Cat litter box

Question
I have a four year old female cat who over the last year or so has stopped using the litter box, when she poops! We have two other cats one of which we had before this behavior started the other we acquired after the behavior started. We have tried replacing/cleaning the litter box on a daily basis, using box fresheners. Any ideas what might be causing this or what I can try to stop this behavior, or who else I should talk to for advise??

Thanks,
Seth Hoover

Answer
Hi Seth.
I would firstly, have her examined by a veterinarian for any health problems that may be causing this.  IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease)and Mega Colon are two ailments that can cause elimination outside the litterbox.  These ailments cause inflammation of the intestinal tract and colon, causing pain when defecating.  This associates pain with the litterbox, which would cause her to defecate outside the box.
This may also be a behavioral problem, in which can be caused by stress. Cats get stressed very easily.  Your veterinarian can prescribe something to calm her down.
I hope this helps.
Hilary