Problem with Gizzy

[JVQM]

Lately Gizzy has been going to the bathroom on my rugs/clothes, #2 only.
about 3 times a week or more, I clean his liter box every other day, he will go # 2 in his liter box just a small amount and will then walk around the house and the next thing i know he is dropping a turd on the bathroom rug or kithcen rug, or somewhere in the house, the stools are not runny like he was sick or anything. and If i have laundry on the floor by the wash machine sometimes he will go on that. about 1 1/2 year's ago we spent $1500.00 on him he had stru vite crystals, kinda like a Urinary trac infection and he has been fine since but lately he has been doing this and i'm not sure what to do i have changed liters, given him two liter boxes went back to the same liter, went back to one liter box etc- any ideas

[jennielynn1970]

Has anything else changed in the household?? Normally when a pet poops outside the box, it's an emotional issue, or the fact that they don't like the litter/the box/the area the box is in, or something along that line. When my friend starting dating a real jerk, her kitty starting pooping under the bed. Came to find out that the boyfriend was mistreating the kitty, and the kitty was reacting to let her know she was not happy with the situation. Thankfully, the kitty was rehomed because the friend decided the guy was more important (ok, so they're both butt heads...). My Honeybun does it too, and I think it is an emotional thing. I'm the only person in the house, an there are 5 other cats, and i think he misses having exclusive attention. Unfortunately, I'm not looking to move anyone in anytime soon, so he's going to have to learn to share me. :rolleyes:

[JVQM]

Nothing has changed in the household- do you think i should put another liter box in the house in another area? I was not sure if it would confuse him- he is 8 years old and an indoor cat he has never gone outside and he won't go out he is afraid to- we don't force the issue either. if it is emotional what do i do?

[jennielynn1970]

How long has it been going on?

Have you started a new job?
Has your job changed hours?
Is there a new friend?
Are you around the house less?
Was there another pet that was his friend that is no longer there?
Did you just get him declawed??
Did you change to a strongly scented litter?
Did you go from an uncovered to a covered litter box (again, smell)??

Trying to think of what would affect the emotions, what I've experienced with my own cats as well. Sounds like he's sticking to soft surfaces (unless your whole place is carpeted). Is he sore in that rear area?? Are his pawpads sore??

[Freedom]

I focused on the part where you said he goes a little in the box then finishes up elsewhere. Could he just be constipated? At age 8, he is considered a "senior" cat. I find my MATURE felines need a little more water in their diets, and I give them canned food twice per week rather than once per week.

All but Chestnut. Chestnut has had a tendency to being constipated all his life. So I give him the heirball remedy twice per week to keep him regular. The other cats get that hairball stuff once per week, for controlling their hairballs nothing more. If I skip a midweek dose for Chestnut, I know it in about 3 days!

Just a thought.
Good luck.
Sandra

[columbine]

If it's constipation, one thing you can try is "Cat Lube" treats by Veterinarian's Best. They're chicken flavored, and kind of big for a cat to eat all at once, so I just break one up over Smudge's kibble. He definitely likes it, and it hasn't got any of the petroleum that seemed to be irritating his urinary tract last fall.

If Gizzy's a canned-food eater, you can just get psyllium seed laxative for humans (unflavored) and just snip the end of the capsule, sprinkle it over his food, mash it in well (be sure it's mixed in, or it'll just collect in gelatinous blobs that he won't eat) and then mix a bit of extra water into the food.

Love, Columbine

[Catlady711]

I focused on the part where you said he goes a little in the box then finishes up elsewhere. Could he just be constipated? Just a thought.
Good luck.
Sandra

I agree totally.

My cat Jack has constipation problems occasionally (most recent episode required 4 enemas over 2 days!) The most notable sign he's having problems is finding poop only outside the sandbox or hanging off him. The catlax (Laxitone/Felaxin) isn't sufficient to help him, and sometimes the pumpkin in his food isn't enough either. We now have to feed him a special food as well as give him a liquid laxitive twice a day.

We also currently have a cat that lives at work with a constipation problem, and she also will poop partly in the sandbox and the rest of it outside of the box. We are currently still on the catlax phase with her, if it doesn't work soon we'll have to try a few more things.

Whether it's a problem with the crystals in the urine reoccuring or constipation, a trip to the vet ASAP for Gizzy is in order.

[Catty1]

If Gizzy had crystals before, was he put on a different food to prevent them from coming back?

A urine sample taken at the vets and a change in diet could prevent big problems for Gizzy, and a bit vet bill for you. :)

Please get the vet to give Gizzy a checkup.

And keep us posted!

[JVQM]

Ok, last night we came home and Gizzy poop in three different places in the house, Kitchen rug in front of sink, dining room rug, and bed room, the poop in the kithcen was stiff (normal) and in the dining room & bedroom it was soft, i have been cleaning his litter box every night when I get home from work, thought maybe he was just getting picky. he has been going in there for about 4 to 5 days and then last night three different area's.
he did have stru vite crystals, which we treated him for and now and has been for a year and a half, he is on the urinary tract cat food, it is just frustrating. we have had no changes with our life style or home.
Gizzy moves around the house like he normal does, does not seem like he is any pain or sick- he has a self water dish-I don't want to spend another $1500.00 again at the vet.

Frustrated

[columbine]

Yeah, get him to the vet now before he develops something painful and expensive. It could simply be that the anti-crystal food is diverting all the water he drinks to his urinary system, leaving none for his intestines. (That's what happened with my Smudge.) The vet can feel his insides and look at his bum and figure out if it's constipation or something else.

[Freedom]

All I can offer to suggest now is, to keep your sanity, can he stay in one room with a litter box, water dish, toys, while you are at work? That way at least you don't have to look all over the house to clean up.

Maybe others will have more ideas.

[Catty1]

You only spend $1500 if he needs the surgery again! Maybe he doesn't

He might have an infection, which is cheaper to treat.

Please take him to the vet.

[Medusa]

One thing I noticed was that you said you clean his litterbox every other day. Usually, cats are fastidious creatures and, as such, like to have their litterboxes cleaned on a daily basis. I clean mine twice a day, sometimes more often, but then I have 7 cats. But you wouldn't flush your toilet every other day, so give that a whirl and see what happens. Of course, make sure it isn't something more serious. But I know that my Peeka (RIP) would test the waters, so to speak, by putting her paw in the box and if it didn't feel right to her, she wouldn't go in. Then I'd find her calling card somewhere in the house.

Blessings,
Mary

[Medusa]

Whoops, I read further down that you've been cleaning his litterbox every night when you get home from work, so I apologize for missing that. So try it every morning before you leave and at night when you get home. It's a pain, I know, but you're cleaning it up anyhow and in places it isn't supposed to be. Cleaning the litterboxes 3 times a day might do the trick.

Blessings,
Mary