I think I have to put down my cat...

[JoyfulMama]

One of my three cats. He's my baby, though. Not the youngest (he's 11, but my snuggly lapcat.

Over the last 18 months he's gone from occasionally not using the litter box to now refusing to use the litter box. He urinates and defecates next to the litter box. (It's large, and I clean it out twice a day.) It seems like he tries to pee in the box, but just has really bad aim?!?!? :confused:

Now, he is overweight (and I have tried to correct this, but it's hard to keep food separate when I have another cat who because of stomach issues does better with nibbling through the day than large meals).

 

My DH and I had a heart to heart about it last night, and thinking of having him put down just brings me to tears. But he is declawed, and I think making him an outdoor cat would be cruel. I checked the local animal shelters, and no one is accepting cats right now. And I don't know that anyone would want to accept a cat into their home who is causing such problems. But to keep him here, scrubbing the floors and walls near the litter box to keep it clean seems like I'm fighting a loosing battle.

 

Anyone have any (kind hearted) suggestions or words or wisdom?

[katemary63]

I would do exactly what you are talking about. If he has no medical issues he is probably doing this because he is old. It is very common to have a cat that has used the box for years but now just doesn't. Taking him to a shelter, if he has been with you for 11 years, would be cruel in and of itself and would also just be passing a problem on to others. He is your responsiblity. I would take him to the vet to make sure there is nothing that can be done medically. But I support you if you decide to have him put to sleep. I would not keep cleaning up after a cat that could not hit the box. I'm sorry for you. It is hard. But it may be the best thing and you will be assured he will not suffer.

Edited April 2, 2009 by katemary63

[mooooom]

Someone here suggested it to me, one of my males stands and was shooting out of the box. I use a couple of those big green rubbermaid storage containers - if you don't think he can make it in, put a stool in front of it. The other thing I have is a big, very low plastic box - I think dh got it at Home Depot - it is made to put a washing machine in if it leaks, that I keep the litter boxes in. If you can completely cover the area where he has been going - hopefully that will help.

 

This is all assuming you've already checked with the vet and he doesn't have any health issues.

 

Also, I had one that had been sick (crystals in his urine) and refused to use the litter box (because he associated it with pain). I had to retrain him to use the box - kept him in a large dog crate for a few days with only a litter box and a towel for him to sit on. It only took a few days - and some towel changes.

[Heather in AL]

It's worth a shot, and if it doesn't work, then you can go from there.

 

I have had two older cats, and one not-so-old, but 'big' cat do this same thing. What I suspect is that the older cats lost their depth perception and just didn't scoot up enough, and the big cat thought she needed to be farther back from the front, so their rear ends hung over the back/side of the box, so practically nothing made it IN the box. What stopped the issue in all three cats is what I call "overkill". This has also worked for a friend of mine....

 

I have a large cat pan with cover (I never thought it would go over with my big girl, but it does---a large Rubbermaid box was used for the older cats, as it was more convenient. With the covered box, I place a 33gallon leaf bag in the bottom, and carefully stretch the opening over the edges (I do this to make removal of a ton of cat litter easier). Then, I place the liner in and fill with litter. I let the liner hang out the sides a bit, then when the lid is on, I pull the liner UP, covering the space where the top & bottom meet. I started doing this because some piddles were still escaping. Once I have the liner up (think Polo collars from the 80s!) I use a few pieces of masking tape to tape it to the sides to keep it up. Thus, any liquid stays in the box, and doesn't overflow. To clean, I just peel back the tape and remove the top. The tape doesn't need to be rel sticky, so I can use the same piece several times.

 

In addition to the above, I went to Home Depot and bought a really large pan and stuck it under the box to catch anything that might escape. We all know how horrid cat urine is. This pan was $20 and is plastic. It's a perfect fit for the box, and has even been a huge help in catching the litter that gets tossed around. The pan is meant to go under a washing machine to catch drips (I bet it's the same one that pp mooooom has), but I found another use for it. Of course, the guy at Home Depot thought I was nuts when I told him what I wanted it for (he had to help me find it).

