Cat Pooping Problem Questions

This is a page of cat pooping problem questions I have received and answered over the years. I hope they will help you with any problems you may be having with your own cat and pooping issues.

They cover all sorts of problems other cat owners have had with their own cat and issues with pooping in inappropriate places or other related issues.

Top Questions Asked

Click on relevant question to find answers.

1. My cat farts and poop comes out, why? This relates to diarrhea issues 
2. My constipated cat is pooping on floor, why not in their litter tray?
   
3. How to stop kittens pooping in the wrong place. This also relates to adult cats
   
4. My cat is pooping blood. 
   
5. How to get cat poop stains out of carpet?
   
6. Why do cats poop when they are scared?
   
7. Is touching cat poo dangerous?

Q. Why Is My Kitten Pooping On Everything? - by carrie (franklin,la)

why is my 1 kitten out of 2 pooping like diarrhoea all over my carpet & sofa??its like very slimy:(

Answer
Hi well if they have diarrhoea then they will not be able to control themselves as to where they are going.

the diarrhoea need to be cleared up quickly especially as kittens can become dehydrated quickly.

Please see my web page about cat diarrhoea for more advice here

Questions Relating To Pooping In The Wrong Place 

Cat Defecating in House - by Mark (Adelaide, Australia)

My cat is an indoor cat. Sometimes he poos in his tray but lately every morning he will do it in the front room of the house on the carpet. How can I stop him doing this?

Answer

You first have to make sure that your cat is not ill in some way. Are they displaying any other symptoms, such as vomiting, not eating, lethargy? If you do suspect that your cat is ill then you should get your cat to a vet as soon as possible.

If you do not think your cat is ill, then this is a behavioral issue called Middening.

There are many causes for this behavior, which I have explained on another page, which also provides information on how to help your cat stop this unwanted behavior.

Check out my detailed Information page about other causes for pooping in the home and how to deal with them.

Cat Poops beside The Litter Tray - by Ann Engel (Key Largo, FL)

I have a 5 year male cat that I rescued from the pound when he was 8 weeks old. From the very first day we got him he would poop beside the litter box. I would run behind him and pick him up and put him in the litter box, but he would just run away and waite until I was no where in site and then poop. It doesn't matter if the litter box is clean every single day, "it is", he still poops wherever he wants. I find his fragrant deposits everwhere now. Other than this problem he is the best cat I have ever had. Does anyone have a suggestion??

Answer

Pooping outside the litter box is rarely anything to do with the litter tray, it usually a scenting issue known as Middening. However it is rare that it would go on for so long, there must be something that makes the cat feel as if he has to mark his territory all the time, perhaps another animal or person makes him feel this way.

try moving the litter tray to another area away from his food and in a safe quiet area, you could even try changing the litter in case it is that which is upsetting him (sometimes it is the littlest thing).
I do have a page on this site about middening you will find it under the cat urine heading.

Comments by: Anonymous 

Try cat attract litter.... i had the same problem as u and they guaranteed that the cat would go in this litter and sure enough, not one accident since!

Cat Defecating Outside the Box - by Jennifer (New York)

My 9 year old cat seems to think that our house is his litter box! He has poo-ed on my mom's favorite carpet repeatedly (we used Nature's Miracle and even covered it in cardboard!), then he just poo-ed on the hardwood floor or just about anywhere he feels like going.

He'll go in the litter box (both poo and pee), but it's like he decides that he just plain doesn't want to go to the box no matter how close it is when he has the urge to poo. We have tried everything!!! Vet (he's fine), Nature's Miracle, sticky tape, moving the litter box and changing the litter (but he didn't like it and we ended up going back to his old kind), putting his food and water there, you name it!

We even moved him to the basement and he went EVERYWHERE except the box. We have no other cats or animals, he's not stressed, he eats well. WE really need a solution otherwise the cat is going to go bye bye. We love him, but its not good for our overall health and its stressful hunting for poo when we first get up in the morning or whenever he wakes up from a nap and have to follow him around. Please help!!! 

Answer
There is always a reason for this behaviour, always. the trouble is knowing what it is. Is the litter box too near his food, is it in a place where he feels unsafe ie too near a washing machine etc are there constant changes in the home which make him feel unsettle etc, the list could go on and on.

My suggestion is to go through a weeks litter training with him using the confinement method. This process may have to be repeated several time for some cats if the problem is a long set one.

