottom (sorry!) of this soon.[article="32366"]How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats The Ultimate Guide  [/article][article="32341"]When Physical Problems Turn Into Behavior Problems  [/article]

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This is a good post.  I, too, think it's possible pain might be the culprit.  Or adding another box elsewhere could help, too. 

But I would take her back to the vet and ask for more tests. Something else might be going on. Her anal glands could be impacted and might need to be expressed or there could be some kind of intestinal disease.  If it's not her anal glands then have the vet do a biopsy or ultrasound.  An ultrasound would be better at catching tumors in the intestinal tract but I would rule out other causes first.

Good luck!  Keep us informed.

I do have a question:  Is her poop more like diarrhea?  If that's the case she could have IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)  That would cause her to poop outside the box, for sure. 

Yes! It is. And for the other comments: we do have a lot of litter boxes around the house and we added more because we thought maybe she doesn't want to share one with our other cats. I definitely think I should take her back to the vet, IBD seems like it could be the issue.

My brother has a Bombay cat with IBD, which was why I asked if it was diarrhea.

Your vet was right to say she needs a diet change. This illness is best managed on a raw diet but don't let that scare you. There are a lot of commercial raw diets for cats being sold at independent pet food stores or even Petco. All you have to do is thaw it and put it in the bowl. It clears up a lot of issues.

However, take her back to the vet and have her checked first. She may be prescribed steroids or antibiotics.

There are also threads on this site that deal with IBD with many great suggestions to help you out. I suggest you look it up.

Ibd doesn't require a raw diet - the right wet food can work really well too. The key is simple foods with few ingredients - the simpler the food the easier it is to find something that suits. I know of members here who are successfully managing their cat's ibd with wet food.

Your vet is the best person to talk to. One thing is certain - ibd needs veterinary treatment and usually medications to bring it under control.

No, it doesn't require it but I find it's best managed with raw. I guess it just depends on how severe the disease is.

It may not even be IBD, which is why another trip to the vet is advised to rule out other possibilities.

MOD NOTE:  Remember when recommending or considering a raw food diet to read this first:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/282314/recommending-a-homemade-diet-hold-your-horses

Thank you! I will keep all this info in mind and make an appointment for Rosie