 

The friend I mentioned at the beginning tried this method with her 14y/o cat, and said it worked for her after a good year or so of trying various things, so if you try it, I wish you the best of luck. If you can't solve the problem, then I totally support you if you decide to put your cat down. 11 years with you is an eternity for a cat, and I believe in my heart it would be the best thing for the cat. :grouphug:

 

Oh, if you go with the really large Rubbermaid idea, the trick is to fill it deep enough to make them happy when digging, but not so high that they can still get their tushies to hang over the edge. You also need to be sure they can get out, so it's a bit tricky to judge....that is why I tried the covered pan.

 

As I said, it's overkill, but it works, and has worked for the last four years!

[Jenny in Florida]

11 is not really old for a cat, especially one who lives indoors. So, I'd take him to the vet to check for medical issues. For example, I had a female cat who took to "going" all over the house. We found out she had a kidney infection that was curable.

 

And, if it were me, I'd try some of the alternate litter box suggestions folks have given you before I leapt to euthanizing. I had two cats who each lived to about 17 years. Your baby may have many good years left if you can get over this bump.

[JoyfulMama]

Sigh... We've tried all kinds of different litter boxes. Anything to large is usually also too high for him to get into. Anything covered he outright refuses (I bought the biggest one I could find). So right now we have the whole area covered in plastic bathtub mats (easy to clean up). The washer tray sounds like it might be an option. It might be about the same size as we have rigged up ourselves, but might give a bit more protection to the area with a lip. But the stench has been the killer.

 

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions!

[Catwoman]

Urinary problems are very common in older male cats, and from the behavior and symptoms you describe, it sounds like that may be your kitty's only problem. Please get him checked out by the vet before you do anything drastic -- I would never consider euthanasia before exhausting all of my other options, and in your case, your cat's problem could be a very simple (and curable) one.

 

Cat

[hornblower]

You can make a really nice tall box out of storage containers. You need to cut out an entrance. See picture about half way down this page.

http://www.catinfo.org/litterbox.htm#Types_of_Litter_Boxes,_Size,_Number_and_Location

 

 

You don't mention if you've had a full vet work up. I think that's the first step: full blood & urine analysis; at his age you want the full geriatric panel. "Diabetes, kidney disease, cystitis (painful inflammation of the bladder), bladder or kidney stones are some of the more common medical problems that can lead to a litter box aversion." (Lisa Pierson dvm)

 

Given that you say he's overweight, I'd be worrying about diabetes.

 

If after a full geri panel & exam there's no indications of a physical problem, then you go on to figuring out the rest.

 

First of all, the area where he's been 'missing' needs to be really well cleaned with an enzyme cleaner so it's not smelling like the toilet to him. Consider using newspapers in the area around the box until it's sorted out so you can easily take them up, spray with the enzyme cleaner & then replace with fresh papers.

 

Does he have his own box? If you have more than 1 cat, the general rule among the cat people is 1 box/cat PLUS 1 more. Cats are territorial and will often be subtly ambushing each other or staking land claims and playing mind games with each other.

 

If none of the medical things pan out, I'd try the options in this article

http://www.catinfo.org/litterbox.htm#If_Faced_With_an_Inappropriate_Elimination_Problem:

 

Oh & about the meal times & other cats - it's trickier and a bit more work but honestly I strongly feel free feeding cats is a recipe for disaster. It leads to exactly the kinds of problem you're describing with cats over eating etc. It takes some effort but you can convert everyone to feeding on a schedule. My geriatric cat is fed roughly every 4-6h, including a middle of the night feeding (I prepare the food ahead of time & for simplicity's sake, I let her eat at it at the foot of my bed rather than going to her regular eating place....)

