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Expert: - 10/8/2009


Question
I have 2 questions about my male cat Marley. He is an inside cat and is peeing and pooping where he wants, when he feels like it he will use the litter box, other times he goes anywhere and it has been going on for about 2 months now. I do have 2 other inside cats with 2 little boxes that are cleaned regularly. Do you know what i can do to get him to stop going to the bathroom everywhere? Also, for about 3 days his stomach is very bloated, almost looks like he is pregnant. He is eating and going to the bathroom fine. None of his normal activity is different. With him going to the bathroom everywhere is it possible he wants to be outside with my out side cats? What could this be and what can i do? Thank you. BobbYjo

Answer
Bobby Jo,

Cats usually develop poor bathroom habits suddenly due to a medical problem or some major change in the household. How old is Marley?  Is he neutered? Given the bloating you are mentioning, I might suspect the first step is to have Marley checked out by your vet.

If it is not medical, the problem would be behavioral.  Simple things like changing the type and/or brand of litter might cause issues with litter pan usage.  A new addition to the house (2 legged or 4 legged) might cause issues with litter pan usage. A strange cat hanging around the household might issues with litter pan usage.

I am giving you a link to a series of ecellent articles on feline litter box problems, which may give you some further ideas and suggestions:

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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