strange toileting behaviour outside

[FrenchMustard]

My boy has recently started some weird toileting behaviour outside and I wondered if anyone had experienced this before. He's 8yrs old and neutered.

He keeps going to the same spot at the side of the lawn and squatting down for 5-10 seconds, then the usual dig about. Yesterday he must have done this maybe a dozen times or more over the course of the day, sometimes in close succession. He isn't meowing when he's doing it so I'm not convinced he's in pain but it does seem odd and he isn't doing it inside.

There haven't been any changes in our house, but he does get terrorised by a thug bengal who lives nearby (although the bullying by the bengal has been going on for some time and this toileting issue has only been going on since the beginning of the week).

Is actually going to the toilet each time? If not, it sounds like he could be constipated.

Thanks for your reply! I’m not sure, he’s definitely not doing a number 2 from what I can see when I’ve been out to look. Eating etc has been normal

What food is he on? Male cats can be quite sensitive to cheap dry cat food (Go Cat is the worst) which can cause UTIs.

Is he urinating?

Just to say, we've had to spend hundreds and hundreds £££ catproofing against a thug bengal.

I think, cumulatively, it's probably the stress of a cat like that in or around your garden that's at least contributing to your cat's behaviour.

But do treat for constipation and UTI with extra fluids, wet food and something like Zylkene.

Do you have indoor litter trays?

Poor cat

Thanks all for your kind replies. He has whiskas dry food, been on it for years as it’s the only biscuits he’ll eat and Sheba for his wet food. Can’t tell if he’s weeing either. He seems fairly happy in himself (other than when thug Bengal appears). Will give the vet a call in the morning just to rule out anything medically wrong. He doesn’t normally act like this re. thug Bengal, his MO is to go out and confront him 😂 he’s no wallflower!

Ok so I was just having a look where he’s been doing it and he promptly came outside and did a wee. So maybe he’s marking but sitting down

Keep an eye on whether he does number 2s as scrabbling /digging is definitely a sign of constipation. My boy cat does sit right down when he wee's.

I would be worried that he can't get the wee out. We had a male cat and he got blocked by crystals which can be dangerous if the bladder can't empty.