# cat defecating on the bed



## Maria_1986 (May 15, 2011)

Hello, this may be a little long but I wanted to give Lillies full story in the hope someone can help.

I got a new cat from my local rescue centre around 3 weeks ago. She was a stray and the vet has estimated her age at about 8 yrs old. She is a tortie and white short hair.

While at the rescue she was opened up to be neutered (via the belly rather than her side due to her weight problem) although it was discovered she had already been done. After this she started urinating on her bedding. moving the litter tray closer so that she did not have to go through the flap helped solve this and after the stitches were removed she was happy to go through the flap again.

When we got her home she urinated on her bedding once (even though she had a clean litter tray), so we added a second litter tray and she has not done it again since.

Upon bringing her home her poo was a little soft and she started pulling her fur out, upon talking to my vets we got some feliway and stopped her wet food and the hair pulling stopped and her poo returned to normal.

She seemed settled and happy was using her litter tray nicely and so we are slowly reintroducing wet food. This morning we allowed her to wander outside for a few minutes. This evening however we have had a problem.

She pooed in one litter tray but while I was cleaning it out she went back onto our bed, only to poo there too. But I don't know why!

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you


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## Ianthi (Oct 21, 2008)

I take it she pooed on the bed straight after using the litter tray?

Since soft poos indicate digestive problems-owing to the discomfort these can cause some cat do go outside the litter tray owing to pain association-I think it might be connected to the reintroduction of the wet food.

Is it the same one as before? If poos are still soft then I would say this is most likely the case.

Of course it may just be a one off but I would advice to remove all traces. Otherwise she might be attracted back there again!


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## Maria_1986 (May 15, 2011)

Hi

Thank you for your reply.

Yes it was right after pooing in the litter tray she went on the bed.

It is the same wet food as before, so I will try leaving her on dry only again and see if that sorts it out.

Although it didn't look like it had soaked through to the actual duvet, but I am taking it to the laundrette today and the cover has gone in the bin. Do you think that will be enough to get rid of any trace?


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## goodfre (May 11, 2011)

Hi there...cats who are stressed sometimes will inappropriately soil either due to the changes or have developed a lower urinary tract infection as as secondary result due to the stress.

Other possibilities which could contribute:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule some if there are more than one cats in the home cats feel intimidated by sharing litter boxes so it may be helpful to offer one for each plus an extra box
- unaltered male/female cats over the age of 5-7 months become sexually mature and territorially mark with either urinating or defecating.

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.


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