Litterbox Issues

Delilah1623

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20140822_103504.jpg 20141102_054613.jpg Good morning everyone,

I know this is a tortoise forum but I don't have facebook or am a member of any other forums because they tend to be more nasty than helpful. So I am just looking for suggestions that anyone might have about my cat.

She is 14 and I rescued her and her sister from a Petco dumpster when they were about 5 or 6 weeks old. They still act likes kittens, are outgoing and friendly. But for the last year or so one has started pooping outside the litterbox and it is getting progressively worse.

She has been to the vet 4 times in the last month. A full senior blood panel done.... no issues. An X ray done.... no issues. She has been on a round of antibiotics and is now on steriods, this has helped with the loose stool issue as its no longer explosive but still refuses to use the box even though she is being kept in a small room on her own. I have tried different litter boxes.... different litters (including the $30 a bag Cat Attract) and still continues to happen. I have changed her food 3 times over the last year and is currently on an Rx diet from the vet.

Does anyone have any ideas that haven't already been tried? I have run out of ideas and outside of this she is still healthy and active for a 14 year old so it's hard to think of putting her down for this but also not fair to leave her confirmed to a small room.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Here is a picture of brat.... notice the black dog she is sleeping on. Also a picture of my living room curtains that she somehow manage to mess up ( yes, they were hanging up in the window!) ... a little gross but I wanted to get across the extent of the problem and not have people think it is a turd here and there.
 
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Yvonne G

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I have a dilute torty just like yours.

Well, sometimes a cat takes it in their mind that they don't want to use the same litter box that another cat uses. Have you tried putting more litter boxes around the house?

From the consistency of that poop on the curtains, I'd say this cat needs some fiber in its diet. Try to figure out why it has diarrhea. It could be that he has no control, it just squirts out before he can get to the box.

I don't know if diarrhea is the problem, but here's a good article on helping:

http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Your-Cat's-Diarrhea
 

lisa127

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I think her litterbox issues have something to do with her digestive issues. Has your vet talked to you about the possibility of IBD? Any talk of treating these digestive issues?
 

Delilah1623

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I have just the one other cat and I had 4 litter boxes and they get cleaned once a day.

They did suggest it might be IBD and said we could do a $300 ultrasound or just try the steroids and Rx food. The steroids and Rx food has helped in the sense that she now has solid stools only once a day and no more diarrhea..... but she still is not pooping in the box. She had been by herself for about a month now so she has the whole litterbox as her own.

It almost seems like there is a behavior and a medical component and now the medical component has been resolved but the behavioral one is continuing.... a friend suggested prozac, has anyone tried this on their cat with litterbox Issues?
 

lisa127

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I have just the one other cat and I had 4 litter boxes and they get cleaned once a day.

They did suggest it might be IBD and said we could do a $300 ultrasound or just try the steroids and Rx food. The steroids and Rx food has helped in the sense that she now has solid stools only once a day and no more diarrhea..... but she still is not pooping in the box. She had been by herself for about a month now so she has the whole litterbox as her own.

It almost seems like there is a behavior and a medical component and now the medical component has been resolved but the behavioral one is continuing.... a friend suggested prozac, has anyone tried this on their cat with litterbox Issues?
I had a cat with IBD. He pooped outside the litterbox from the age of 4 on. He died at age 13 from intestinal lymphoma. Yes, IBD can and does lead to intestinal lymphoma. Since he always peed in the litterbox I was thankful for that and just cleaned up the poop all those years. As long as it's solid I didn't worry about it. Steroids and RX food should take care of the IBD symptoms. I'm sorry you are going through this. From personal experience it is no fun. But it's no fun for your cat either. :( Yes, you are correct. The medical issues can and do lead to it becoming a behavioral one. But like I said, as long as he peed in the box I just worried about the medical side of things.
 

ascott

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I wonder if a cat at age 14 should continue to be subjected to additional medications that do so much damage---already to an old timer?
 

ZEROPILOT

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+1. Steroids are rough for an old pet. My dog takes them for issues he has. He's 14. I measured the benefits and found that although the steroids will give him issues, He would benefit NOW from them. At 14, he's already an old dog. I want to make the quality of life better for the life that he still has. I understand that cats can go 20 years..... I'd go to a cat chat forum. Someone must be experiencing this, also.
 

lismar79

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I only had this once and it was because wenswitched litter. Once we changed it back we had no other issues. Its a long shot but figure its worth asking.
 

lisa127

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I wonder if a cat at age 14 should continue to be subjected to additional medications that do so much damage---already to an old timer?
A low dose of steroids will make the cat feel better. IBD is an uncomfortable and painful condition.
 

lisa127

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+1. Steroids are rough for an old pet. My dog takes them for issues he has. He's 14. I measured the benefits and found that although the steroids will give him issues, He would benefit NOW from them. At 14, he's already an old dog. I want to make the quality of life better for the life that he still has. I understand that cats can go 20 years..... I'd go to a cat chat forum. Someone must be experiencing this, also.
A low dose of steroids are not going to hurt him. IBD is uncomfortable and painful for the cat and the steroids can help. Fourteen is not "elderly" as it is for a dog. Senior yes, but not all that elderly.
 

Yellow Turtle01

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A low dose of steroids are not going to hurt him. IBD is uncomfortable and painful for the cat and the steroids can help. Fourteen is not "elderly" as it is for a dog. Senior yes, but not all that elderly.
You're right. Most cats can live to 20+ years!
 

leigti

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Cats don't like change, so if you keep changing the boxes and the litter type she may never use it. Also is the box covered? Some cats don't like covered boxes. I would use the litter that she used to like. Even though I agree that animal planet mostly has crap on it now, the one show about cat behavior may be worth looking up. I think it was called "my cat from hell" and the cat behaviorist on that show seems to actually know what he is doing. He deals mostly with aggression but also with elimination issues. just a thought. Good luck with your kitty.
 

Yellow Turtle01

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The litterbox she has is only about 1.5" tall. She does have some arthritis in her hips.
I watch this show on Animal Planet called My Cat From (the underworld) and recently there was this senior cat who had hip issues, and he went outside the litter box because it hurt to move his hips to step upward/climb. :(
EDIT: LOL! @leigti, do you like that show?
 

Delilah1623

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It has been a problem for the last couple years but she was mostly pooping on the concrete floor in the basement. It's now progressed to other areas.... my curtains, my closet, the bed, kitchen chairs..... pretty much everywhere.

She keeps alternating now between diarrhea and solid poops but never in the box.

I will see if I can find that episode somewhere
 
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