18yr cat crapping under the Xmas tree!

[Cricketbelle]

18yr old cat has a litter tray upstairs in the bathroom which he does use.

However,he has pooed 3 times under the tree in the last few days (in the front room).

I put a puppy pad down but her managed to get his claw caught in his blanket and the poo was on that (still under tree).

Should we put a litter tray there? I don't want one there to be honest! And it will encourage him to toilet there. Also,we have carpet and he misses sometimes.

Any advice?

Offer a litter tray downstairs (not under the tree) as he may be having difficulty tackling the stairs or get caught short. It’s important how you clean up accidents - solution of biological washing powder followed by surgical spirit to remove fatty pheromone residues.

Bless him! Does the tree make him think he’s outside? I agree that his litter tray being closer might help.

I think this is all part and parcel unfortunately with elderly cats. My elderly boy kept toileting on the mat by the front door in his final year. To save myself the stress I just put the litter tray there, even though it drove me mad!

Poor thing needs a downstairs litter tray. He's 18 poor thing- apparently that's 126 in cat years!

He's leaving you a gift under the tree, you ungrateful thing and because you keep removing it, he has to keep redoing it!

@cheezncrackers 🤣

Ok,consensus sounds like downstairs litter tray then.
It would have to go in the kitchen though as that's the only place with washable flooring 🤢

It's a kitchen diner if that makes it less grim?!

Other option is to shut him in the kitchen (with new litter tray) overnight but that feels a bit cruel. When he goes to bed at night he literally doesn't roam though.

As long as it's cleaned regularly then a litter tray in the kitchen is fine. He's old bless him.

Is he a bit poorly?

My old cat did this when there was already a poo in his tray cause he was going often. Even when I moved the poo he went in a different spot as (presumably) he could still smell it. I had to clean the tray completely to get him to use it again.

I think he's fine 🤷‍♀️. He looks really well on the outside and much younger than he is.