Elderly incontinent cat

[niminypiminy]

We have a 15 year old cat who has entirely stopped going out to poo. We have a litter tray which is cleaned regularly but the cat poos three or four times a day on the doormat right next to the litter tray - really vile liquid poos. He sometimes does it in the tray too.

I'm at the end of my tether. The vet said last time we took him that there's nothing essentially wrong and offered us anti-inflammatories. I am having thoughts about having him put down because I can't bear the poo any more. And we are going on holiday tomorrow and the thought of someone else having to clean up the mess is unbearable...

[cozietoesie]

I'd try a change of diet.

Nature's Menu Country Hunter seems to be agreeing really well with my (seriously) old lad after many years on Felix pouches. (I didn't think he'd actually eat the new food but he seems to really enjoy it as long as I rotate the flavours.) It's expensive, I'm afraid, but if it gives you and him a better quality of life............

[niminypiminy]

Hmm - we're giving him jelly pouches, we'll give gravy a go.

[SydneyB]

I'm going through the exact same thing with my 18 yr old. Took him to the vet who ran blood and urine tests and just said it's probably inflammatory bowel and has prescribed steriods, which aren't working yet. Also we're on Royal Canin Sensitive stomach but's so difficult with other cats. We were recently away for 2 weeks and the amount of accidents we came home too, on various carpets, was just horrible. I too am not sure how long I can go on doing this.

[dragonsarebest]

You have my sympathies. My cat has IBS too and a change of diet has completely fixed it. Mine is now fed James Wellbeloved grain free dry in the am and Thrive wet in the pm. Our vet initially gave her a steroid shot and advised Royal Canin Vetinarian Gastro dry food (you can get this from the normal places) to stablise, and we then gradually shifted to the current food. The change in her toileting habits was rapid.

Good luck, it's no fun cleaning that up but it can get better. Enjoy your holiday.

[FuzzyWizard]

Others have given great advice about food. I wonder if perhaps getting into the box is sometimes painful or difficult for him. I saw a TV show where a cat was pooping outside of the box and they cut out one side of the box so he could get in without climbing over the edge and putting it into a mat (to catch the litter that spilled out) and it worked like a charm. I think he had some kind of joint condition that made it painful which was why he was going on the floor.

[cozietoesie]

That's true. Arthritis can lead to 'approximate' pooing - not usually peeing though. (And arthritis is so common in older cats.) I think it's just the difficulty of holding the pooing position when you have sore hips. (Peeing is more of a 'squat and let go' event.)

My own old boy was put on arthritis meds and they cleared up the issue for many years.

[cozietoesie]

PS - but it has to come out sometime though - just maybe not where the owner would prefer it.

[OttoTheOnly]

My ten year old cat developed terrible diahorrea - really smelly, watery, yellow. He would go anywhere other than in his litter tray too, despite having always used it previously.
DH ran loads of tests on him (he's a vet), and we changed his food. He now has Hills ID or Royal Canin Sensitive, both of which seem to agree with him and calmed his bowels down.
DH thinks he may have developed a sensitivity to grains in his food, and so we're trying him on a grain free diet to see if that helps him.

It's tough having to constantly clear up stinky poo - I really feel for you.