While he is confined you will need to clean the house top to bottom, making sure that all the areas he used before are so thoroughly cleaned that not one spot of urine smell is left as this will encourage him to go back there. See my page about urine cleaners 

Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor Remover

Get Serious For A Deep Clean

Pure Ayre For odor removal

Also make sure that his home environment is as stimulating as possible for your cat to not only distract him from his previous behaviour but also to help settle him more into his home and make him feel more contented.

I have a page about indoor outdoor cats which advises on how to make your cats home environment entertaining. Yes our cats can get bored too and a bored cat can be a neurotic cat.

I hope my advice can make a change in his behaviour.

Cat Pooing by Chantelle (Australia)

We have 2 kittens, 5 & 5.5 mths. One of the kittens has been pooing (little gooey) for the past week, nearly every 2nd night. First of all a few little spots, then it found the bed cushion, now mainly in the bed cushion, and I kept washing it. So now I put it away in the night. Now it's found another spot in the dining room on the carpet. I've read your reply, there has been no moving house, no new people or animals, nothing different I can think of. I'm afraid it might poop in other spots, now that I've removed the pink cushion.

I clean it up and disinfect it.

I tried only giving them dry biscuits for a while, now they are back on wet food.

What can I do, I've read to smudge a bit of the pooh onto its face, or spray pepper on the spot, might help, but won't it just encourage it to go somewhere else.

Maybe I should let them outside now to pooh, how does one start doing this.

Please help!

Answer 

Hi
Firstly can I say that all those people that say by rubbing their faces in their mess will help are sadly wrong. All this will do is make the cat afraid of you. They will not associate the poo with being naughty, as they are not doing it on purpose to be naughty, they are either just reacting to something else i.e stress or each other etc. or they have some sort of tummy upset.

I don't know if you have visited the vet about this issue or not. if you say the poo is a little gooey they may have some sort of illness which is ongoing and until sorted out will continue the pooing around the house.

I would have them checked by the vet to at least rule this option out first.

Then if they get a clean bill of health you will know that it is a behaviour issue and can tackle it again. 

Basically litter training is based around security and cleanliness. Cats needs there own litter tray each which is cleaned regularly. The trays should not be near each other and the litter needs to be right for them (there are many different types and some cats prefer some to others).

Please see my page about Litter Training.

I have always allowed my cats outside and they have started to go out once they have had all their vaccinations etc. Again speak to your vet about whether or not your cats are fully vaccinated yet.

Cat Pooping On My Rug - by Rebecca Carle (Geneva, Ohio, United States)

My cat keeps pooping on our bathroom rug. I first tried cleaning it with a cat spray that has something it in to deter the cats but he still pooped on it so I have to wash it. It is the rugs that are on our bathroom floor and when the big one was not there he pooped on the one in front of the toilet. I thought it was because of the litter box being full so I make sure it is cleaned very often, about every other day. Last night he did it again and the litter box was not even full. For about two months his poop was very soft with a little blood. Then I have been trying foods and found a good one, His poop is getting harder and there is no blood. Finally when I took both rugs out he pooped in a chair when I was in the shower but the bathroom door was open so he could get to his litter.

My fiancée keeps him in the bathroom with the door closed when he showers and it seems to have been ok so far. I am getting sick of rewashing the rub all the time. Could it be an illness or is it just because he is mad. I do not know what to do other then get a cage and put him in it all night (because when we are sleeping is when he does it more often) or giving him to the humane society. We got him and his sister from the humane society and his sister has never done anything like this and always has normal poop. I am concerned there may be something else other than behaviour problems in his case. Please help!

Answer
Hi
well I am a little concerned that there was blood in the poop a wile back. This is never normal and if it were me I would want to have him checked out by the vet to rule out any underlining illness that may be present.

As for the pooping in the bathroom. There are many causes of this. Illness just being one of them. 

But now it may just be habit.

Our cat Little Mo used to go on the bathroom rug for ages in the end we had to get rid of the rug altogether as either there was residue smell on the rug or because the rug was tuffty and felt like grass etc what ever, she stopped as soon as we removed the rug.

When this behaviour occurs it is never because the cat is doing it to be bad or is mad etc. they just don't react like that, not like humans. There is always a reason.

My web page above should be able to provide some answers for you. However it may also be advisable to have him checked by a vet to make sure that there is no illness which could be adding to the problem.

Comment

pooping on the rug - by: Rebecca Gwynn 

My suggestion is to get him to the vet and have him checked out. Cats do not do things out of anger, and are usually very clean animals. Clean the pan every day, more than once if necessary, would you like to use a dirty toilet? I have 8 cats, and only seldom do they go outside the boxes, when they are not clean. Hope this helps, don't get rid of him for this reason, find out what is wrong.

Q. Cat Pooping On Floor Randomly

Our cat occasionally throughout the week will poop on the floor. She is 3 and just started the habit. It's always near the litter box. It's always random as we try to tie it to an event. The litter box was cleaned and changed litter, we kept her bowl full, given her extra attention, cleaned litter box more often, etc. No matter what we try she still does it on occasion - 2-4 times a week. We just can't figure out why or what she's trying to tell us.

Answer
Unfortunately it can be difficult to find out the reason for this behaviour, it can be caused by so many things, most of which we humans just may not notice.

Try to replace the litter tray in an area where he may feel a little more secure and follow the litter training process.

Also make sure you clean the area thoroughly so that there are no traces of odour.

I hope you find the cause of your kittys issue soon.

Pooping in the Bathroom - by Sue (York Pa. USA)

My male cat who is Neutered and probably about 5 yrs. old. We got him from the SPCA about 1 and a half ago.
Every now and then he'll decide to poop in the Bathroom  It can be in the tub,or his place of choice seems to be right by the toilet. The other cat is fine and always uses the little box. The box is located in the basement away from all the hustle and bustle. Why do you think ,only on occasion  would he chose to use OUR Bathroom instead of his own?????

Answer
this is an issue about territory. Like urine poop is used as very strong scent and visual marker to other cats. I don't know if he has a separate litter tray from the other cat but if not then this could be the problem or if his litter tray is too close to the other cats litter tray as the scent of other cats will cause them to feel unsettled.

Always make sure they have separate clean trays , not close to each other, their food or sleeping areas. If the problem persists then you may have to do some re training with your cat (described at the bottom of the page about Middening) or try changing the type of litter used.

Cat Pooing?

About 6 months ago my cat, Meg, started doing the occasional poo on my kitchen floor. meg is an indoor cat, but has a big cage enclosure which she can go in and out of whenever she wants via a cat flap. Her litter tray is kept in the enclosure, which she does use most of the time. But about 6 months ago, i came into the kitchen where she is kept at night (but still has access to enclosure) and found she had pooed on the floor. It was normal, not runny at all, and thought it may be a one-off thing.

But she has been doing it on and off for the last 6 months. Sometimes she will go 3 or 4 wks without doing it, then she may do it for a couple of nights on the trot! Her litter tray is always kept clean, so i don`t know why she is doing it? I am 8 months pregnant, and was wondering if this has anything to do with it? She is not getting any less attention now, than what she has always got. If anything, i was maybe expecting this after the baby was born?

I am at my witts end with it now, and obviously if it contimues, i will have to get rid of her. I don`t want to do this as she a very affectionate and loving pet.
Please can you help at all?
Thankyou
Sam

Answer
Hi can i just say that when a cat does this it is either because they are ill (doesn't sound like that in this case) or the cat is upset by something that has made her feel unsettled in the home and the pooing is their way of making the home environment smelling more like them which in turn makes them feel more secure. Perhaps your cat has picked up on your changed condition and i bet you have been buying new things in time for the baby. These changes are probably making the cat feel a little uncertain.

Once things settle down after the birth and the cat gets used to the new arrival i'm sure she will stop this behavior. Perhaps you could confine your cat to her enclosure at night for a while to see if this settles her down.

I'm not sure why you think you may have to get rid of her, it is perfectly safe to clean up cats mess as long as your wear gloves.

My Cat Pooped Beside The Litterbox. - by Linda (toronto)

I recently left my ragdoll kitten alone at home for few days. I thought this would be okay since I had left it alone for a week before and nothing happened. I am currently at home and my cat is at my other house near my university. My room mate went back to school yesterday and was able to take care of her.

But apparently my cat is having problems using the litter box (this never happened before) and she pooped on the floor in my room mates room and also pooped in my room right beside the litter box.

My roommate told me that the litterbox isn't filty and there wasn't that many pieces of poop in there..so I don't get why my kitty is pooping everywhere!

could it possibly be because shes angry with me for leaving her? -_-? can someone give some professional advice?

thank you!

Answer 
When cats do this it is there way to make themselves feel happier in their home by spreading their scent. Cats like routine and can get distressed by lots of coming and goings and different people taking care of them etc. it may that this is what is causing your cat to feel unsettled and so they feel the need to scent their environment.

Cat Defecating On Floor - by Carol (Baltimore, MD)

Hi,
I purchased a 5 mo old kitten from a rescue at Petsmart for which she is about 1 year now. I had no problem with her going in the cat box until about 3 months ago. All of a sudden she decides to start defecating on the carpet in front of the litter box. I have tried everything I know and she will not stop. I have tried putting a second box there she goes, I keep the boxes very clean, I have sprayed where she goes and now she is branching out and going all over the room on the floor. Would anyone have any answers for me because I cannot keep a cat that will not use the litter box? HELP!!!!! Thank you.
Carol

Answer
Hi Carol

The first thing to look at is where the litter trays are placed. Are they too near food bowls, a back door, a loud machine like a washing machine etc. will the cat feel safe when they use the tray.

Secondly, try changing the type of litter, sometimes this can make a difference. there are even litters known as cat attract which is supposed to encourage the cat to use them.

If none of these work then the behvaior is known as Middening and can be triggered by many different things. Some of which we as humans may not realise is an issue.
Basically the poo is used as a visual and oratory signal as a territory marker. 

I hope you can sort the issue out soon for both of you

Cat Defecating and Urinating In Bathtub - by earline (houston tx)

my cat has a freshly cleaned new litter in litter box and then goes to the tub and does its business. Help what do I do?

Answer
It could be that he does not like the type of litter you are using. i know it sounds strange but some litters can feel uncomfortable on the paws to some cats and even smell strange. So you could try changing the type of litter you use, see my page here about the various types of cat litter available.

You may also have to do some training with your cat in another room with his litter tray for a week or so. This helps to make the cat become more comfortable with the tray as well as only having to worry about a small area of the house.

Q. Woopys Theres More Poopies

Hello my Cat Chase is fully grown female and she has been moved from her old house into the house i live in which has two other cats......

and when we first moved in she was using her litter box like normal and we introduced the cats the right way but now after 9 months of living here she is pooing in open spaces as in down stairs on our dirst washing or near our front door it would take her another 4 steps to use the litter box but she just wont use it.....

we have two different litter boxes and she wont use either of them please help me.....

i don't want my house smelling any more and i don't want to get rid of my beautiful baby kitty....

thank-you....

Answer
This behavior is known as Middening and is similar to when cats urinate around the home i.e for territory of stress reasons.
The causes are many and so it is impossible for me to say what may have triggered this behavior off.

My best advice is to ask you to read my page about middening. It also contains some advice for trying to re train your cat in such a way as to make her feel more confident again and so hopefully stop her need for middening.

Q. 20 Year Old Cat Poops On Floor - by ac (Winchester, Virginia)

The litter pans are clean with clean litter, sitting in the same place since the day we moved here.. but, for the past month, my 20 year old cat will poop around the edges of the room.. occasionally, He will use the pan to poop and always uses the pan to pee.. I have two pans, he uses one to pee and one to poop.. please help!!!

Answer
Hi
well this sort of behaviour is generally associated with marking their territory often brought on by something which makes the cat feel unsettled in their home. 

However it may also be a health issue, especially as your cat is quite old now. It may be a physical illness or even a mental one as older cats can suffer from forms of senility. 

Because your cat is quite old I would have them checked by a vet to see if there could be any illness involved. If he gets a clean bill of health the only thing you can try to do is to follow the confinement litter training.

Q Cat Fouling All Over The House

Hi,

I have a thirteen year old Maine Coon cat, she has a catflap and goes outside, but she has always been a little bad about this and sometimes wees and poos in the house. This was however infrequent and ususally obviously related to stressful events like people staying with us or another cat coming into the garden. 

We moved six months ago but she has generally, until the last weeks, been pretty good, with just a few accidents, mostly weeing by the front door after we have had visitors. 

She has now, in the last few weeks, started pooing all over the place, every day we find one somewhere. Many have been by the front door, and we wonder it is the post coming in through a post flap that is disturbing her. But then she has started doing it on the carpet or even the bed in my daughter's bedroom and also in the baby's room (I am pregnant at the moment, and obviously this pooing in the nursery is very upsetting for all of us as well as being very unhygienic). I am of course concerned that after the baby is born she is going to carry on doing this and the house and nursery are going to be dirty and unsafe for the baby. 

