My cat is ill, gets diarrhea, and goes outside her box

by Stacey
(Staten Island, NY)

Recently my cat was diagnosed with a small lymphoma and bowel disease. She is on prednisone and a medicine for diarrhea.

She uses her box fine for regular poop and pee, but when she has diarrhea she goes outside the box.

Many times beside it, but other times anywhere else in the house. It smells horrible. Once I picked her up and put her in her box to finish and she jumped out.

She feels bad and I comfort her, but why won't she use her box?

My thoughts: I'm sorry to hear that your cat is ill. It's not uncommon for a cat to not use the box when they have diarrhea. I believe there are several possible reasons for this.

1. In some situations, I think that lack of control is involved. In other words, it's just not feasible to get to the box at that moment.

2. My suspicion is that because cats often like a clean box, and diarrhea doesn't fit in with that plan, the cat isn't comfortable using the box while having diarrhea.

3. Cats have a limited number of ways of communicating. When a cat is stressed, ill, or feeling out of sorts, they will sometimes pee or poop outside the box.

Perhaps it's an attempt to make themselves feel better and feel more in control by marking. Perhaps it's a way of communicating to the humans that something is wrong.

If that's the case, I'm not sure that there is much you can do when she has this problem.

I hope that sheds some light. Please update us on her progress.
-Kurt