Old cat pooing in the house

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My cat is nearly 16. We moved house a year ago and since then she has had to have a litter tray in the house. She is unsure of the new garden and doesn’t like the cats next door, so doesn’t feel safe outdoors to go to the toilet. We’ve spent loads of time with her outdoors to try and help her feel more secure, she will come out if we are there and occasionally of her own accord, but I can tell she’s not comfortable there. At our old house she never had a litter tray and was out more than she was in. Since having the litter tray I noticed that she poos a lot and it’s never solid. At first I put it down to stress of the move but it didn’t resolve and I’ve been back and forth to the vets over the last 9 months trying to figure out the problem. The vet has tested for thyroid issues, pancreas issues, changed foods and a few other things but got nowhere. They mentioned a few more serious things plus IBS but said that would need very invasive testing which they didn’t recommend putting her through. She’s now on steroids which have helped her regain some weight but not solved the poo problem. She’s now pooing on the kitchen floor every night, and on rugs and mats regularly. She’s now pooed on the kitchen floor while we were out today. The litter tray is scooped often and litter changed regularly, it never gets to the point it smells. I’ve also tried a few different litters. Other than this, she’s happy, active and affectionate. I love her so much but I’m starting to feel resentful. I have 2 young children (3 and 5) who are going to find or step in something sooner or later and I’m starting to feel my house is unhygienic. My husband is also fed up, last week she pooed on his clean washing. Where do I go from here? I can’t bare the thought of rehoming her, or the other option, but this is starting to feel unsustainable and is causing me a lot of anxiety 😥

Does she have a covered litter box? She might be anxious about where to poo and be looking for somewhere safe. A covered tray might work once she works out how to get in and out through the flap. I’m sure you know this but her litter tray should be well away from her food.

She’s now in other cats’ territory so you will need to keep providing her with her own litter tray indoors.

Are you sure she’s not just confused? Our elderly cat became quite demented in his final months - inappropriate toileting came towards the end. It’s frustrating but at that age you grin and bear the cleaning up and accept the fact that they likely won’t be here much longer

We lost our old dog last year. At the end he didn't even know he was pooing and was cleaned up kindly and without fuss. That's what you do when you love someone and take responsibility for their life.

Yes, litter tray is covered and well away from food. I know it is now a permanent fixture. She does use it for all her wees and some poos. I’ll switch things around to see if it helps, nothing is in the wrong place but she may prefer other options. Other than that I don’t see any other option but to continue as we are. I don’t think it’s dementia or confusion, she’s very alert, active, affectionate and showing no signs of deterioration other than a few longer day time sleeps than usual. I think she’s got a good few years left yet which is why I need to solve the poo problem for her and for us!

Try a second litter box with different litter. Have one on the ground floor & one up on the upper floor, my eldery cat did this sometimes when she can’t be bothered to go downstairs (She mostly sleeps these days). We put one in the bathroom & never had a problem since!

Our cat had loose disgusting poos for over a year. Vet couldnt find anything wrong but after trial and error it cleared up after switching to gastrointestinal dry food only. Could be worth trying, though if your cat is nearly 16 it might be age related.

Many cats hate covered litter trays OP. They trap smells and also the kitty feels they can’t escape if they need to. They also don’t allow free movement. It’s also advisable to have a couple of trays. Another thing to consider is mobility. Is she perhaps arthritic? Cats hide their pain well so you may not have noticed. A lower-sided tray could be more comfortable for her to get in and out of. Potting trays work well for this.

If you truly love her then you’ll find a solution or a way to manage. We all know animals, like us, get old and if you bring one into your life then you must be there for them to the end, poor things.

I'd definitely try a feliway plug in as well as a covered tray. She can probably smell the other cats nearby, cats pooing and not covering it up can be classed as territorial - she's marking her territory as such. The covered tray will also help with any anxieties, as well as the pheromone plug in. Good luck OP, you will get there - I've had a few issues like this myself in the past - including one who liked to go in my rubber plant! If one thing doesn't work, another will.

Which sort of food worked for you please? We’ve tried Royal Canin hypoallergenic which made things much worse, pro plan delicate digestion and scrumbles. She wouldn’t touch the pro plan, scrumbles has been ok but not solved the issue.

It was Royal Canin hypoallergenic but sounds like that doesn't work for you. We had to cut out everything else, all wet food and dreamies. After ruling out anything obvious with the vet, chatgpt was also surprisingly useful with tailored suggestions to try.

Can you empty some used litter in a part of the garden you’d be happy for her to toilet in?
She may not realise she can go outside to toilet as the garden is full of other cat smells. So this transfers her smell outside if you see what I mean ?
We did this when we moved house and it helped our cat .