Blood in stool

Question
Hello,
   We recently got military orders to move to a new base. Unfortunately, now that we are here we are in a hotel (pet friendly) for about 10 days. My cat has NEVER gone to the bathroom outside of the litterpan, but now has 3 times in this hotel. She still uses the pan for urination, and some stools...but has left me three stool presents on the floor in corners.
When I go to clean these three stools, each time there has been blood on the papertowels I am using, and then a few drops of blood right there on the floor I need to clean after as well. I have never noticed this in the litterpan. Her stools are not hard or dry, but are soft yet still formed.

Any suggestions? I hate taking her to the vet to be poked and prodded and then put on some pill!!!!
Also, I don't know if this matters at all but we went from the very high altitude and dry climate of Utah (where she was born) to a hot, humid Georgia in summer.
Thank you in advance for you time!

Answer
Hi Kaitlyn,

A vet would have to take a look to be certain of what's going on. I would say that the most likely scenario is that she's suffering some stress because of the trip and her unfamiliar surroundings. The anxiety alone is enough to cause some cats to start having accidents. But because there is blood in your cat's stool, I'm wondering if the stress has triggered some colitis. This is an inflammation of the colon, often stress-related, that can result in blood or mucus in the stool as well as diarrhea. The discomfort that it causes can cause a cat to defecate outside her litter box. Usually, it's best to treat these cats with an anti-inflammatory pill like prednisone for a short time. High fiber diets can often help reduce the number of flare ups, but if you foresee a stressful time coming up, you may want to talk to the vet about preventative anti-inflammatories or anti-anxiety meds.

Another concern might be the switch in water, if she's drinking from the tap. The difference in water hardness and chemicals used to treat the water in different areas can cause digestive upset. This needs to work itself out over a few weeks' time. Immodium may help if she has true diarrhea.

But as for her non-commitment to the litter box, she should be kept in a small and easy to clean area until her belly problems are resolved. Once her pain is addressed, she should start using the box again.

Best wishes,
Jessica