Cat Lovers...........

I was a vet tech for several years. Also worked at a feline only practice for about 5 years. I highly suggest that you confine this cat in a crate (wire cage that would hold a small dog) with food, water and a litter box. Nothing else. Not even a bed at first. Keep the box clean and after about a week of using the box provide a bed. If she does not potty on the bed, she then can keep it. I would not allow her to be out of the crate until she has been using the box for a least three weeks straight. Place this crate where ever you plan on having the litter box. Do not move the box once she is using it. If she is pottying in one place in your house you can try and put her box in that area and very slowly move the box to the area that you want it to be. Try and have the box in a private area with no heavy traffic. It's very important that you do this as soon as you can. The longer she is allowed to do this the harder it is to correct. Also Prozac is know to help during this training period. There also is a product called Feliway http://www.amazon.com/Feliway-Plug--Diffuser-Refill-Milli...
that can help. I suggest the plug in's and the spray both. I used them when we moved to a new house three weeks ago with my 14 year old cat. Helped alot. Kept him nice and calm and had no problems with the move.
Some cats will never stop but I think that there is a good chance that since it was caused by stress of a move it could be corrected if you are diligent with correcting it.
Best Regards,
C.

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Try Feliway--it's a cat hormone that is suppose to relax them. When we brought our baby home our cat started peeing everywhere and Feliway cleared it up. Also, perhaps try restricting her to a small area, with the box, food, water, a place to snuggle that she's already comfortable with, and the Feliway. Good luck!

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Is there anyway you can close her off in om the top floor or even the room with the litter box, for a few nights? She is old and confused, and probably pissed at all these changes :) Are you using a new brand of litter? Sometimes older cats to not adjust quickly to any changes in their environment and they can also leave poops as presents to their owners. Not my idea of the greatest gift. Hoping for the best for you and your kitty. My cat is 10 years old. She has not come out of the family room since we got our dog and we have had him for 3 years. They can be very stubborn creatures.

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I have an aging cat myself who is also declawed (front paws only tho' if he doesn't stop trying to climb up my wooden - beautiful original to the house wooden door jams I'm gonna strangle him myself or have those hind claws taken out!). We had to remodel our front bathroom, which was the previous home to his litter box. It was relocated to the laundry room. I'm not keen with it being in the laundry room because I have to keep the laundry room door partially open now and it's one of the 2 hottest rooms in the house, the spa room is the second hottest room in the house; however, in the winter months, these are the two coldest rooms in the house. Anyhow, after the move during the remodeling he did well but once the bathroom was back working with the new vanity, new toilet, crown and base molding, and new vent along with a new paint job and removal of the popcorn/textured ceiling with new paint there too, he thought he would go back to peeing in the front bathroom. I had to take some kind of action but I didn't want to put 2 litter boxes in the house in order to slowly move him back to the laundry room.

There is a cat litter called Cat Attract. It works like a charm. It even comes with a booklet in the bag that helps with tips and tricks on getting kitty back in a routine. The biggest tip is to have a quiet room where the cat can have privacy. Well, with exception to the times when the washer is spinning, the room is the quietest in the house. We have the Kenmore HE3T front-loader washer/dryer set with the risers underneath. They run rather quietly but when the spin cycle gets going it sounds like an airplane engine starting out for take off, at least to me it does but I have extremely sensitive hearing because of my lack of vision of diminishing vision as I do have some light perception remaining.

The Cat Attract is available at Petsmart. It's not overly expensive. It's a scoopable litter but I needed to get a new litter box as his old one was getting too small and he likes them covered so I bought him a Omega Litter Box. It has these grates inside so you can tilt it. There is a little drawer like thing with a handle so that when you tilt it then turn it back, the poop and urine litter goes in the long drawer-like cup - if you will, and you pull it out and dump it in a little bag or small trash bag. You tilt it again and again until it's sifted all the poopy and urine-packed scoopable litter and empty it then tilt it in the opposite direction so the litter is back in the area where the cat actually does his business.

