Cat runs and then poops

Hi all,

So our recent addition who I've written about before is having a new set of issues.

We had gone 2 months without any litter box problems, but now we have a new one. Jax will all of a sudden start running like mad, drop a poop, run more, drop another, and so on until he is done.

I contacted our vet, and since his stool was hard he suggested putting more water in his food and some miralax. I can tell that the miralax is finally starting to work, but I have no idea to solve the other part.

I brought up a cleaned box with his preferred litter in it (cat attract). He instantly went over and sniffed it out.

I'm at my wits end because I don't know how to get him to realize that we aren't going to give him away and wish I knew how to help him with this.

He has (and still does) urinate in the box, but for some reason pooping has been a problem.

Any ideas are much appreciated.

Fortunately this is not unheard of behavior with constipation, but unfortunately it might take a bit of effort to really resolve things.

The reason for the running while pooping outside the litter box was the pain and discomfort. Jax has no idea what constipation is, he could just tell something was hurting him and he was trying to get away from it. He doesn't realize the spot where he was pooping was not the culprit.

Now, he might be feeling better, but he doesn't want to return to his litter box to poop because he doesn't want the pain to come back so he won't go to what he thinks caused the pain before (the litter box) when he has a bowel movement because he connects the two in his mind. 

If he is now pooping in the same place every time, then yay! The miralax did its job and he's feeling good. He thinks he's found a spot that doesn't hurt and is going to stick with it. If he's still running around and pooping in different places, then I'm so sorry but he is probably still having some discomfort. It may take a few days for the residual hard stool to get out of his system-miralax won't do anything to stool that is already formed in the colon. If he's still uncomfortable, you can up his Miralax dosage up to 1/4 a tsp twice a day and increase his water intake even more. If that still doesn't fix it, there are still lots of options to try!

-Adding a soluble fiber, like a tsp to tbsp of pure canned pumpkin to his meals will make his stool softer and will feed the bacteria in his gut that help regulate everything. If it doesn't work, don't add too much, though, because fiber does add some bulk and you do not want stools to get so large they can't pass.

-Probiotics can be given with meals to fill his gut with healthy bacteria and potentially resolve a lot of issues. You can buy human or cat probiotics. Acidophilus is the main strain used to help cats. Make sure, though, that the powder doesn't have a lot of cellulose or added fiber, because I've noticed it contributes to my cat's discomfort whenever I add something with a nonsoluble fiber.

-Going into the vet for a check-up and possibly x-rays will give the vet a better idea of the source of the problem, and a prescription medication may be necessary.

Once the constipation and discomfort has completely disappeared, what worked for me was getting a new litter box of a bit different style, size, and shape than my cat's current one, and putting it in a new spot. Basically making it seem as new and different as possible so the cat will think that maybe it won't hurt him like the old box and it's worth a try. Then he tries it, realizes he has no discomfort here, and voila, he'll go back to that the next time he needs to go. Cats usually prefer going somewhere where their waste is contained and they can cover it up, so he's going to prefer the box over the floor if he thinks it's safe.

6 months after my cat's constipation issues started, I'm still tweaking the recipe to get her bowel movements just right. Of course I've learned a lot in that amount of time. I made the mistake of buying a new litter box before the constipation was completely fixed, and she did use it once, but it still hurt so then I had 2 boxes she had negative associations with, which is why I recommend waiting to get the new box. In the meantime you can put down some newspaper in likely places for easy clean up. 

If his appetite decreases, he becomes lethargic, or he goes more than 2 days without pooping, then he needs to see a vet right away because it can get dangerous and more difficult to treat if constipation reaches that stage.

Hi Molly,

thanks so much for your thoughful reply, we really appreciate it. he definitely has an appetite - i'm greeting by a series of meowing from both cats at feeding time.

the other problem we think that might play into this is he is declawed, and we are his third owners. he was surrendered twice before. but, we love him and are clearly not giving him up.

i did buy some pumpkin at target last night so i will try adding that into his food. i'm wondering if perhaps he has a very sensitive stomach and needs to be put on different food. 

he had two episodes last night ... do you think i should try to put a lid on one of the boxes to see if that helps?

You can try putting a lid on the box and see how he likes it. He'll probably be able to tell it's his old one from the scent, though, and cats usually (but not always) prefer open litter boxes. And if he's still having problems he will not stay in one place to defecate anyway.

He could have a food sensitivity or IBD, although those usually present with diarrhea, not constipation. A good vet can tell (I think with an ultrasound if I'm remembering correctly) if inflammation is present in the bowels. If your vet says that's the problem without looking for any signs of inflammation, I'd be skeptical, because IBD is sometimes used as a scapegoat diagnosis when they're not sure. A high protein wet food will increase overall health and may help if you're not feeding that already. You can try an LID food to rule out sensitivities, but make sure you just change one variable at a time so you can figure out what works and what doesn't.

