How to stop my senior cat from peeing/pooping on the couch and clean?

Oh no, that's not good! Ellli is an older girl, and arthritis is common in older cats. If her litter box is covered, it could be painful for her to crouch to poop, so she's doing it outside the box because it's less painful for her. It could also be that she is constipated. When cats are constipated, it becomes painful for them to pass feces due to straining, and that leads to an aversion of the box. I would start feeding her some canned food, and adding some low sodium beef or chicken broth to her dry food to get more moisture into her diet. I also recommend having her seen by a vet for a health check.

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 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!

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Kiki is urinating on your couch! This may be related to a medical problem or a behavioural issue. I would start by using an enzymatic urine cleaner designed to neutralize the odour on the couch, as the pee smell on the couch may keep her coming back to it. I would also think about any possible stressors in the house. Have you changed the litter type recently? Have you moved recently? Loud noises? Frequent visitors, or pets that are bullying her? I would also try out a product called Feliway, which is a feline pheromone designed to help reduce inappropriate urination behaviours and reduce stress in cats. If these have been tried and she is still urinating on the couch, I would take her to a vet to evaluate for medical issues such as a urinary tract infection, urinary crystals or stones, or bladder inflammation. They will likely examine a urine sample and conduct a full physical exam. I hope this helps, and that Kiki is feeling better soon!

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.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are a few things you can try here. It may be that Kasey does not like the litter in her litter box as much for urination so you may change that to a different litter material/type. Another thing you can do is use a product called Feliway which can help resolve some of these issues if they are behavioral in nature. You may find that online. It has been going on for so long that I think a medical issue is less likely. Good luck and have a great day!