Aging cat is messing up the carpet and grossing me out--WWYD?

[Maisy]

We have a 14 yo cat that has been a very dear member of our family since he was a kitten. But in the last few months (particularly the last few weeks) I have found him to be not quite so dear.

 

Several times a week, he has taken to pooping in all areas of the house (even under my bed—twice!) I’ve tried to put foil down, but he just finds another spot (or poops in front of the foil). He has done this in our bedroom, office, dining room, kids’ rooms, playroom, etc. It’s not every day, because he goes in his box also (however, those are usually just “token†events), but it’s becoming so frequent that I find myself spending a not-so-insignificant part of my day watching the cat (where’s he going?) or closing doors all over the house. He started doing this, with increasing frequency, early last fall.

 

And if this wasn’t bad enough, at least once or twice a week he pukes on the carpet (never on the tile!). This is happening more often, as well.

 

I’ve tried keeping him locked up at night (when he usually pukes), but he wails. And I can’t keep him locked up all day (when he usually poops), so I watch him.

 

He’s the sweetest, most loving cat I’ve ever seen—he likes to be held, but doesn’t come around asking as often anymore. He’s thinned out a little (was quite fat at one time) and probably isn’t completely there mentally (dh would argue he never was!), but is otherwise, seemingly healthy (i.e., no sign that the end is near).

 

So what should I do? I don’t want to euthanize him for convenience’s sake (he is a member of the family; I would be sad—but recoverable—but the kids would be devastated because they know he’s not “sickâ€), but we can’t continue to live like this! I don’t want the kids down on the floor (although I clean thoroughly after each and every event!!), and we can’t leave him alone—or overnight—because of what he might do over the course of two days. I cringe when I know we have company coming to stay—like next weekend! I can’t even walk through my own (actually really nice!) house without constantly scanning the floors and under the tables. I’d be so embarrassed if my guest “discovered†an event before I did.

 

I’m exasperated but torn! Any advice?

[Mama Lynx]

I'd take him to the vet for a checkup and advice, before any other decisions.

[3lilreds in NC]

First, I would take him to the vet. Often, inappropriate elimination like that is a sign of a UTI, and boy cats tend to be prone to crystals which can cause problems.

 

If possible, I would shut him in the room with his litterbox until then. Sometimes they need to be reminded of where it is. Don't ask me why; it's a little re-training.

 

Barring that - have you changed litter? Are you keeping the box as clean as he likes? Cats can be such persnickety creatures when it comes to their boxes.

 

Lastly, sometimes this happens when they get to a certain point age-wise. If that's what it is, you'll have to decide how much you can take, and for how long. If it's not runny, it should clean up easily; it's just really annoying.

[Mama Lynx]

I agree, and I also wanted to add that sometimes stress can change a cat's behavior. They are very sensitive to changes.

[Maisy]

It's only been in the last two weeks that it's gotten to be intolerable.

 

Absolutely nothing has changed in his life--same litter, box in same place (and cleaned frequently), same diet, same old, same old.

 

Just venting and wondering if anyone else has been through this.

[SapphireStitch]

We had a kitty who started losing weight and vomiting and also pooping in inappropriate places. We had the vet check him out and he was in the beginning stages of kidney failure. Apparently this is common in older cats.

 

Our vet prescribed some anti-nausea meds and also recommended an OTC human med. We figured out the pooping in the wrong places was caused because he was constipated (kidney failure cats lose a lot of water) and he would just go wherever and whenever he finally felt able to go. We gave him water via syringe and that helped some with that.

 

We got to the point where, even with meds, he was vomiting several times a day...we put plastic runners and throw rugs and towels down everywhere at night. During the day we could usually catch him and get him to a tiled area.

 

We did not know how long to let this go on, and I actually prayed that God would make it totally obvious to us when it was time to have kitty put down. One weekend he developed a urinary tract blockage and was in and out of the litter box trying to go for hours. We took him to the (expensive!) emergency vet clinic and found out he would have to have expensive surgery and other treatments and they could only say that those things MIGHT help him. They might also make him very miserable with no hope of helping him. That was our answer, and the very compassionate emergency vet agreed that putting him down was probably the kindest thing to do.

 

I hope this helps you in thinking through your options. My recommendation would be a vet visit first and foremost, because it could be something easy to treat and treatment might give you several more happy years with your cat. But you really need to know what you're up against and know your options. It's not easy...:grouphug:

[Maisy]

We had a kitty who started losing weight and vomiting and also pooping in inappropriate places. We had the vet check him out and he was in the beginning stages of kidney failure. Apparently this is common in older cats.

 

Our vet prescribed some anti-nausea meds and also recommended an OTC human med. We figured out the pooping in the wrong places was caused because he was constipated (kidney failure cats lose a lot of water) and he would just go wherever and whenever he finally felt able to go. We gave him water via syringe and that helped some with that.

 

We got to the point where, even with meds, he was vomiting several times a day...we put plastic runners and throw rugs and towels down everywhere at night. During the day we could usually catch him and get him to a tiled area.

 

We did not know how long to let this go on, and I actually prayed that God would make it totally obvious to us when it was time to have kitty put down. One weekend he developed a urinary tract blockage and was in and out of the litter box trying to go for hours. We took him to the (expensive!) emergency vet clinic and found out he would have to have expensive surgery and other treatments and they could only say that those things MIGHT help him. They might also make him very miserable with no hope of helping him. That was our answer, and the very compassionate emergency vet agreed that putting him down was probably the kindest thing to do.

 

I hope this helps you in thinking through your options. My recommendation would be a vet visit first and foremost, because it could be something easy to treat and treatment might give you several more happy years with your cat. But you really need to know what you're up against and know your options. It's not easy...:grouphug:

 

 

It's been my suspicion that something's not right, but up until recently, I've attributed his odd behavior to his being so old. Dear kitty's brother died several years ago from kidney failure--but it was quick, all happening within just a couple of days before we had to put him down. So I've always been on the watch for something a little more sudden and/or severe. I hope the vet can give some answers.

 

Thanks for the hug! It's nice to know I'm not the only one out here who has dealt with a beloved pet in the middle of a big stinky mess! :)

[GailV]

Our house seems to be the black hole that draws all cats with elimination problems into its field. In other words, we've been through this. Lots.

 

Problems with our most recently deceased geriatric cat:

 

It hurt to get into the box. She was getting so stiff, it was just tough. And when she was in the box she didn't want to actually squat, so things shot over the side. Sigh.

 

Also, she was going deaf, so she would get nervous walking through the house since she wasn't sure what scary thing might pop up (like our other cat). (On the bright side, she totally lost her fear of the vacuum cleaner since she couldn't hear it.)

 

She had slowly developed an intolerance for wheat and other grains in cat food. For years and year this wasn't a problem, but she started displaying signs of irritable bowels, and also started throwing up LOTS. I finally figure out that it was a function of the food she was eating -- the same stuff she'd been eating for 15 years had finally reached a point of making her sick. I started making food, and also buying a premium brand (Wellness). By alternating them we eliminated a lot of the throwing up.

 

:grouphug: It's so tough figuring this stuff out since the cats can't tell you what's wrong. And it's tough explaining to people what you're going through, since a lot of people just don't get it. But some do -- I once worked with a woman who replaced all the carpet in her house with vinyl or tile just so her geriatric cat was easier to clean up after.

 

I hope your vet visit helps -- I'm sure it will. Whatever the vet says, someone else has probably dealt with it and come up with clever solutions.

[Mom to Aly]

Glad you are taking him to the vet. We had a cat, my most beloved, who died 3 years ago from the crystals that built up from the kidneys. It was horrible--but it made him pee everywhere, not poop. Still, the weight loss, the throwing up and the pooping, all are signs of a prob. Do keep us posted?

[Soph the vet]

I agree with pretty much everything that has been posted. If you brought him to see me I would be checking for UTI, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer. See what happens after his checkup. Don't be surprised if your vet wants to do a CBC, Chem profile, urinalysis and possibly an abdominal radiograph. It will give you a lot of good info but will probably cost you about $300-400 for the whole visit given the national average, not sure where you are.