On May 20, 3:27 am, Noon Cat Nick
wrote:
Roxanne wrote:
Hoping someone will have some helpful insight for us.

Our 7-yr old neutered male cat has been defecating in the house for
the past 4-5 weeks now. It was happening once or twice a week but now,
it's almost every day. He urinates in his box.
snip

Apart from the
poop problem, the cat looks perfectly healthy. No change in appetite,
thirst (he might be drinking a bit more), weight, energy level or
daily routine. He is his usual gorgeous self. The only signs he has
a

-light colored smelly stools
-mucous on stools
-pain upon defecating
-defecating outside his box (which he's probably doing because he
associates pain with the litter box, right?)

Right. It's not a behavior problem. From what you've written, it sounds
like your poor cat most likely has some form of colitis. It could also
be parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, some other colonic disorder,
or, at the outside, tumors or polyps. But colitis of some sort would be
my first guess.


I think that's what the vet thinks as well.

While we wait for the stool test results, we'll buy a new litter box.
We have been scooping it out at least once or twice daily. It's
clumping litter - same brand he's had since he was a kitten. Anything
else we can do? Does anyone have ideas on this? Questions we should be
asking the vet? Should we have his anal sacs checked again? Besides
the thyroid, is there anything else we should test? We have a toddler
and can't have the cat leaving presents everywhere in the house like
this. We need a speedy diagnosis! It's not just the hygiene question:
it's getting increasingly difficult to get the cat into his cage to
bring him to the vet.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

You might put him on a soft food or liquid diet for a day or two, if
only to give his bowels a rest. Whatever food you give him after that
should be either high in fiber or highly digestible and low in fat.
Anything else will exacerbate the condition.

He was certainly NOT eating the dry Medi-Cal the vet prescribed. He
would just sit by his bowl and look at us as if to say "You really
don't think I'll eat this stuff, do you? Come on, guys, where's my
food?" Should we try canned food? Is that considered "soft food"?


Have him treated for any parasite infestation.

He's on the Apo-Metronidazole already. The vet said it would help
reduce colon inflammation and would treat the Giardia if it is that
(which is doubtful, since he's an indoor cat and we have no other
pets).


Apart from that, try to keep his stress level down. The fact that his
elimination problems coincided with your child's newly acquired
ambulatory skill could point to irritable bowel syndrome, a form of
colitis brought on by stress.

Didn't realize colitis could be brought on by stress in cats as well.
Thanks for the insight.


Obviously I believe your vet should be investigating the possibility of
some sort of colitis first. I could well be amiss, but your cat is
demonstrating all the signs of a colonic disorder.

HTH. Please let me know how things turn out.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thank you very much for your input.