What makes this so great is that you never have to touch the litter when cleaning the box. This works well for me because my doctor is always telling me to have someone else clean the litter box. He's okay with me cleaning this one because of the tilt and pour from the drawer-like thing that catches the dirty litter. I clean the box down every 2-3 months. It's a complete clean then a quick dry - usually using an old hair dryer I have to make sure it's completely dry so it won't have litter sticking to it. The litter goes a long way too. I only need a bag (it's rather large and heavy bag but well worth the money) to make it through 3-4 and sometimes even 5 months depending on his diet. If we eat more Chinese food with seafood in it than normal, he will poop more. I love Chinese take out. Kitt has learned when I have shrimp lo-mien or shrimp fried rice. He can even tell when my egg rolls have a bit of shrimp in them. The sorry little bugger won't eat a whole piece of shrimp though. We have to break it up in little pieces before he will touch it. He's spoiled rotten, right to the core.

Give Cat Attract a try. Also, in the areas where he is urinating or pooping, you need to get a small dish and put cat food in it. They won't defecate where they eat. I made Kitt a bowl just for his wet food when he has it, which is usually a small can of tuna or sardines (again, I have to cut up the sardines and I hate sardines but it's good for his coat and helps reduce hairballs). I kept that little bowl with food in it specifically in the area where his previous litter box was at and he stopped trying to go there and instead, he went to where the litter box is at.

The Omega litter box only has to be turned about every other day. As long as I stay on track with his litter box, he uses it. I'm afraid to switch him to another litter now because this one cured him of his desire not to use the litter box after we moved it. I'm afraid if I switch back to the Pearls brand he won't use it because he's been using the Cat Attract for almost 2 years now. He's finicky, but loving. He plays musical beds at night. I crash on the couch because the mattress on our bed makes my joints hurt. It's like they clash with my joints causing sore points if I lay on it for any length of time so I've been on the couch for many years now. He will come lay with me for a bit while I'm listening to a movie or catching up on my soaps (GH fan) for the day when I'm not able to sleep at night then he goes to lay with our daughter for a while then my husband and then makes his rounds back the other direction again.

I hope this helps. The food in the defecating spot really does wonders. It's helped me and many of my friends I've recommended it to as well. The Cat Attract has also had success with a couple of friends who had their cats go off their litter box for some unknown reason. It pulled them back to the box again.

Considering Kitt's stubborn streak is a mile wide, I'd say if it works for him then any cat should do well on it.

Best of luck. You can google Cat Attract to learn more about the ingredients that brings them back to the litter box. I don't prevent to understand it but I do know it works.

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W., your cat is miserable. There is nothing that you or she can do to alleviate her anxiety. She is very old for a cat now, and the quality of life she has is so little. You say you will never forgive yourself if you put her to sleep, but do you think she is happy living like this? Instead of thinking about how it will hurt you to do it, think instead of how it will hurt her NOT to.

D.

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It is not unusual for cats to do this when upset. And pooping every day is normal.

Some things to try is give her two litter boxes. The rule of thumb I learned is 1 plus the number of cats. So 1 cat would have 2 litter boxes, 2 cats=3 boxes, 3 cats=4 boxes.

Another thing is to restrict her to one area or room of the house where she can feel safe.

And then, of course, there is always the possibility of a health issue such as hyperthyroidism, food allergies, or something that is physically stressing her on top of the emotional stress.

I agree with you that putting her to sleep or taking her to the pound is not a "solution."

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We had an older cat for many years (we got her at age 11 and she lived to 21) and she did adjust okay to our move and adding 2 babies to the family. We did adopt an 11 year old cat so your older cat may still have a chance for a new home. I would try putting her in one room or area with her food and litter box and a comfy sleeping place. Give her attention daily and see if she adjusts. She is probably stressed by the move. If it doesn't happen in a week or 2 have the vet check her out.

Our cat was given up because she was peeing outside the litter box. we had only a few occasions of this and realized after the second time she had a bladder infection. She had bladder infections a few times in the first 2 years we had her and then was fine for years until she was 19 developed other health issues.

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I would say to go along with these good answers to give her more attention, maybe she's uncomfortable being in a new house or mad about moving and lashing out in her own way.

