My Cat

[icydawgfish]

I'm not to sure if this is worthy of being in the help and advice forum, but here goes. My cat is 16 and she keeps crapping on the carpet (has been happening for a few months now) and it's usually only a few feet away from the litter box. But the last few days she's been doing it near the tv and my xbox, etc. My mom is really attached to this cat seeing as the damn thing is older than I am, but what can I do about this.

P.S. I live in an apartment so getting new carpeting is out of the question.

[Muizer]

If it's due to infirmity or dementia, I really don't know if there's anything you can do except replacing your carpet with something that's easier to clean. I do know cats will start urinating and defecating elsewhere if their litter box isn't cleaned regularly.

[icydawgfish]

It's cleaned regularly, usually once a day. But I as I've edited into my first post, my carpets can't be replaced because I live in an apartment.

[Magic Man]

Simply make sure you are always on hand to catch any misplaced turds.

That way, you and your cat spend more time together; and she will never need to be gotten rid off.

[icydawgfish]

I have school from 7:00-3:00 and my mom works 7:00-5:00. It always happens when we are gone and I've only caught her a few times. Usually, this occurs sometime when we are both gone.

[mrmouth]

Thats tough.

My girlfriend has a cat, and when she moved in with me, it wasn't exactly happy with the change of surroundings. It was throwing up and defecating on the carpet. We took the time to go through some steps to make its life a bit better, and it stopped.

Cats are incredibly interesting, smart animals, that don't get enough respect. There history is far more interesting than that of the dog. Everything from their relationship to the Egyptians who first domesticated the cat, to the Romans who truly respected the cat as a fellow living creature, introducing it to Europe, to Pope Gregory IX declaring war on cats, and the plague starting not long after that, due to the overpopulation of rodents.

If a cat is defecating outside of its litter box, something is wrong. Either the box isn't cleaned regularly, or the the litter is soiled and should be changed. Thats a good place to start.

Cats are clean, extremely fickle, proud animals. Any changes to their diet, or even their surroundings, can cause them to defecate in places other than the litter box. Its really there only way of telling you something is wrong. It also could be a health problem, she is getting older, well into her senior years.

[icydawgfish]

Well, the litter is changed about twice a month, but my other two cats seem fine with it. One is going on two and the other is around 11 or 12.

[Magic Man]

I have school from 7:00-3:00 and my mom works 7:00-5:00. It always happens when we are gone and I've only caught her a few times. Usually, this occurs sometime when we are both gone.

Drop out of school, that way you can keep your hands cupped behind her tail; eternally poised for that one magic moment.

[lord o kelly]

Kidney stones probably or maybe a urinary track infection or something...
take her to the vet... and if she doesn't have any of the above make her into a hat.....

[LoZz]

i am a bit of a cat lover. have 2 cats right now.

what i will sugggest is changeing the type of litter you use. sometimes that can help, maybe try cleaning the litter tray more often, and you should maybe ring your vet and see what he/she recommends.

this also could be behavourial. it might be worth if the above fails getting a small water pistol, and when you catch him doing it spray him, he will get the message sooner or later, not a big water pistol a small one

[icydawgfish]

I talked to my mom, and she said she would try to get a vet appointment. She always assumed the cat was mad (or some other old wives tale).

[Kamos]

Thats tough.

My girlfriend has a cat, and when she moved in with me, it wasn't exactly happy with the change of surroundings. It was throwing up and defecating on the carpet. We took the time to go through some steps to make its life a bit better, and it stopped.

Cats are incredibly interesting, smart animals, that don't get enough respect. There history is far more interesting than that of the dog. Everything from their relationship to the Egyptians who first domesticated the cat, to the Romans who truly respected the cat as a fellow living creature, introducing it to Europe, to Pope Gregory IX declaring war on cats, and the plague starting not long after that, due to the overpopulation of rodents.

If a cat is defecating outside of its litter box, something is wrong. Either the box isn't cleaned regularly, or the the litter is soiled and should be changed. Thats a good place to start.

Cats are clean, extremely fickle, proud animals. Any changes to their diet, or even their surroundings, can cause them to defecate in places other than the litter box. Its really there only way of telling you something is wrong. It also could be a health problem, she is getting older, well into her senior years.

Cats are still jerks I'd take a stupid goofy Dog over them any day. As for the OP problem have you tried seeing if it was sick after all it's an old cat.

Edit: Nevermind.

[Roman_Man#3]

I have a couple questions. Do you have one or two litterboxes? And is it/they open or closed top?

I had a problem with my cat where it would poo on the carpet. We had the one litterbox for it, and it was closed top. We discovered that it didn't have enough room to squat, and because it didn't have another litter box, it just pooed on the carpet. I suggest changing to open top litter box if you have closed top and getting two litter boxes if you have one.

[Dayman]

Sounds either like a problem with the cat's bowels or it's simply going insane.

[icydawgfish]

We actually have 3 litter boxes, two closed and one opened. And I doubt it was a bowel problem as it is usually with in a few feet of a litter box. Arthritis maybe? But I doubt she is going insane. What does crapping on the carpet have to do with going insane?

[Paul d]

being too far gone to find the box.

[gambit]

Is the cat getting inactive and kind of helpless? I know it's old so it probably is lazy and always sleeping, but more than usual? This happened to my cat once, she started crapping everywhere for no reason and eventually didn't have the control to even get up, she'd just right on the ground as she layed there, pissed too. She had some bad infection and we had to put her down.

The vet is your best bet.

[Aetius]

Cats are incredibly interesting, smart animals, that don't get enough respect. There history is far more interesting than that of the dog.

Thats very debatable.

[Dunecat]

Sleep with it.

[hellheaven1987]

Get rid the cat, obvious solution...