 

Just decide on the mealtimes, separate the cats into different rooms, put the food in & close the door. Check on them after a few minutes as some cats need to go to the bathroom a few minutes after starting a meal, so if there's not litter box in that room, you'll need to take them to their box & then pop them back in the room because often they'll want to go back to eat some more. Soon it will just be part of their routine.

 

Also, consider trying Feliway http://www.feliway.com/gb

 

Good Luck!

[JoyfulMama]

Please don't think this is a quick easy decision for us. In the OP I said this has been progressing for 18 months. Yes, he's had a complete workup, and yes, we have tried to do all kinds of options for feeding and litter boxes. I'm running out of ideas, so this is why I was asking for additional suggestions.

Hornblower, thanks for the link with the box made out of a rubbermaid container - I'm going to try making one today, and see how that works. I like the higher sides, and he might be OK with the open top.

[SonshineLearner]

Just a thought about weight, I know that when I was trying to reduce my cat's weight, the vet said that wet is the way to go. It really was! I did wet...the kind that was with no gravy like substance. I can't remember the ratio to look for, but I had to look at the can and make sure that it was within the right ratios. It really made the weight fall off, and less water drinking...because the food was wet.

 

Is he pretty active still? I had a cousin who had a run on her house so that the cats could go in the run and back in the house....(but now outside the run). BUT, in the end, if it's his time for whatever reasons....You just have'ta know that you've given him a nice life.

 

Carrie

[2cents]

11 is not really old for a cat, especially one who lives indoors. So, I'd take him to the vet to check for medical issues. For example, I had a female cat who took to "going" all over the house. We found out she had a kidney infection that was curable.

 

And, if it were me, I'd try some of the alternate litter box suggestions folks have given you before I leapt to euthanizing. I had two cats who each lived to about 17 years. Your baby may have many good years left if you can get over this bump.

 

I agree! Crystals can cause this kind of behavior because the pain of uninating crystals causes the cat to associate the box with pain. He isn't that old and if it were me, I'd take him to the vet ASAP for urinalysis. As far as the special diet, I have a formerly obstructed (crystals) kitty on a special diet and 3 other kitties. It is a little more work and planning but they eat separately and are all healthy and happy. We just had to get them on a feed and take it away after 20 min schedule. I also do not feed any dry food which has a tendency to contribute to dehydration in cats. I hope you give the little guy another chance and see a vet soon.

 

Edited to add: Our vet says wet food only, no gravy and no fish flavors.

Edited April 2, 2009 by 2cents

[Kristen in NC]

We went through this same thing with a 9 year old cat. There wasn't anything physically wrong with her, but she started going everywhere in the house besides her litter box. We tried everything. The day I caught her using the heat vent was the day that I agreed that we couldn't live with her anymore. It was a very sad time for me.

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

11 is not really old for a cat, especially one who lives indoors. So, I'd take him to the vet to check for medical issues. For example, I had a female cat who took to "going" all over the house. We found out she had a kidney infection that was curable.

 

 

:iagree:

 

My friends cat stopped using the litterbox when it had an infected tooth, of all things. Your kitty sounds like a sweetheart.

Edited April 3, 2009 by Cindy in the NH Woods

[Tree House Academy]

I adopted an older cat who was in the beginning stages of renal failure. He urinated (only...not poo) literally everywhere. The doctor told me that he would eventually die of this condition and keeping him alive now really would only prolong his suffering. We made the hard decision to put him down for this.

 

I have another older cat who started suddenly urinating on things and she ended up having a UTI. It was cleared with antibiotics and she is still with us.

 

My mom had a cat that had kidney cancer, also signs were urinating everywhere.

 

My good friend's cat (male) recently had a kidney blockage that also caused urinating everywhere. He was treated with surgery and is still alive and doing well.

 

I guess the long and short of it is...see a vet. Have this diagnosed and then go from there. There can be lots of reasons for a cat to do this and not all of the reasons have to be fatal.

 

*hugs* and best of luck to you as you make your decision.