She is a very loved and pampered cat, has everything a cat could ever need, but has always been rather neurotic and anxious in that she hides when anyone outsode the family visits, and runs away from even us sometimes, for no reason at all. 

Hve you any ideas? I am about to have my baby and am at the end of my tether?

Thanks Nikki

Answer 
Hi Nikki
well there are two possibilities here. Either due to her age she is having some health issues which could be causing this to happen. or as you say something has upset her and she is trying to make herself feel better by scenting all over the house. It may well be the fact that you are pregnant which is causing her some concern. I.e you may smell different to her, or your behaviour may have changed or she senses the changes being made ie if new things are being bought or rooms moved around etc.

All I can recommend is try giving her a period of litter training using the confinement method and if after this she is still the same you may want to to consider having her checked in case there are some health issues causing this.

Q. My Cat Is Pooing and Urinating Everywhere - by charmaine (birmingham, uk)

Hi, i have a 6 month old castrated male cat and just over the last few days he has started pooing and weeing right outside his litter box. I clean his box daily, but the odour of the cat wee everywhere is a cause for concern, i am at my wits end and don't know what to do.

Answer
Sounds to me like your little chap needs some litter training. Please see my page here about litter training (at the bottom of the page) also you may want to try cat attract litter which is supposed to encourage cats to use it. See my page here about various types of litters 

Don't worry I know this can be frustrating but if you use the confnement method of cat litter training along with a litter that your cat likes he will eventually learn.

Comments 

by: charmaine 

He was using the cat litter before it is only since he has been neutered that it has started.

Answer
yes this is often the case ie something has changed and so the cat reacts to the change

Q. Why Does My Cat Poo On The Floor? - by Leah (Houma, LA)

My cat always poos on the floor. He used to always use his litter box and then one day he just stopped. He pees in his box but he will not poo. Now he isn't pooing on my carpet or in a certain corner or anything. He goes in his litter box then pokes his butt out of the litter box and poops right there on the floor in front of it. Then he will put his tail back in and either pee or just turn around and get out.

I could understand if he didn't like pooing when they had pee in it but sometimes there is nothing but litter in it. I don't scrub the box completely clean when I clean it because I know that cats like their scent. I have had cats my whole life and this is the first time that I have a cat like this. I love my little Tillis but it makes me so mad I just want to get ride of him because my house always stinks. It takes forever for the smell of his poo to go away. He could poo in the morning before I go to work and when I get back 9 hours later it still smells. HELP PLEASE!!!!!!! 

Answer
Firstly always thoroughly clean out the litter tray. Cats are very clean animals indeed and although they use their scent to mark territory etc they do not like a smelly litter tray even if it is there own smell.

Try thoroughly cleaning the tray and perhaps you could try some of the litter known as cat attract.

Also make sure the litter tray is away from his food area and away from anything the dog may use. It should also be placed in a quiet place where the cat will feel secure.

Try these things first it may simply be a habit he has got into. Make sure the litter tray is large enough too, I once had a cat who would always stand in her tray and wet outside just because she didn't have enough room. perhaps one of the covered ones may also help.

Comments 

Well...my cat finally stopped pooing on the floor. i stated used the arm n' hammer litter for multi cats even though he is the only one. then i bought this neat rug that is made for the front of a litter box. i guess now the litter smells better and and he doesn't mind going in there. but i have to clean it twice a day. some cats...mine especially, has an attitude. maybe that's the problem.

if i leave anything in his room except for the normal things that is in there everyday and all day he will poo on the floor. it like their way of telling us "hello...i don't like this. please remove it." i also started putting him in a different room for two months to break him out of the habit and it worked. i know that he didn't poo in that room and he loved that room because that is the only furniture that i allowed him on. so about every two nights i would put him in that room. not every night because i still wanted him to know that the utility room was his room not my office. it worked my him. if this doesn't work than im not too sure what will.

Q. Poops On The Rug or Carpet - by melissa (Lawrenceville, ga US)

even with a brand new fresh clean litter box my Siamese will not stop going poop on the rug or carpet. we are at our witts end and almost ready to adopt her out or even put her asleep. 

Answer
Please read my web page about Middening 

The page will give you more information as to why your cat may be doing this and how you can try and help her with some litter training.

If you still feel like you are unable to cope with looking after your cat afterwards then rehoming is the answer, never to put a healthy cat to sleep. The problem may be that your cat feels unsettled in your home and is trying to make it smell more like them to calm them down and make them feel happier. This is not uncommon the secret is to find out why your cat may feel like this and try to change things.

Questions Relating To Why Cats Poo When Scared Or Stressed

This can happen to humans too. When we are scared our bodies prepare to fight or flee and this can mean that certain muscles in the body tense to be able to run, while our brains are concentrating on these areas of the body other muscles can become ignored temporarily and so they become lax and this can happen to the bowel.

It is not a deliberate act and so when a cat does this, they should not be punished. Instead they should be comforted and the cause of the fear or stress be removed if possible.

Please see my page about scared cats for more information.

Cat Defecating On My Bed - by Kathy (Shirley, NY)

We adopted a stray about 3 years ago. The first time he used my bed as a litter box we went camping for 2 days and left him home alone. I thought he was locked in the room by mistake. The second time we went away, my sister was coming daily to feed him and check on him. Both times he urinated also. Now he did it again, we were not away, I think it happened when we were at work, he was ok in the house during the day while we were at work with the dogs. The comforter was brand new, don't know if that had anything to do with this behaviour. This time it was only faeces. He does have a litter box in the house that he does use on occasion. He does like to be outside a lot. I am now considering keeping him outdoors only. I can't let him destroy my home. Don't know what else to do. 

Thank you for any advice you can give me. 

Answer
This kind of behaviour is brought on when a cat is feeling unsettled by something and is trying to make the home smell more like him which will comfort him. they often do it on beds as this is where your scent is the strongest.

It could be that your cat gets upset easily and so things like new items being brought into the house might do it or he may be a very clingy cat that does not like being left alone all day which upset him.

You could try letting him out so that he can do his catty things all day or you could try and make the indoor experience more interesting for him. please see my pages here under cat care about indoor cats also see my page about cat pooping issues like this under the Cat urine pages.

Also try spraying your bed clothes when you get up with a lemon scent this often deters cats from going near but he may just go somewhere else if he is feeling upset about something.

This is a common problem which if handled sensitively can be over come. Some cats are just more sensitive than others and need more tlc.

Q. Cat Elimination Problem - by Heather (WI)

3 years ago my, now 14 yr. old, cat had started urinating on throw rugs-so I threw them out and never left more down-that eliminated the problem. I think the problem at that time was stress (birth of my twins). Now 31/2 years later, the cat is eliminating waste in my basement (mainly in the toy room, but also in another area), so we put up a gait to keep her out of the basement. The other day we came home and she had done #2 on my living room carpet! We've also noticed (can smell it)that she has been urinating on towels left down by the entry door for wet feet or towels left down in the bathroom from bathtub or showers. Help! Is she middening or is something else going on? I can hardly stand it any longer--and it's making me more resentful towards her!

Answer
When a cat does anything like this it is either due to ill health of a behaviour issue i.e. stress.

If you don't think she is ill then something must be making your cat feel unsettled and feeling the need to scent like this. the only way to stop the problem is to try and fins d out what is causing the problem and also to put your cat through a period of litter tray re training described here 

I hope you can find the reason for her distress, remember she is not doing it to annoy you she is upset herself to do this as cats are by nature very clean animals.

Comments 
by: Anonymous 

Thank you for your response-you mentioned something I forgot. I wondered if she was "stir-crazy" in the winter....in the summer she goes outside and I don't recall her going in the house during the summer!

TO HEATHER WISCONSIN 
by: Anonymous 

Heather - I have a cat that does the same thing. I have 2 cats and one goes on 2 towels I leave in the Living Room under the window, she goes #1 & #2 there, never in the litter box. I have even put the litter box where the towels were, still didn't use it. In the warm weather she goes outdoors but in cold weather on the towels.......UGG

Questions Relating To Constipation 

Cat Constipated - by -Adam (Exeter Devon uk)

Hello, I am the proud owner of a ginger Tom, pretty independent, and gets on with his life well, He has a problem, he can't poo! and it is as though he is trying and in pain to do so. In order to get him fluent in the rear end I have to pout him in the basket and attempt to take him to the vet. Half way tpt he journey i think through fear he then empties his bowls in the basket. His stools are fine as far as cat pooh goes he eats well drinks water, and has a stunning coat otherwise. his worming is up to date,as well as being front lined. Help!! my car smells what can I do. Oh yeah the vet says he is okay as far as they can feel. any ideas only i'm worried it could be quite serious

Kind regards Adam

Answer 

Your cat was probably nervous in the car and it is not unusual for cats to eliminate when they are scared.

If the vet checked him and says he is ok then i would not worry too much. cats can get constipated from time to time. Check out my page about cat constipation and how to prevent and treat it. 

Kitten no poo poo - by jean r (phila. pa)

I just got a 7 week old kitten 4 days ago. She is only drinking milk right now. She does not seem interested in solids yet.She goes to the litter box and will pee. She has not yet pooped and I just want to know if it is normal.

Answer 
Well she is still very young and it is often recommended that kittens stay with their mother for at least 7 weeks. This is because during this time the mother cat will teach them things like behaviour, litter tray use, feeding on solid etc. She will also lick them to stimulate bowel movement. 

As you are now mother cat this will be your job. My best advice is to ask you to read my kitten care pages which covers aspects like stimulating bowel movement and weaning onto solids etc.

Going To The Bathroom - by KJ (Walden, NY, USA)

Hi, my kitten is about 8 months old. As of yesterday i noticed that he was having trouble going poop. He is constantly in and out of the litter box trying to go, he acts like he is constipated. He is eating okay and drinking plenty of water, and he has lots of energy.
I just bought a new brand of food for him. It is The Good life Recipe Indoor Blend, i normally have him on Meow Mix (the kitten kind) Could that possibly have something to do with his problem? What should I do? Can you please give me some advice? Thank You

Answer
well a change in food can upset a cats digestive system and so yes it could be possible that he is constipated.

Please see my page about cat constipation for some idea on how to help him over this problem. 

If he is still unable to go in a few days more then you will need to get him to the vets for some treatment.

Cat Not Defecating - by Karen Coughlin (Port Richey, Florida USA)

Please help. My cat Muffin keeps going in the litter box and can urinate but can not defecate. She keeps going in there and scratching around making a spot and goes crazy because nothing is happening. It's been 6 days and she has not gone yet. 

Took her to the vet and he took x-ray and just said she is not blocked up but has a lot of gas. So he gave her an antibiotic shot. She is still not going. 

What is wrong?????

Thank You, Karen 

Answer
So the vet did not give you anything to help her go? That's strange. Anyway please read my page about cat constipation. Make sure they have plenty of water to drink and also keep them active. You can even try rubbing their tummies to try and get things moving.

If nothings changes then I would definitely take them back to the vets as soon as possible.

Questions Regarding Cat Diarrhea

Q. Cat Never Gets All Poop Out Properly -by Jon (NYC)

Hello there. I hope you can help with my little problem that I am having. I recently adopted a 5 month old tuxedo cat who was a stray cat. He is perfect in every way until it comes to his pooping. The shelter fixed him and gave him all his shots and treated him for ringworm which is all cured now. 

My problem is that after he goes to use the box to poop, he never really gets all of it out and there tends to be some left around his butt hole. As soon as he comes out, he usually sits somewhere, floor, couch, or chair and leaves a trail behind. I have started to wipe him with a wet paper towel around that area if I catch him coming out of the litter box. He does not like this AT ALL and meows in discomfort and tries very hard to escape. Is there any type of advice you can give as to what I can do to help him with this problem in order to prevent poop trails around the house and off furniture?

Also, every once in a while, but extremely rare, I find little poop around the house that clearly just came out of him. It is in diarrhea form so I am guessing that he is simply no getting to the box quick enough but at the same time a little is coming out when he may think its a fart. 

P.S. - this cat releases gas A LOT...any advise on this as well???

Answer Hi well it sounds like your cat has digestive issues which is causing these problems. Can I suggest that you follow the procedure described on my cat diarrhoea page for a few days and then start to feed him again on cat food but perhaps a different brand than before. this will allow his system to calm down and hopefully get back to normal. here is the web page about diarrhea treatments Lets hope that the change of food will help his system settle down and get back to normal.

