Wonder if anyone has any advice or useful info on this little problem....
I have had my cat for 2 years, she is 12 y/o andI got her from a rescue place, her previous owner had passed away and she was very unhappy at the rescue centre...the owners let her live in the house with them, and 15 other cats, but she doesn't like other cats! She is quite a grump and only does things on her own terms, and isn't an affectionate playful cat like some are, and I've learnt to respect that now! She settled in really well with me,I was living in an attic flat at the time, and I have since moved to a house where she has a garden. WhenI moved she got cystitis which the vet thought could be stress related. Last year a few things happened, I spilt with my b/f, who was always around the house to keep hercomplany whenI wasn't in, and the neighbour's cat came to stay for a fortnight. Since this time, she more-often-than-not will do her business in random places...on the rug in the lounge, and even on/in front ofher own food, I presume the latter is some sort of territory marking? The problem is at the mo (apart from that!) is that I'm moving house, to another town and will be staying with my b/f temporarily (or who knows, maybe longer) and my b/f has a cat too. I'm not sure what to do, I don't really want to give her up as we are used to each other and I love her to bits, I'm not sure if it would be kinder to rehome her tho. I'm thinking about buying some feliway from the vet, does anyone know of any therapies or techniques that might help, such as crystals, or music, or scents, massage??? Thanks :O)
RE: Cat pooing problem
kookykel
either your cat is desperately stressed , but you don't seem to be the reason, or its possible an illness has kicked in as yet not diagnosed. Pooing on her food is not the sign of a well animal.
Feliway may help, perhaps some catnip too, but think its her early life haunting her, but vets certainly, and as soon as you can
RE: Cat pooing problem
Thanks for your reply. She has been checked over at the vets already.
I think it is either related to territory, or perhaps she has been a bit constipated and related the tray with pain when going to the toilet for no.2's. Her diet is fish a couple of times a week, and a bowl of cat meat and free access to biscuits daily. Her doings are always abit on the hard side tho.
RE: Cat pooing problem
hello (very nice avatar!)
I am no expert in cat's behaviour but if I had to guess I would say it is stress caused by all these changes....she may miss your b/f and the other cat...the attention...rehoming her sounds terrifying to me because of her old age (won't be very popular, and she won't be happy there I would think).
You said there will more moving houses in the near future, that doesn't sound perfect, but I still prefer it to giving her away..unless it was 100% sure the people who would take her would be nice people and stay in their house for long.
To make sure she is no longer constipated, try this: a bit of oily sardines or mackerel once or twice a week. As an adult cat she may not touch it at all, but that is what I gave my kittens to improve their health (their fur immediately improved!!) but I had to clean a trail of liquid poo after them!![:-]
Maybe try to give her more access to you; let her slepp with you, or use your bed when you're not in...
RE: Cat pooing problem
How much water does she drink? could you mix a little in with her wet food, it may make a difference, maybe smaller amounts of the biscuits too?
RE: Cat pooing problem
Thanks for the advice!
I have been putting a teaspoon on water into her wet food, and not giving her so many biscuits. Also fish or fresh meat a couple of times per week. It seems to have helped with the constipation.
The pooing habit has altered, she nows has begun to do it on the garden path,I think this is some kind of territory extension! Better there than in the house tho, although if she needs to go when I'm not in, she still does it near the food bowls.
RE: Cat pooing problem
Glad things are improving, now she's not constipated it may take a wee while for her bowel to get used to it and then when she's regular it may be outside all the time.
RE: Cat pooing problem
Hi Kookykel,
My cat a similar problem but far worse, he is 15, and We found him crying awfully having crawled home as he could not use his back legs at all nad had no control over his bladder or bowels either the poor sod.
We dont know what had happened to him, but to cut a long story short &two seperate vets bills later (of over £200 each and the advice from both being "best to put him down"...) I religiously began massaging him from lower spine to below the knees on both legs (giving him healing at the same time) within two weeks he was walking and jumping and had his bowels and bladder under control.
Aslo, he always hasfresh water available, as I must admit my first thought was "is she getting enough water" as Sherringham suggested earlier.
I wonder (it's probably stupid) is it worht trying to massage her too due to the construction of acats nervous systemin that area of the body?:)
RE: Cat pooing problem
Hands on sometimes can work wonders with all animals, and its especially rewarding when they 'lean into' your hands.
One of these years I'm hoping to add Shiatsu massage to my Healing work.
Funny meeting you down here Roger!!!!
RE: Cat pooing problem
ORIGINAL: Sherringham
Funny meeting you down here Roger!!!!
🙂Yeah, sorry about that Teddy... I err had a lapse
RE: Cat pooing problem
Roger: you heal animals! wow!
really impressed. and I'm not sarcastic.
I always massage whatever animals I bond with, it comes natural and they usually love it. now I dont think I do any healing, but I am always surprised when I find that other people (the owners)dont do it and jus give "brief" touch...
Pets are wonderful to massage: it may give me more pleasure than it gives them!! I remember a dog who used to wiggle and undulate under my back massage/friction...and then thank me with a wind![X(]
RE: Cat pooing problem
Sounds like avery unhappy cat. Cats will certainly starting pooing or weeing if their territory is threatened and she a old cat. Once they do this they will keep going back as they have cented their toilet area. I would get het to the vet also as this could be a sign of some illnesss.
RE: Cat pooing problem
ORIGINAL: Fadette
Roger: you heal animals! wow!
really impressed. and I'm not sarcastic.
I always massage whatever animals I bond with, it comes natural and they usually love it. now I dont think I do any healing, but I am always surprised when I find that other people (the owners)dont do it and jus give "brief" touch...
Pets are wonderful to massage: it may give me more pleasure than it gives them!! I remember a dog who used to wiggle and undulate under my back massage/friction...and then thank me with a wind![X(]
Hi Fade,
I just saw this, so apologies for the late reply.
Err :)I dont do the healing, it just happens and unfortunately not always (read my terrible account of the two poor little female puppies we nursed day and night but still watched die in our hands - but I have their brother and he is a boncing beautiful naughty little 14 week oldcheeky chappie)
[sm=dogrun.gif]
I wanted to write back mainly because of your comments about "touch" between pets and us - It is a great and natural thing and I believe (and feel) that it "gives" to both (healing too)... as I've found that "healing" is a very natural process that we allallow to happenwhen our minds are at a certain state... which frankly is not hard to ahcieve for any of us at all.
I'm especially aware of it when holding a content baby... they postively exude this 'energy' to the point that it's a almost palatable 🙂
RE: Cat pooing problem
Roger,I am an animal Healer, sadly it can't always work out, they can be beyond help, and a gentle passing is all we can hope for. My dog died completely unexpectedly, in my arms, but at least she was being consoled and held and loved, how many deaths occur without that? whether animal or human?
RE: Cat pooing problem
Kooykel, there are lots of Reiki healers who will treat animals as well as humans. My guess is that it's stress-related, and Reiki treatments couldbe very beneficial by helping her to relax. Also, does she have any special toys? Sometimes they can act as 'security blankets' for a cat, especially when left on their own.
I do hope she continues to improve!
SageCat
RE: Cat pooing problem
Hi. Excellent a cat forum. I have two pensioner cats of 20 years old. Don't have a pooing problem apart from one of them misses the tray!
Try Bach Flower Essences they are really good for emotional problems, have used them on my cats and my horse and am really pleased with the results.
I also give 'complete biscuit cat food' stuff soaked in water in with their meat this seems to help with constipation and hard poo and also enusres they are getting as much goodness as possible(they have only a few teeth but do manage to eat ordinary biscuit /