Accepted Answer

Hi Grace,

Congratulations on your upcoming 'blessed event'!

While it's possible that your cat is reacting to your pregnancy, and feeling a little anxious, because older cats are more prone to develop specific medical conditions, like diabetes, hyperthyroidism, liver and kidney issues, it would be a good idea for the vet to do a routine senior blood panel, if this was not yet done. Also, bring a fresh fecal sample to the vet for analysis to make sure all is well and she has no intestinal parasites, etc.

I'm glad to hear that she's acting as usual, eating, drinking well, etc. Make sure that the sides of the litterbox are not too high for her to comfortably get in and out, in case she's feeling a little arthritic. You might want to change to an under the bed storage box like one by 'Rubbermaid' with lower sides. Also, try a kitty litter called 'Cat Attract', which contains herbal attractants to encourage use of the box. Mix this with her regular litter.

Make sure to clean the surfaces outside the litterbox where she's already soiled, so that no odor remains. An enzymatic cleaner for organic pet stains, like those listed below, should help:

http://www.petcarecentral.com/nm-155.html
http://www.allivet.com/Equalizer-Carpet-Stain-and-Odor-p/26942.htm
www.zeroodorstore.com
http://www.redhotcarpetcleaning.com/en-us/simple-solution-faq.html

Your cat might benefit from a cat appeasing pheromone called Feliway/Comfort Zone for Cats, which comes in both a spray and plug-in diffuser. It's available at major pet supply stores, and also online. The diffuser resembles a plug-in air freshener, but has no scent to humans. Feliway helps to relax stressed or anxious cats, and is useful in a multitude of situations. For more information, please see: www.catfaeries.com/feliway.html

Try adding another litterbox in a different location. Sometimes cats prefer to urinate in one box and defecate in another.

I wish you much good luck and hope this problem will resolve very soon for your kitty.

Cher

Expert:	Jessesmom
Pos. Feedback:	99.7 %
Accepts:
Answered:	6/18/2009

Feline Specialist Health/Behavior

Feline Healthcare and Behavior Specialist 40+ years Experience