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I agree with the comments already made. In our case, we have a small kitten who was having trouble remembering to use the litter box, which is our son's room. She would be playing in the living room and just "go" where she was. So we kept her in my son's room for a full day, letting her out only when he could watch her carefully. She also stays in the room while he's at school but is allowed to roam freely all afternoon and evening. That seems to work fine for her. It sounds like your cat is disoriented after the move. Put her in the room with her litter box and let her out for only short periods when you're able to watch her. You can gradually increase the time she's out.

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I have a cat with anxiety problems as well, although hers manifest as aggression and peeing, not pooping. Years ago, however we did have a cat that would poop on our bed when we got home from vacations. She was definitely sending us the message that she was angry! I think that is probably what is going on here, especially the one in your closet! There is a product called "Nature's Miracle" which is really great at removing pet stains and odors. Also we have used Feliway in both the spray and the diffuser and it has helped a lot. I would get the diffuser. Cats can also be given anti-anxiety medications or even prozac, which may help to get her over the hump and used to her new surroundings. Maybe just giving her some extra attention or some treats. Creating a predictable routine where she gets fed a special treat and then combed or petted in the evening...maybe it would help to create some positive associations with her new space. Cats like predictability and routine. I wouldn't give up on her. I know it's frustrating but there are a lot of things you can try.

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We have a incredibly incontinent cat that, for a variety of reasons, may urinate elsewhere in the house. After many different treatments and much research this is what we've discovered. There should be at least one and half liter boxes for each cat in the house, they like to have a choice. The cheapest liter is the easiest on their paws and the least likely to be refused. Each box should be scooped daily and changed weekly. Incontinence may be caused by medical problems, get her checked by a vet. (Ours had chronic urinary tract infections and diabetes.) Emotional stress can cause behavior disturbances so try to eliminate anything that may be upsetting your cat. Eliminate any access to the places she's been pooping, close your room/closet door, place a box/plant/etc on the spots she has chosen as her toilet. The habit can be broken with a strict 2 week behavior modification program. Get a kennel that will fit her bed, food dishes and liter box and have her spend every moment in the kennel that she isn't being actively watched by you. This will reduce her "poop" options and she'll be forced to use the liter box and after several days it will become a habit again. After a couple of weeks you can increase her time our in the home but she should still be kenneled at night or during work hours. These will help but constant vigilance is required.

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Have you taken her in to the vet? It's hard to diagnose something over the phone. Maybe she is in pain somewhere and needs to have some tests run -- like for a bladder infection, etc. Vets can put animals on an anti-anxiety or anti-depressant meds. You should consider that. But you'll need to take her in for an exam. Until you figure it out, I think she has to be confined to one room. Can you do that?

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Are our cats related?! We moved at the end of May, and our 14 year old cat (also skittish female) has been behaving in exactly the same manner. In our case, I have a suspicion that the problem lies in the layout of our house. Specifically, her litter box is at one end of the house in the laundry room, and she likes to hide in our bedroom all day at the exact opposite end of the house. Unfortunately, in our new home, in order to get from our room to her litter box, she has to walk through a narrow hallway, directly past the open playroom area, through the frequently congregated in kitchen, and through a narrow door to get to the laundry room, where, if she is not careful, she can get easily cornered by my two or four year old who are both still learning (apparently) that this is a bad idea. It's like having to pass through a gauntlet, in other words, to get to the bathroom, and once she's there, there's no guarantee of peace.

This does not make my husband's or my own irritation less (or decrease the panic over the new carpet's well being), but it's good to be aware of situations that may be creating more stress for your cat as she is adjusting to the new home. We are trying things like putting the litter box in our master bathroom during the day, keeping an eye on her if she seems to be prowling out of her comfort zone, and occasionally even picking her up in mid-squat and sprinting with her to the litter box to remind her where she needs to be. I have also found that the more affection I'm able to give her (when the kids are in bed at night especially), the less freaked out she seems to be in general. I don't know if this helps at all, but I hope you'll be able to find a solution that is happy for all of you.

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We moved every 2 years growing up... so our cats had a lot of transition.

2 things we would always do:

1) Lock them in a room with their litterbox and just visit them for playtime for the first several days to a week, then slowly let them more and more around the house, but always back into the litter box room at night for the first couple weeks (*excluding* my tank of a manx cat, who was always good to go from day 1 to age 20), until they were totally accustomed to the new environment.

