My cat is sleeping a lot and lying in the litter box. Is he sick?

This can be a sign of illness in cats. If he is there vocalizing and trying to urinate with no production it is an emergency. If he is not and just laying there and not wanting to get up then he may have a fever or have pain and not feel like moving. Try to get pick him up and take him to another spot for food and water and see how he acts. If he is painful and not eating then I would take him to the vet to see what is going on.

Great question! This can mean a couple of things. It could be that Lancelot is sick. He could have diarrhea, stomach upset, may be in pain, have feline idiopathic cystitis, or bladder stones. He could be feeling so badly that it's not worth him getting out of the box only to have to return again. There are other reasons, such as feeling territorial and wanting to keep other cats from using it, but it's very important to rule out a medical cause first. He should see a vet for a check up, and I do recommend getting blood work and a urinalysis done. If he does have a medical reason for this behavior, the vet can diagnose it and discuss treatment options If he's healthy, the vet can discuss behavioral causes and treatment for that. I'd take him into the vet in the morning. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and lethargy can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. Defecating outside of the litter box is usually a medical issue and can be linked to everything else going on. I recommend that you have Merlin evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

It is not uncommon when pets have not been eating or drinking well to have more extended time between visits to the box. It your kitty was a bit dehydrated from being sick this will also mean less urine in the box too. As it seems that your kitty is feeling better with the care your vet provided i would give it a little time. If he or she is eating then things should normalize. If he or she starts to feel sick again then dehydration may make things worse, and a recheck with your vet is then advised. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would not operate under the assumption that Jacoby is fine if he is acting unusually. Sleeping in the litter box is typically an indication that cats are trying to hide, or they are too afraid to be apart from the litter box due to an increased urgency to urinate or defecate. If he is struggling to keep one or both of his eyes open he may be weak or in some amount of discomfort. While it is possible he could have a primary ophthalmic issue, given the other problems you have described I do not feel that this is likely. If he is continuing to eat and drink normally, and is not overtly ill, I do not think it is an absolute emergency that you get him into the vet prior to the end of this holiday weekend. But, if the problems persist through this holiday, I would definitely have him examined by the end of Tuesday. Things you might consider doing at home in the mean time just to gather a little information would be to obtain a rectal temperature (above 102.5 is a fever, below 99 is too cold), check his gums for a nice pink color and moist feeling, and pull up on some of his skin by his shoulder to see if it returns to his body quickly. This is a good indication of appropriate hydration status. Hope this makes sense.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sleeping and decreased energy can be signs of a cat feeling unwell. This can be caused by weakness, fever, kidney disease, and other causes. It is a very vague sign that could be many many things. I recommend that you have Kitty seen by your vet, and they might want to do some bloodwork. Thank you and I hope Kitty feels better soon!

I'm sorry to hear that Lily has been feeling so poorly today. As Dr. Melanie mentioned, lethargy and a loss of appetite can be due to many underlying health conditions. Since she seems to prefer laying down, it's also possible that she's experiencing some degree of pain or discomfort. Some of these possible conditions include pancreatitis, infectious diseases (FIV, feline leukemia, FIP, etc.), constipation, kidney disease, liver disease, toxin exposure (did she eat a plant, medication or something else she shouldn't have?), or many other conditions. The fact that she hasn't been using the litter box normally might be a sign that she is dehydrated, even though she's drinking water when it's placed in front of her. At this point, it would be best to take Lily to her vet fairly urgently for evaluation. Your vet will need to examine her and will likely recommend some diagnostic testing, which may include blood work, an ultrasound or x-rays, to get to the bottom of this issue. I hope that she feels better soon!