It does sound as though her behavior is due to the other cat's diabetes since she started eliminating at the same time of treatment. My first thought was "thank goodness she's not peeing outside of the litter box!" For me, that would be a bigger issue than dealing with her BM's. I do find it interesting that she prefers the living room rug. Does she ever have any accidents in other areas of the house? As you probably know, it's possible the other cat has peed on the rug and the female is reacting to the odor in the rug. The only way to find out is to buy a hand-held black light (you can find them at pet stores) and check around the house to see if there are any pee spots.

At 17, just how active and agile is she and her sibling?? If you don't think she will climb or jump over a tall blockade then another option you can try is to purchase some tall folding pet pens and place them in certain passage openings so that she's confined to another area. Of course there's no guarantee she won't just find a new place to poop, but if she can be semi-isolated with her own litter box, then you may see a change in her habits. Since she only poops outside the litter box sporadically, it's possible she may get used to the new odor, but then she may never adjust to it if she continues to find it offensive.

Thank you for being such a good pet-parent by not confining her to the basement. I think you would have seen a whole new set of behavioral and health problems if you had continued to keep her there, especially at her age.

Again.....count your blessings that she's pooping and not peeing on the rug. ;)

I read where there should be 3 litter boxes for 2 cats. I would suggest getting at least 2 more boxes, see what happens. I have 3 for my two cats.

Is there anyway you can arrange for her to have a litter box that is her's alone? Like put it on the opposite side of the house or something?

With two cats it seems impossible to confine just one to her own litter box or to any space. I've been racking my brains on how to do this, but to do it would mean confining the offending cat to either the basement or to one of the three upstairs bedrooms. No other room in my house has doors. It is a 1920s craftsman bungalow with the "original" open floor plan--just wide arched entrances from living room to dining room and kitchen. The house is small so there's really no opposite side to the house. The poor girl would be isolated and miserable if I confined her. I love her sincerely and can't do that.

Yes I have 3 huge litter boxes and clean them 2 or 3 times per day. At least one doesn't even get used on a daily basis, so this is definitely not an issue of the cat not finding the litter box clean!

annz you are so right about the matter of poop not urine. Despite the headache this is causing me I am thankful for that. It is disgusting but actually not all that hard to clean up most of the time. What I think I didn't mention in my post is that she very often, if not always, also poops next to, not in, the litter box. It is easy to clean up because the basement floor is tile so I easily put up with that. In short she always urinates in the box but will not defecate in it. Why? O if only I could get inside her little brain!

I'm now thinking of trying some big sheets of contractor plastic to lay over the rug at night and when I'm not home. Right now I continue to roll the rug up, remove the tree skirt, etc.

Have you tried changing the type of litter you use or the size/shape of the box(es)? Also, have you noticed that she strains or has any issues with her BMs? If she has had constipation issues or other problems that cause her pain, she may associate that pain with the box.

Maybe try Cat Attract. I have used it in the past successfully for peeing outside the box and according to the reviews, it works for pooping too.

I haven't changed the box size in quite awhile nor the litter. Funny but I just can't catch her in the "act" to see whether she's straining or in pain as she goes. She tends to go at night only, as far as I can tell. glaserberl, I will look into Cat Attract. How wonderful it would be if solved by changing litter!

I hear ya, I used to have two cats and they each had their own favorite areas to hang out in the house. I was just thinking if that was the case for you, you could accomodate them each by putting a box in their favorite areas or rooms.

I know nothing about feline diabetis so I say this with complete ignorance, but are their different brands or formulas that can be used? Maybe one option will be less offensive than the other....I'm thinking along the lines of people medications were we have more than one antibiotic to choose from, or pain killer and so on. If so maybe the vet can try a different medication (equaling the same result of course) and maybe that formula won't be as offensive?

lukkiirish, it is only one type of insulin, formulated for pets. It is a twice daily injection. I think insulin is insulin--no alternative "type." But something to ask.

I'm encouraged by reading all the testimonials about Cat Attract litter. Given my feisty calico's nature it probably won't work, but it sure has a lot of people who attest to it. I'm going to try it.

Wherever a litter box is placed in the house, my diabetic guy will immediately use it. He is a big guy who loves his litter and did before diabetes. His sister, the calico offending cat, is tiny in comparison. I suspect he now just grosses her out.

Feliway/comfort zone spray and diffusers worked for us. Available at pet stores and (much cheaper) on Amazon.

