Upset cat?

Question
My 3 year old female has been pooping either inside my and my husband's bathroom, or just outside of it. She's spayed. We think the cause of it might be that we were watching 4 other cats for about 6 months, and that she's mad that they're out of the house.

It's only in our bathroom (there's another bathroom in the house), and she will do it inside unless someone else is in there. Then she does it outside. And her litter box in not 2 feet away! We're both really frustrated with this. Anything we can do?

Answer
Melissa,

It is possible the cat has a medical issue instead of a behavioral problem. She may have intestinal parasites or other intestinal problem. You should take her to the vet for a checkup and bring a stool sample.

If it is not health-related then she is telling you that she is very stressed or very upset about something. She may be lonely now or exibiting Separation Anxiety from the 4 cats being gone. Maybe you should get a kitty friend for her to keep her company, to play with, and to snuggle with.

Sometimes too, cats don't like where their litterbox is located. They like privacy. They also may decide they don't like the litter you are using or the litterbox becomes too small for their liking. Try getting some children play sand from Home Depot or a buiding supply store and see if she prefers that and a bigger litterbox with deeper litter in it. That will tell you if it is a litterbox problem.

You can try a very popular cat calming spray and plug-in called Feliway or Comfort Zone with Feliway. It is available at pet stores like Petco/Petsmart, a vet's office, or on-line. It copies relaxing pheromones that cats produce from rubbing their faces on things and helps soothe them.

There is another cat calming product that you can add to her food or water that reduces anxiety called Bach's Rescue Remedy. It is available on-line and in health food stores. Here is a link about it: (copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar)
http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

If the behavior continues you may want to ask the vet about a temporary prescription for 'kitty Prozac'. It is a very popular cat calming medication for emotional problems. Usually a 2-week dose works well. Sometimes a cat will need it long term but that is rare.

I am including a couple of links that have informational articles on improper elimination that you may find helpful. Copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar:

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm

I hope this helps.
Tabbi