2) Rub their feet with butter.

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I think they make sprays that smell bad to cats, maybe you could put some in the spots where she tends to go. Also they do make these plug in pheromone things. My mom has a super neurotic cat and she used to use them to try and help him chill out, she got them from the vet I believe. I know it sounds crazy, but maybe putting a covered box at the back of your closet could help. Maybe put some plastic underneath it...I know...gross, but not as gross as cat poop. Good luck!!! I think she will adjust, I moved with my cat once and he howled loudly for two weeks or so, like to the point I could not sleep, he finally settled down and did just fine.

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I totally understand! I have 6 cats and a couple of them have reacted to stress in the house (moving, new baby, etc.) in the exact same way! It has gotten better with us cleaning the box more often (at least daily), and isolating the problem cats, but in your case I think you should call your vet and discuss some 'drug' for her. That is what my husband's cousin, who is a veterinarian suggested, if we were not able to see improvement. They have things to help problem behaviors brought on by stress. Cats especially have this problem and medication can help. Good luck!

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You know I don't know if this will work for you but when we got the dog he kept getting into the litter box and the cat would run upstairs and hide in our bedroom until he would be put up into his crate. Well I ended up moving the cat litter box upstairs into the master bathroom so he would stop getting into it. Well of course the cat began to go behind the T.V. ~unacceptable~ and I tried placing moth balls around the area but to no avail she didn't care-still went. Eventually I began locking her up in the bathroom. I hated to do it but I thought she needs to adjust to the new location of her box since it had suddenly been moved. Cats are very picky and particular. I would let her out when I was home for a little while just so she wasn't cooped up in there ALL day and ALL night. Eventually I opened the door to the bathroom and quarantined her to our bedroom and bathroom. We don't have an issue anymore so I don't know if what I did worked or what but just thought of mentioning your way.
Another thing to consider is she might have a health issue going on....when you called the vet did they mention that could be an issue? Did you get it checked out?
Also one other suggestion is placing more kitty litter boxes throughout the house. I know it would be a hassle and more of a chore to clean but at least she wouldn't be pooping on your carpets right?!!!

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Well she is 13 so it is likely that she is going a little senile. Now that she is in an unfamiliar place it is likely that she doesn't remember where her litterbox is in time. Other than getting rid of her your only option might be to set her up in the bathroom with her litterbox. She could have toys and a bed make it her room. After the kids go to bed she could come out and spend some supervised time with you and your husband. When you aren't able to watch her or are going to bed put her back in the bathroom. Also I know that she must have been declawed years ago (which is barbaric and I am sure you didn't fully understand the operation or you wouldn't have had it done to her, have you wondered why she is mean)..... however I have a friend who worked at the SPCA for years and had so many people turn in declawed cats who would no longer use the litterbox. This didn't always happen immediately sometimes years later. She did not often see this problem with cats who were not butchered in that way. Keep her in the bathroom as long as you can and please don't mutilate your next cat.

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i cant believe anyone that wold think about putting an animal down or getting rid of it for pooping!!! get some new friends! until she can retrain herself to poop in the box keep her in one room (with out carpet) and just clean it. its not that big of a deal shes old you cant get rid of her just b/c shes pooping.

I have had cats most of my married life. Here is what to do. Get a good sized crate, so she can walk around a little. Put the litter box in the crATE. She will not go where she is sleeping. You will have to keep her in there for a couple of weeks. I would put the crate in a quiet place. When you decide to let her out, keep her in a closed room, like an unused bathroom, and let her cage door stay open so she can come and go. Clean her litter box often, some cats want a clean place, and you are changing it too infrequently. I do mine 2x a week. I use clumping litter, and that makes all of the urine clump and it is easy to scoop. Called Scoop Away. Change her food to a natural mix of chicken and rice- go to petsmart, get the Goodlife Recipe. I switched to that one several years ago, and my indoor cat isn't throwing up like he did. I get the indoor kind. Good luck. This cat sounds as if she is not much of a pet, and is very stressed.