Put an upside down plastic computer chair carpet protector where she poops. The nubby part would be a deterrent to her walking there. (I'm referring to those plastic mats about 5 ft x4 ft that you put under/in front of computer desks, so that a chair on rollers can roll smoothly and protects the floor. The underside is raised nuby bumps. Use that, turned upside down so cat would have to walk on nubby side.

Add a litter box in a different area maybe covered, to encourage her to use that instead. Hoping one of the 2 cats would prefer it, and leave other box for other cat (in case it's the strange smell of the diabetic cats pee that bothers her.)

Awe...so sorry. :c(. I just found out that one of my sister's dogs has diabetis too and she says it's a process finding the right diet and keeping up with the meds. I really hope you're able to find a solution.

What about getting a small throw type rug and placing it on your good rug? It doesn't stop her from pooping of course but at least it would be on the smaller rug that you could launder if need be?

I had an older cat that did this. Are the stools hard or soft? If on the firmer side, add a little Miralax to her food. It's absolutely tasteless, thank goodness, so she'll eat her food but will never know you've added "medicine."

Usually when a cat pees or poos outside the litter box they're trying to tell you something and it may well be at her age that it's a simple case of constipation.

One other suggestion would be to get some puppy pads and place one over your rug. Rub a little poo on the pad because cats defecate wherever the scent is.

One last thought is that this occurred when the other cat began insulin. Could your cat be stressed? If so, do a search on pheromones which are supposed to calm cats. I've never used these but have read about them and it certainly is worth a try.

Good luck!

I'm sorry to say that I'm no closer to solving the problem. While I could put a throw rug or the puppy pee pads on the rug, I guess I don't want to encourage the pooping there in any way. I did purchase some cheap shower curtain liners and lay them over the rug when I am not around. I also can't use the Christmas tree skirt.

4thumbs your post intrigues me. Her poo is quite firm--smelly, but fairly easy to clean up. So perhaps it is constipation? If so, though, while adding some Miralax to her food seems like a good idea, I would then be afraid of softer poo in the living room and its consequences for cleaning, etc.4thumbs, did your cat start using the box again once the constipation was cured?

I am still at my wits end about this matter. Unfortunately I'm experimenting with keeping her in the basement for longer periods now, especially with family and friends in and out and the stress of the holidays. I am not coping well with this!

I think the other post about her possibly being constipated may be on to something. I didn't see it mentioned anywhere what type food you're feeding her, but if she's eating dry food, it wouldn't hurt to add wet food to her diet, especially since she's 17 and probably not drinking as much water as she should. Adding wet food will help soften her stool and it shouldn't soften it enough to where it's difficult to pick up.....just be sure to transition her to the wet food slowly. My cat is on wet food only and never has a too-soft stool.

Since the basement isn't heated you need to add some type of heat for her, plus a pet heating pad for her to lie on, since older cats can't regular their body temp as easily as a younger cat. Also, consider putting a radio down there. It may help her feel not so isolated.

What happened with my old cat is that I noticed very firm stools but ignored it. Finally she simply could not defecate and I had to bring her to an emergency vet hospital where they removed the stool. Unfortunately in doing this she more or less lost control of her bowels but did poo in her litter box.

However, she was urinating in a corner of my living room carpet. I gave up and put down a sheet of plastic, plenty of paper towels and she seemed to use this spot all the time.

At this point, because of her age, I was unable to change this habit and she eventually passed on.

So my advice would be to continue with the Miralax. It will not make her stools soupy. In addition, I would also check her cat food.

Recently, after feeding my two dogs Purina dry and Alpo can food, they vomited and one dog pooed in my kitchen (thankfully not on my light beige carpet) so I called the vet. This has happened only once in all the years I've had them. One dog refused to eat the food and the other one who would eat anything wouldn't touch it either.

The vet said to boil up a chicken and add rice and feed them with this. Then I went to my locally owned feed store and got a good brand of dry dog food and have been gradually adding it back in. They love it.

While this has nothing to do with cats, it appears that Purina and others sometimes change their formulas, and I also heard there is a class action lawsuit from 3000 dog owners whose pets died after eating Beneful.

I had another old cat and fed her cooked chicken livers which she loved. So I would keep experimenting until the problem is solved. It also helps to add in the cooking broth as older animals tend to become hydrated and this is a good way to make sure they drink enough. A search on the net should give you some good suggestions as cats also need a sufficient amount of fat in their diets as well.

I've had cats for years, so when their litter habits change it's their way of telling us something is wrong. The difficulty is trying to figure out the cause.

I wish you luck in resolving your problem.

