cat pooping outside litterbox

Question
Hi Jessica,
My question is along the same lines as Brandy's.  My cat is a wonderful cat which we have had for 8 years.  Never poops/pees anywhere except her litterbox.  Never has had a problem with changing to different litters.  3 weeks ago we lost our dog in which our cat has known all her life.  She seemed ok while our dog was sick and after she passed for about a week.  Then we went out of town for Thanksgiving weekend.  She is used to us going out of town and leaving her for 2-3 days on weekends periodically.  We came home and all was fine.  Starting that night till now she is pooping in the house.  She still pees in the litter.  I first thought it was the litter, so I did go back to what we normally use.  In reading Brandy's answer from you, I think maybe I should have her checked by the vet for a parisite.  We have 3 kids that love on her all the time and she gets alot of attention, but, I have noticed her hiding a little more than normal.  What do you think?

Answer
Hi Cheri.  It certainly is the best idea to have a kitty looked at by a vet when behavior changes suddenly.  The fact that she's been a little withdrawn may further indicate that she's feeling poorly.  Try to bring a fresh stool sample with you to the vet, which should be collected no more than 24 hours before her appointment.  It's best to store it in a cool place if it will be a more than a couple hours before her appointment.

However, considering the couple of changes that have occurred in her life within the last few weeks, one of them quite profound, it could be possible your kitty is suffering from depression.  Social withdrawal is a classic sign, and litter box problems occur frequently, as well.  Most cats urinate outside the box as opposed to defecating outside the box when feeling anxious or depressed.  But inappropriate defecation is seen, too, and if she happens to be defecating in areas where the dog used to sleep a lot, etc., this gives extra weight to the depression theory.  Cats suffering separation anxiety tend to defecate on personal objects of the companions they are separated from.  If the vet feels you are dealing with clinical depression due to the recent changes, a medication might be suggested.  Some cats calm down with just a few days' worth of something like Valium, while others need longer treatment with an antidepressant.

Best wishes.  I hope all is back to normal soon!

Jessica