My cat has hard, dark poop and isn't using his litter box. Why?

As long as she is defecating regularly and not straining the firm stool may not be a concern. It is a little unusual for a/d to be recommended as a maintenance diet - you may want to check with your vet and see if there is another diet that would be recommended for Hopper given her constipation. This diet is very nutritionally dense, so it's possible that she's just not making much stool. If she has been straining, or you feel her stool looks black and tarry I would recommend making a recheck appointment with your veterinarian.

Hi and thanks for posting! Hard stool can certainly be an indication of constipation and while a hairball formula can help, you can also try a higher fiber diet (one that is formulated for hairball control) or just give a few teaspoons of plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) in her food which can help. However, if she is not eating and is acting lethargic, you may want to take her in to see a veterinarian to get checked out. Sometimes underlying health conditions such as liver or kidney disease or certain endocrine problems like diabetes can cause dehydration and can lead to harder stools and episodes of constipation as well as decreased appetite and lethargy. Certainly worth a veterinary visit if the hairball cream doesn't seem to be making a difference in her appetite or energy level. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It sounds like it is uncomfortable for him to poop as the poop is very hard and dry. You can try giving him some canned food in addition to his dry food and add a bit of water to it. Make sure the box is cleaned out every day as some cats do not like going into a litter box where there are more than a few poops or urine clumps are, so they wait until they really cannot hold it anymore. This delay makes the colon pull even more moisture out of the feces and so makes them very hard. Also put his water bowl at least 6ft away from his food bowl. Cats do not like to drink water when it is near the food.

Dasher may have just missed the box. Since he is an older kitty, he also may have been in pain from arthritis and may have decided not to go all the way into the box. If you notice that he walk stiffly or has swollen joints, then you can get a larger soft plastic box and cut an entrance, so he does not have to climb into the box. There is also a chance that he is not feeling well overall today and missed the box because of that. I would not worry about it too much until it becomes a problem.

Dexter is adorable! Thanks for including a picture and giving such a thorough history. Unfortunately, it is very common for older cats to have changes in their bathroom habits. The first thing I would recommend would be to have your vet examine Dexter and check a fecal sample on him to make sure that there isn't a medical cause for him to be defecating outside the box. Older cats commonly have arthritis along their back which may interfere with their comfort getting into the litter box or squatting to defecate. If Dexter has ever had pain associated with squatting to defecate, he may associate it with the litter box and may avoid the litter box for defecation. So, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Dexter to see if they find any signs of arthritis that may benefit from medication or other treatment. If your vet can't find a medical reason, then the next step is to look at litter box issues. Even if a cat has been tolerant of a slightly dirty litter box previously, sometimes this changes as they get older. That may mean that if there is ANY urine or stool in a box, then they won't use it. Why this sometimes involves only stool and not urine, we can't always tell. But the first step in any inappropriate elimination case is to make sure that there are the "correct" number of litter boxes in the house which is the number of cats plus one, so that would be 2 boxes in your house. Those boxes must be cleaned at least once daily. Some people use an automatic cleaning litter box for one of their boxes to make sure that there is always a clean box. Cats tend to dislike covered or lined litter boxes, so I would eliminate those if they are as issue. This handout deals mostly with inappropriate urination, but has some good suggestions for litter box issues. veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=633 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I hate to hear Minks is having this issue and it sounds like you have tried many things. Sometimes if the kitty will not have a BM in the box, it can indicate pain in the bowels. Try changing to food to a diet with a higher fiber content and adding in a higher fiber content canned food as well. You need both the fiber and the water content. There are also prescription diets available for this purpose. The one I like the best is made by Royal Canin and is called Fiber Reaponse. If this doesn’t help, it may be behavioral. Your veterinarian may be able to provide medication that may help. Stress relief is important as you know. Just in case, here are a few things you may not know or haven’t tried. Cats tend to like a large, uncovered litter box that is in a private location where they cannot be trapped by other pets. They also like a clay based clumping litter that is cleaned daily. Cats who have access to climbing areas or can get up high have less stress. If this is determined to be behaviors. There is a prescription diet called Calm which affects the serotonin levels in the brain and may be helpful. Try to set aside at least 30 minutes a day for vigorous play. This can help to decrease anxiety or stress. Lastly, some cats respond well the Feliway, a pheromone diffuser. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This can be a difficult problem to figure out. Some cats prefer to urinate in one litter box and defecate in another, so if he only has access to one box the first thing I’d recommend is adding a second box. If you haven’t tried Dr Elsey’s Cat Attract litter it may be worth trying that specific brand. Finally, if he seems to prefer fabric you could try lining a litter pan with a disposable potty pad. If at any point his stool doesn’t look normal (i.e. If you see diarrhea, mucous, blood or if it seems very firm) I’d recommend rechecking with your vet. Good luck!