Being declawed doesn't contribute to his constipation, although it might make him a bit more uncomfortable if he's straining and is bearing down on his paws. Stress, though, could definitely be a factor in causing constipation. If you think that's the case, a Feliway plugin might help.

Exercise should help increase gut motility if you can get him playing more, too.

If he won't eat the pumpkin, my vet recommended a safe, tasteless fiber called acacia fiber that comes in a powder form. You can order it online or buy it from health supplement stores-it's often sold as a weight loss aid for people because it increases satiety. 

Another additive I tried was slippery elm bark, which acts as a lubricating coating for the digestive system. For my cat, who does not tolerate insoluble fiber well, it did its job as a laxative but it made her very uncomfortable  and freaked out.

One other thought I had is that if this goes on much longer and you take him to the vet (which would probably be a good idea if home remedies aren't cutting it), make sure they check his anal glands to see if they're impacted. That could cause pain during defecation and lead to him holding his stool, which would then cause it to dry out in his intestine and be hard when he does pass it.

Just for reference, I'm currently with my cat I'm feeding Holistic Select canned, added water, 1/4 tsp Miralax twice a day, and Pet Ultimates probiotics. She's still only going about every other day, but the probiotic is a recent addition and she seems much more comfortable now that she's on it. I'm also working to get her to lose weight, so I'm hoping her digestion will be easier when she's at a healthy size.

Sorry if I'm overwhelming you with information! It just can be difficult to figure out exactly what's causing constipation so I want to give as many options as I can. Thank you for taking care of this guy!

Hi Molly,

Thanks again for the added insight. We had box problems with him for about the first 4 months after bringing him home. It got better in December, and then in January we went 2 months straight with him consistently using the box. Then one Saturday morning the running and pooping thing started.

The only thing I could think of was that I had gotten a different brand of his wet food. He's always had an appetite and pooping outside the box has been his original problem. He can be very shy and skiddish and won't let me pick him up (yes, vet vists are very fun..).

I do have a feliway going in an area near a box, now two on our main floor and three on the bottom floor (where he seems to enjoy urinating). He seems to enjoy the cat attract litter.

Giving him away is not an option. He is the most lovable, affectionate cat I've ever owned, and he and our other resident cat are starting to get along better. We do play each night, too, and at night sleeps curled up next to us.

I'll order some larger boxes to see if that helps as well since he is a big guy.

Again - I don't care what it takes, I'd just like to get him back to pooping in his box. 

So another update. I'm starting to wonder if he doesn't like going around us.

Sunday night he was on my bed cuddling with me. Suddenly sat up, did the dash.. then jumped back on the bed and pooped on me. (Hah).

Last night.. same thing. Cuddling, then up zooming around.

His stools are definitely more soft than before. I'm wondering if it's anti-anxiety time? :/

Hm, it sounds like he gets the sudden urge to have a bowel movement, but it doesn't feel right and it freaks him out, and then maybe he comes back to you for help? After all, you're so good at solving his other problems (giving him food when he's hungry, etc.)! It might be time to take him into the vet for a full check-up and see if they can give you a better picture of what's going on and further solutions.

Try a Feliway diffuser to help calm him, sounds like he is trying to say something to you. How many litter boxes do you have. I know my guy uses one for pee and the other one for poopies.

i have... 4 right now. i have 2 cats... our first cat will poop in anything (and has always been consistent). i ordered some feliway refills that are coming today.

he again was cuddling with me last night.. then jumped up and did it. same thing happened this morning.. but it looks like he went all in one place.

calling vet. sigh.

If he does associate pain with particular litter boxes, try moving them to a different location. 

Thanks Zed - I'll try that tonight.

bumping this up as he has urinated on both of our sofas now. any advice?

Oh dear, well definitely soak those cushions with Nature's Miracle very thoroughly. Has he ever urinated outside the litter box before? Have you been to the vet recently?

dustypaws said:

 
bumping this up as he has urinated on both of our sofas now. any advice?

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Vet visit to check to see if anything is wrong. There was a my cat from hell episode were the cat was doing the same thing.

had a vet visit last night... poor guy was so scared. vet drained his severely swollen anal glands and took a urine and stool sample. we are waiting to hear back on those results. he did pee on my bed last night (probably getting me back for the vet visit), but this morning he high tailed it downstairs and urinated in a box.

we have a new food to try for urinary tract health, and the vet wants me to make his food a bit more soupy. also, we are going to work on dropping a bit of weight.

fingers crossed that this works.. my poor little buddy.

again - we are willing to do whatever it takes to help him get back to using the box.

thanks as always for the support here.

Hi, I just posted this is another old thread too but we have been having a similar problem with our cat. She started doing the running and pooing thing, turned out she had constipation, we got that under control and her poops now are mostly fine but she still won't poop in a tray. We've changed them all and the litter and locations but no luck. She still runs a bit when she poop's but not as bad as it was. Did you ever resolve your issue? We will try anything at this point.