cat pooing indoors

Question
Dear Tabbi, i have a 12 year old cat, who has always been very clean, but over the past 6 months or so, she has been messing in the house.She charges around the house like a mad thing, scratching the carpets in different places, and then just poos!Not always in corners, but sometimes in the middle of the room.It is nearly always in the early hours of the morning,i hear her charging about, then she goes quiet and then comes to get me up for her breakfast...and if i don't hear her, she wakes me up, and as i go down stairs, she seems almost happy and leads me to her poo. Nothing had changed in the house,we have no other pets, and no other animals are able to get in...so why is she doing it? If i manage to grab her in time and put her out, she runs to her usual spot and poos then comes in for breakfast.....so i feel it is just her needing to poo rather than territory marking,she comes in and wants her food! She doesn't do it every day, sometimes there are 5 days or more inbetween, but it is getting more frequent. She is in good health and active...i am wondering if i have over pampered her.She does tend to dominate the house and me. I can't sit down without her getting on my lap, i will sit on the edge of a chair if she is on it,when i eat my dinner she keeps tapping at my hands as if i should be stroking her and if i ignore her, she sinks her claws into my leg or hand.I have made beds for her all over the house, which is a pain, as everywhere is constantly covered in cat hair...even my bed and pillows, she also lays on my chest or shoulders in the night, and even when i go to the loo, she scratches at the carpet if i don't let her in...and if i do tell her off, she looks at me with no concern at all.have i caused this problem myself? Please help!

Answer
Julia,

No, it's nothing that you have done. Her behavior is just part of the aging process. She is approximately 64 years old in human years and the mind and body are slowly going to start deteriorating. Don't ever get angry at her for getting old. Someday you may wish she were still here pooing on the carpet. Give her lots of love and reassurance. Their behavior is confusing to them too. Cats also can get a form of kitty Alzheimer which can make them act in a bizarre manner. Sometimes they even forget where the litterbox is!

When cats get arthritis they start avoiding the litterbox because it is painful to get in and out of. You may want to try puppy pee-pads next to the litterbox, where she is going on the carpet, or a very low sided box. When they start aging, you need to make allowances and concessions for it.

Even if she seems healthy I would take her to a vet that specializes in geriatric cat care and their conditions (not all vets do) for a check of her thyroid, kidney, and liver functions. If she has arthritis she can be given something for pain which will increase her comfort and quality of life. Things will start giving out and early detection and medication can help make her senior years more comfortable.

I am NOT suggesting that your cat is not healthy now, or that something may be wrong with her, but at her age it will happen at some point. Being prepared and knowledgeable about elderly cats will make things easier for the cat and for you. I am including some very good links with information about elderly cats:
(Copy and paste, or type, the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.sniksnak.com/resources/geriatric.html

http://www.messybeast.com/towards-end.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/oldcat.htm

I hope this helped. She's a lucky cat to have such a good home and a caring owner.

Tabbi