Cat Diarrhea Support Gentle / fast-acting

Q. Excessive Poop on Butt is spread around house - by John K. 

(Rochester, NY)I have a very wonderful 7 and 1/2 year old female, american short hair named Journey. I have had no problems with her up until about 1 year ago. At that time I broke up with my gf of 6 years. I decided to switch to a more premium food. For the first 3 years of her life she was fed delicate, then I switched her to purina one.

Last year I switched her to Blue Buffalo and she stated have problems where she would have some excess poop on her fur and would then wipe it on the floor and the bed when she would hop up. Upon visiting the vet, she said she (joourney) was in very good health. All lab tests came back normal, her dental was great, and stool test was clean. The only concern was she weighed 15 lbs, instead of the 10 she should weigh.

When I explained my problem, she recommended trying to switch back to the old food or going with royal canin indoor. She improved a bit and I have been doing frequent baths to remove excess poop from her fur, but the problem is still occurring. The poop she leaves on the bed is not solid poop but more of a wet spot of poopy liquid or sometimes just a small dry spot of poop. Sometimes it seems watery or oily as it spreads out on the sheet slightly. I love her very much, but this is VERY disgusting. Have you heard of this before? Do you have any ideas? Please HELP!!!

Answer 
well it is very unusual for a cat to do this as they are generally very clean animals and indeed they get very upset if they are not clean.
It could be possible that one of her problems is that she is too over weight to clean herself properly or it could be difficult which means that she has found other ways of removing the mess.

As for why the stool is too soft well it may simply be that all the changes in food has upset the balance of her digestive system and she needs some time to get it readjusted again. Ie plain food, little and often (you may have to do this for several days or even a few weeks if the problem has been long term). Please see my page about cat diarrhea it may give you some more ideas to the cause of the problem.

I hope the problem resolves itself soon as your cat can't be happy with the situation herself.

Questions Related to Bloody Poop

by Clara (SA, Adelaide)

Just today our cat started doing really sloppy poo's everywhere. he would just stop and then do something. then after awhile his poo had blood in it and it looked like some of his insides were coming out but were not sure...

We tried to clean his butt off but he just kept on going. Now he seemed to have stopped but his bum is still very wet and very smelly. please help!!!!

Answer
You must take him to the vets as soon as possible. Blood in the faeces can be a sign of something wrong and the sooner the vet can see him the sooner he will get the help he needs. Hopefully it is nothing serious.

My Cat is Pooping Blood, What Do I Do? - by Samantha (Oxford, PA, USA)

I have a young female cat, she is not even a year old yet, but is almost fully grown. She is perfectly healthy, (and a little fat) and she's very playful and cute like a kitten. Just recently, she tried to poop in the bathtub. I quickly picked her up and brought her to the litter box, where she did her business without any trouble. Then she followed me back up to the bathroom, where she pooped in the sink! I looked at it, and it wasn't poop at all, it was pure blood! I am very worried about her, because after that, she repeated that about 3 more times. Before, during, and after she did it, she acted completely normal as if nothing had happened. She is still very perky and relaxed and I don't understand what is wrong with her... Someone please help me!!

Thanks!
Samantha

Answer
Firstly if it is in her poop or her urine then you must get her to a vets as soon as possible. Blood in either of these area is a sign of a serious infection or internal injury. Often cats do not display illness as we think they would. So if you think it is coming from either of these areas then do not delay get her to the vets.

The only other possibility is that she is in heat but there is usually not that much blood.

If i were you i would take to the vets just to be on the safe side anyway

Bloody Poo - by briann (scranton ,pa,usa)

what's the matter when the poo is bloody

Answer
I am not a vet and so could not possible give a diagnosis. However i do know that blood in the faeces is not a good sign and your cat should see a vet as soon as possible.

Q. Touching Cat Feaces

by Yargo (Florida)

what happens when someone touches cat feces?

Answer
Nothing as long as they wash their hands thoroughly afterwards. Please read my page about Toxoplasmosis for more information

Q. How To Remove Feaces Stains

Feaces is basically organic matter and so you would treat any stains the same way you would for a food spill.

First remember to always wear gloves. 

Remove the solid, then rub area with a wet cloth and some washing up liquid to remove the worse of it. Let it dry and see if you are left with a stain.

If you are still left with a stain rub the area down with some washing powder, preferably one that contains a stain remover. This should remove any stains easily and disinfect the area at the same time. If you are still worried about smells then once the area is dry you can sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda onto the area and leave for a few hours then vacuum up.

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