My old cat has litter box accidents and falls. What should I do?

I am sorry to hear about Sadie. There are several different possible causes for the accidents. You don't mention if this is urination, bowel movements, or both. With urinary accidents we can have changes in habit due to urinary tract infection, bladder diseases, kidney disease, diabetes, and thyroid disease. Fecal accidents can occur due to a variety of problems including constipation, intestinal parasites, anal sac infection/impaction, inflammatory bowel disease, or other bowel disease. If your kitty is having urine and bowel movement accidents then we would be concerned about things like arthritis causing discomfort resulting in her not wanting to travel all the way to the litterbox. We can also have cognitive decline in older pets that can lead to accidents, or anxiety issues. I would recommend an exam by your vet to try to pinpoint the underlying cause which will determine the treatment. In the meantime, I would consider moving a litterbox into the room she likes to spend her time in!

Zoie very likely has arthritis, which may make it painful to get into her litter box and/or squat to have a bowel; movement. She may also be suffering from a typical old cat disease, such as hyperthyroidism or kidney disease. Both of those are easily diagnosed with a simple blood test. Diabetes can also cause weight loss, as can severe dental disease. Please take your kitty to your vet for a geriatric exam. You may also want to make it easier for your kitty to enter her litter box. The bigger the box the better and it should have a low entrance.

I would recommend taking Nala to the vet for evaluation. Some of the symptoms you described fit with severe arthritis, which may be manageable with prescription anti-inflammatories. Other symptoms may indicate a neurologic problem, which may not be manageable. The vet can do an examination and let you know what might be going on. They can also discuss her quality of life to help you decide when it may be the best time to let her go gently.

Poor kitty! I certainly agree with your concerns about hygiene for everyone involved, and also feel sorry for the cat who has an untreated medical issue that is probably impacting her quality of life. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam, to find out what is causing the problem - it may be very treatable once a diagnosis is made. If the problem is not treatable, then it's possible that euthanasia would be the kindest option for her. Your veterinarian can advise you on your options depending on what is found on her exam and lab tests.

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.

I'm sorry to hear that your kitty isn't doing well. Before considering euthanasia, I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam and some basic lab work to find out what is causing these issues. Some problems, such as hyperthyroidism, are very treatable with medication once a diagnosis is made.

Poor kitty! In a 13 year old cat, I strongly suspect that she has a medical problem causing these issues. Some common possible causes would include hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to - he/she can do blood work and a urinalysis to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it.