Expert: Jessica - 10/5/2009

Question
    My cat is not always using her litter box.  She will urinate in it but doesn't seem to want to use it for the other.  She is the only cat in the house.  I have two litter boxes.  Also her poop is runny, never solid.

Answer
Hi Don.  Your cat may not be using the litter box for defecation because she's experiencing discomfort.  They may come to associate the discomfort of diarrhea and gas with the litter box, and then avoiding using it.  

You should start with a trip to the vet, and bring a stool sample with you if you can.  This will help the vet check for parasites and protozoan germs that are frequent causes of diarrhea in cats.  Treating these ailments usually clears up diarrhea.

Other reasons for loose stools and cramping include food intolerances and conditions like Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  If you feed your kitty any dairy products, stop giving those immediately.  You should also talk to the vet about a sensitive stomach diet during your visit.  There are prescription foods available, but you can also find some decent foods in the open market.  Generally, corn is the most offensive ingredient found in cat foods, so if your cat's food contains any of this, you should see about feeding a chicken and rice formula, or better yet, a grain-free food.  The more meat in her diet, the better, since cats have difficulty digesting vegetable matter.  Some cats do best on an all canned food diet.  However, make all food changes slowly over the course of 7-10 days to avoid further stomach upset.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is another condition that is not well understood.  There is believed to be some overreaction on the part of the immune system, and the most recent evidence supports the idea that it is related to the nervous system (driven by stress).  The overactive immune response could be to a combination of food ingredients, bacteria and to the intestinal lining itself.  It causes severe cramping and diarrhea.  The best treatment for most patients suffering this disease is a drug which helps to suppress the overactive immune response that causes the condition.  Prednisone is most commonly used.  Antibiotics and a special diet are also sometimes helpful.  IBD is generally diagnosed when all else is ruled out, since there is no specific test for the disease.

You could also try using a different style of litter box for her second box to see if she prefers that one for defecation.  I'm not sure which style you use, but my own cats like to use open boxes for urination and covered litter boxes for defecation (it provides them extra privacy).  Also, different litters may help.  There is one on the market that guarantees 100% litter box usage, or your money back.  It's called Cat Attract, and you can find a retailer at www.preciouscat.com  If you can't find a retailer near you, my most finicky cats like Feline Pine Scoop and Swheat Scoop best.  They're nice and soft on the feet and don't have any of the perfumes that some other cat litters have.

Best of luck!

Jessica