Why is my cat leaving small poop pellets, unaware, and cleaning often?

Poor Coal! It sounds like he is having a little bit of fecal incontinence. I would have your vet take a look at his feces to make sure he doesn't have any type of parasite or bacterial infection. These can sometimes cause an increase in frequency and even sometimes a little softer stool than normal making it difficult for him to hold it in. If everything there is normal, then I would have your vet check him for any neurological problems. Your vet will be able to see if he needs any treatment for that or if any medicines can be added to help him out. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this frustrating problem! I'm glad to hear that she is reliably peeing in the box, but pooping outside the box is also, of course, problematic. Have there been any changes in the home that she might perceive as stressful? Any new pets, a major change in your schedule, holiday visitors, etc. All of these things could contribute to this type of behavior. Make it a point to spend a few minutes a day with her, just giving her attention. Engage her in play with a wand type toy, or just sit and pet her and chat to her. Sometimes some reassurance can be really beneficial. Also, make sure there is a litter box on every level of your home, (every story--basement, main floor, upstairs, etc) and if you have multiple cats, the number of litter boxes should be the# of cats plus 1. ( so 3 boxes if you have 2 cats). If she's not been to the vet for this issue, take her in. If she has arthritis, etc or is otherwise painful, pooping may be uncomfortable and therefore she may not be completely "finishing" when she is in the box. Or, its also possible that she may have a neurologic condition that is affecting her ability to know when she needs to poop in time to get to the box. Here are a couple of articles you may find helpful as well. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/litter-box-problems https://www.petcoach.co/article/inappropriate-elimination-urination-defecation-spraying-in/ Thank you for asking PetCoach!

Poor Meechi! Normal cat stools are firm and dark in color, so it sounds like she probably has a medical problem of some kind causing her soft stools. It's very common for cats to poop outside the litter box when they have soft stools or diarrhea, so the underlying cause for this will need to be diagnosed and treated in order to get her to use her litter box appropriately. I would recommend taking Meechi to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to. He/she can do some diagnostic testing, which might include a fecal exam for parasites as well as blood work to screen for a systemic illness of some kind, to help determine the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it.

It's hard to say what could be going on without examining your cat. If the poop is firm and literally falling out as your cat walks, then a neurologic or structural issue with the anus would be a concern. If the stools are loose or diarrhea-like, that should also be addressed by a vet.

Hi there. Yes, you could certainly try leaving the litter box in your attached bathroom so that it's closer and easier for her to get to, as a starting point. But in a cat this age, I would be very suspicious of an underlying medical issue causing this behavior - this can be true even if she appears generally healthy otherwise, on the outside. Possible causes would include hyperthyroidism, a GI problem such as chronic pancreatitis or inflammatory bowel disease, or arthritis making it difficult or painful for her to get into the litter box when she needs to go. I would recommend a vet visit for a thorough physical exam and some basic lab work to check for these issues. If she has a medical problem of some kind, having it treated appropriately will often resolve the unwanted accidents.

It could be that Ziggy has some fecal matter that sticks to the hair around his anus after he defecates that later falls off - this can sometimes happen in overweight cats (I'm guessing Ziggy might be overweight if he is an 18 lb American Shorthair). Fecal incontinence can sometimes also occur secondary to neurologic problems. Constipation could be another issue - sometimes a constipated cat will pass small amounts of stool but is unable to completely empty the colon. I would recommend having your vet examined Ziggy to rule out incontinence or constipation issues.

Is this a new behavior? Is the stool firm and hard? If it is firm and hard then it may be from her being constipated. If it is soft and she has diarrhea, she can have intestinal parasites or she could have eaten something that upset her stomach. I would recommend having a stool sample performed to make sure there are no parasites and to see the consistency of the stool. If the veterinarian says everything is fine then I would use at least 2 litter boxes with clumping litter. Make sure you have a box on each level. I would also consider medication to help with the behavior. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.