My cat has started pooping on the floor

by Tracey
(UK)

My cat is 7 years old and goes out at night and stays in during the day. He has recently started pooping on the floor during the day when I leave him alone.

I only go out a couple of times a week and he doesn't do it every time, but it is beginning to be a problem and I am now reluctant to even go out.

He is wormed and does not have fleas. I haven't changed his diet and I can't think of anything else that has changed recently.

My thoughts: One of the symptoms of an anxious cat or stressed cat is defecating outside the litter box. Some cats, for whatever reason, may become anxious and stressed when separated from their human, even for just a short time frame.

If your vet says he's healthy, then it sounds like he may have developed some separation anxiety. You may need to do some out of the box thinking to understand why this may have happened.

In the meantime, I would do what you can to ease his stress. I've written more about what to do about cat anxiety here, including using Feliway as a calming aid.

Please let us know how he progresses.
-Kurt