Why is my senior cat leaving dark spots and poop where she sleeps?

Older kitties definitely have a harder time cleaning their back end usually from arthritis. Because she is leaking urine, I would be worried about a urinary tract infection or a possible stone causing issues with normal urination. I recommend a vet exam to rule out the above concerns. They may need to check her urine or take a radiograph. If all checks out, they can discuss medications to help with arthritis pain. Good luck and kisses to Kitty!

Hello, thank you for your question about Izzy. Lack of awareness of urination/defecation are suggestive of nerve/muscle weakness. In some animals we can see some mild changes as they age. However, this can be a sign of a neurologic problem in her hind end. If this behavior continues or Izzy does not seem to be acting normally I would recommend having her seen by your veterinarian for examination and further diagnostic workup. Hope this helps!

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.

Hi. Poor Zuzu. Usually when kitties defecate, or urinate, outside the box, they are trying to tell us something, if she isn't urinating, that is definitely a concern. Most likely though, she is going somewhere or she would be a lot sicker. I recommend getting her seen as soon as you can. In older kitties, some of the common problems we see include kidney disease, high thyroid, cardiac disease, diabetes, UTI's, or cancers. So in a case like this, blood and urine will help us rule a lot of those out. So to start I recommend an exam and labwork. Good luck

Seeing that your kitty is 13 years old, it is a given that Candy has arthritis in her hips and possibly elbows. This makes squatting hard and painful and it is likely that she tries to hold it as long as she can to avoid the pain and then loses the poop or has to go wherever she just is at that moment. Try making a low entrance to her litter boxes or put steps up to the rim, to make it easier for her to go in. Have your kitty checked for arthritis and ask your vet to prescribe pain medication. The smell on the couch may be hard to clean as the pee probably entered the fabric and dribbled inside. Usually an enzymatic cleaner available from your pet shop takes care of that.

It sounds like you have a tough situation on your hands! When a cat who was previously litter trained starts going to the bathroom in the house, it can be a sign of a medical illness. Given that Furble is a senior cat, I would have her seen by a vet for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis. These test will help identify if there is a medical problem behind this behavior, and can treat her for it. If a medical cause is ruled out, then I would discuss with the vet about using anti-anxiety drugs on Furble. It could be that she is getting very stressed out about the interactions with the new cat and dog, and that's leading her to go to the bathroom everywhere. The vet can prescribe medications for her, and there are a few things you can do at home. You can get Feliway, which is a plug in diffuser that releases pheromones into the home. These pheromones help cats with anxiety. You can can also get her a Sentry calming collar. This collar release pheromones as well when in contact with her skin.

Poor Precious. It sounds like she is really sick. This could be liver or kidney disease, parasites, a bad urinary tract infection or even something more serious like cancer. I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to do some bloodwork to help determine why she may be acting this way. Your vet will also be able to assess her hydration and give her fluids if needed. They will be able to start her on some medicine to hopefully make her feel better. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon.