Expert: Dear Tabbi - 2/11/2009

Question
Dear Tabbi:
I have an older cat that for some reason hasn't hit the box in over a year with her stools. The vet said that her insides were fine and I've tried every kind of litter on the market but no change. She seems perfectly healthy except for her personality. My other cat has no problem with the box. What could be her problem?
Kirk

Answer
Kirk,

The problem could be that she is aging and you are seeing age-related behavior. You don't say how hold your cat is, but even though "she seems perfectly healthy", her body and mind can start wearing out, and things can go wrong that aren't noticeable.

She may have arthritis. That makes getting in and out of the litterbox painful and more difficult to balance and squat. You may want to get a bigger litterbox with low sides on it, like an under-the-bed type storage container. Or you may want to use puppy pee pads (the kind used for potty training dogs), or the human incontinent pads they put in beds for elderly people. Putting them next to the litterbox, or where the cat is going, would make it easier for the cat to use plus they wouldn't leak through to the floor.

Cats can also get a form of kitty Alzheimer which makes them behave in a bizarre manner sometimes, and makes them 'forgetful', like how to use the litterbox.

Either of those, of any other kind of pain or discomfort, can affect her personality.

As a precaution I would suggest finding a vet that specializes in geriatric cat care and their conditions. Not all vets do which can be detrimental to an elderly cat. She should have an "older cat checkup". They check the function of her kidneys, thyroid, liver, etc. These checkups should be done every six months as a cat gets older. If caught early some conditions can be treated with medication, especially medication for arthritis, which will ease any discomfort, and extend her quality of life.

Being prepared and knowledgeable about elderly cats will make things easier for the cat and for you. For future reference I am including some good links about elderly cats that I hope you find informative: (Copy and paste, or type, the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.sniksnak.com/resources/geriatric.html

http://www.messybeast.com/towards-end.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/oldcat.htm

Give your kitty a lot of love and reassurance. She is probably as confused about her behavior that she can't help as you are. She needs to know she is not a 'bad kitty' when she has age related accidents or strange behaviors. Having an elderly cat, CAN be frustrating at times, and probably will get more so. Please don't ever punish her for her behavior. Someday, you may wish she were still here 'having accidents'.

Tabbi