Thanks all. I am experimenting this week.

Kitty is isolated in the basement furnace room for a couple of days, which isn't as bad as it sounds. It is the room she has favored for quite awhile because her box and blanket are there and it is very warm. I've left the light on, and I visit her and bring her upstairs at times, being careful to supervise.

I did learn something the first day/night she was isolated with her own litterbox! I had carefully cleaned the box and filled it with new litter so her brother cat hadn't used it at all. She pooped outside the box--as usual! So either she is just very used to this habit or it is NOT her brother's litterbox smell that is driving her "out."

So now the experiment--today I bought a big bag of Cat Attract litter(expensive stuff) and Miralax powder. I added a little of the powder to her food, cleaned the litterbox out carefully, and added the new Cat Attract. Now it is a wait and see whether she uses the box for her poop or not.She did urinate in it almost immediately.

I also measured, and bought a large pet gate that will span the kitchen entrance to the dining/living area. It won't arrive until the weekend, but it will also give me some peace of mind if plan A fails.

She does eat both dry food (always down) and a small can of wet food everyday. Her drinking of water seems normal. In fact, for a 17 year old she is quite healthy and still agile. I haven't experimented with food changes yet, but perhaps will. She's always had a healthy appetite. The only problem with her is this out of the box issue!

I do appreciate your help. This has been a really frustrating experience.

I've also had excellent results with Feliway/comfort zone plug ins and Dr E's Cat attract (the stuff that looks like catnip) for various issues.

Six months ago my cat started pooping outside her box, but right outside of it on the matt. The vet suggested she may be constipated and to feed her coconut oil. She won't eat it though. Thanks for the tip about miralax! Pumpkin is also a great remedy, even though I haven't tried it yet.

Because she's used to pooping on the rug, maybe try a sheet or drop cloth for a few days and see if she'll still go on it.. Once they get the smell on the rug, they tend to go back to the same place. If she stops, then you at least have some info to work with

I'll have to thank our vet for the Miralax solution. As you well know, it's nearly impossible to give cats medicines orally. However, the Miralax has absolutely no taste or odor, so it's a good preventive to add a little to cat food to keep old cats regular. It's the only additive that I've been able to use that the cat cannot detect in its food, and I also use it for our older dogs as well.

The only thing you should be grateful for is she doesn't urinate on the carpet. Once they start doing that it never stops.

And I like the idea of a gate so that the cat remains in familiar surroundings with people around. Perhaps keeping her confined to the kitchen or another central room with her own litter box may help break the cycle.

Keep trying! Something has to work.

I was surprised to read in the booklet that comes with the Dr. E's Cat Attract litter that the advice is to keep the problem cat isolated "for a month." I'm giving it a week and don't think I can do more--for her mental health as well as mine. The good news (so far) is that she's not gone out of the box since starting the Cat Attract and Miralax. And her stools are much, much looser--and terribly smelly. But they are IN the box! I used about 1/2 teaspoon of Miralax in her food; I'll cut back on it.

As I mentioned above I'm now scared that if she gets living room rights at all I may find loose, smelly stools on the rug. The gate comes this Friday and I really, really hope it works. It would confine both cats to: basement, kitchen, and upstairs bedrooms (that I can shut off when I am gone). I hate the prospect of confining them at all--you know how cats are about that! But maybe this will have to be the new normal.

Emory, just wanted to commend you on your efforts Having had an elderly cat myself (my old calico girl died at 22 ) and some young feisty cats she did not get along with, I had to do the door & gate thing too, but for different reasons. I put up a nice wooden screen door varnished to match the woodwork - the gate will work well for older cats but if you have some young ones they may jump/climb over.

Yeah, it was kind of a PITA... but at least I can know I did right by her. Cats are very much creatures of habit so if you can get a regular predictable schedule going re: who goes in what rooms at what times, then that helps them to adjust and not complain about being confined because they know they can get out during their alloted time period.

Oh I would also highly recommend trying the Feliway plug in, if you haven't already done so. I was skeptical myself, but I have had great success using it for intercat aggression and its said to work well for litter box and general cat stress issues. Its very science based - it mimics cats pheromones that they scent mark to establish their territory by rubbing against things - it helps each cat feel his territory is well established so he can chill out Cats are very scent oriented!

Just wanted to say that the 1/2 teaspoon sounds like a bit much, so cutting back to 1/4 or less so might do the trick. It will take a little experimenting. After you cut back, wait a few days and just take a chance by letting her go back to her old routine of having the run of the house again and see what happens.

The fact that she's using her litter box again is really good news and sounds like constipation to me; and the only way she was able to "tell" you is by not using the box.

Glad to hear you're making progress!

Gate comes tomorrow, but I wanted to report that there have been a couple of sad fails at least in the few days I've been confining her. The Miralax gave her very loose smelly stools (I may indeed have given her too much) ; and she's back to doing them outside the litterbox (despite the Cat Attract litter.)

Perhaps see if she will eat some pumpkin mixed in her food to see if that is more natural/gentle than the miralax.. or at least research to find out if there is a difference. In the meantime, see if you can get some probiotics from a high quality pet store for her to help her uneasy stomach (the kind of store that sells raw pet food)

I have a similar problem with my 13 year old female who has lived with me for ten years, the last eight as an only cat. She was an indoor cat in her first life and never learned to use the great outdoors as a toilet.... she is allowed on the patio if I am nearby, but always comes inside to do her business. She recently was declared healthy by her vet.

About two years ago she stopped defecating in her box and started going on the floor beside the box. I had changed litters and was using a clumping litter which I was afraid was not good for her. We started putting newspaper down for her outside the box and I eventually stopped with all litter and began putting folded newspaper and paper towels in the boxes. There are two boxes. She continues to use the boxes for urination. Sometimes she uses the paper outside the box sometimes just goes on the tile. Poops.

She eats Iams Indoor cat dry food and I am sorry to say she also eats chicken and such with me.

I recently had new flooring in the kitchen , hall and laundry area where her boxes are, but it made no difference in her habits.

I think I need the cat-from-hell person.

Miss Sisters,

Eating your chicken is great as long as it's not more than, say, 10% of her diet. Otherwise you should add a premix supplement to the chicken (I make a lot of their cat food so research this stuff). A diet of mostly dry could be dehydrating her and would cause the poops to be a little firmer too, maybe?

My gate came and works well. So I can shut the living room, dining room, and den off from the cats. If I move the gate elsewhere I can also cut off the whole upstairs, confining them to kitchen and basement. It is not beautiful but it is easy to take up and down and I can live with it. Today I came home and immediately inspected the living room for feces as is my habit, only later realizing they couldn't get in the living room. I felt a notable release of tension--at least I have reclaimed my lovely living and entertaining spaces and no longer fear stepping in poop or having it arrive on the carpet 5 minutes before guests are expected.

I think I'm drawing the conclusion that a cat may decide to eliminate outside the box for no good reason that a person can possibly understand, and that some such behaviors simply cannot be changed. Then one moves to accommodation (I guess) with the goal of minimizing headache and damage. I'll see how it continues to go but am thinking of putting doggy pee pads all around the litter boxes so at least the feces are not on the floor and are easy to clean up. miss-sistersue, I'll bet the problem cat would love a litter box that contained soft rug material--preferably in an all-wool, high quality oriental pattern like the one she so loves in the living room :)

One thing I didn't say before is that about a year ago my other cat, the diabetic one, began to stick his sizable butt outside the litter box and urinated half in the box and half out. So I was cleaning pee up quite a bit. I experimented with many boxes and finally found a brand that stops the problem. I also have the litter boxes sitting on big plastic washing machine pans; they catch any overflow and litter kicking. I got these ideas from helpful people on this forum. So I guess I did successfully solve one foul problem, albeit with lots of searching and trial and error.

Emory, would you share which litter box you have? One of ours has started to just step into the box and pee. Most of it goes outside the box. She has arthritis (being treated) and doesn't squat.

Thank you!

glaserberl, that's exactly what my diabetic cat does. Here is the litterbox I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Miracle-Advanced-Corner-Litter/dp/B004N1NAMW/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1483187527&sr=8-32&keywords=big+litter+box

They are HUGE. Even though they are wedge shaped, you don't need to put it in a corner--mine are not. The door is a bit higher than most boxes and oddly curved, which prevents most cats from hanging out. My guy is big, however, and it did not fully prevent him from doing so (though it helped). I finally just turned the door side against the wall. So both of my cats need to step over the big sides to get in, and so far despite their age and some arthritis do so easily. As you will see from the reviews, this box has helped a lot of cat owners.

I also found this litterbox in a search, designed by a vet for exactly this problem:

http://www.nvrmiss.com/index.php

I have not tried it but saved the link as a possibility if my current system stops working. Evidently, the Never Miss is designed to force the cat to turn sideways when he pees rather than being able to pee by just stepping into the box. Genius!