Quantification of defecation frequency in cats with and without chronic kidney disease

Objectives The purpose of this study was to objectively measure defecation frequency in cats with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cats with CKD are at higher risk for presenting with constipation. It was hypothesized that cats with CKD would defecate less frequently than healthy cats. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted of healthy cats (n = 9) and cats with CKD (n = 9). Serum biochemistry, complete blood count, total thyroxine measurement, urinalysis and blood pressure measurement were performed in all cats to confirm their health status. The Petivity Smart Litter Box Monitor System was utilized to collect real-time defecation data. Data were collected via the Petivity app for 30 days, during which medical management and husbandry remained consistent. A Mann–Whitney U-test was performed to compare the total number of days without defecation between CKD cats and healthy cats over 14, 21 and 30 days. Results Cats with CKD had significantly more total days without defecation than healthy cats over 14 days ( P  = 0.001), 21 days ( P  = 0.0004) and 30 days ( P  = 0.0003). The median total days without defecation over 14, 21 and 30 days was 5 (range 1–8), 7 (range 3–9) and 10 (range 5–13), respectively, for cats with CKD, compared with 0 (range 0–4), 2 (range 0–4) and 2 (range 0–7) for healthy cats. Cats with CKD had a lower mean number of defecation events per day over the 30-day study period (0.86 ± 0.22 defecations/study day) compared with the healthy cats (1.07 ± 0.13 defecations/study day) ( P  = 0.02). Conclusions and relevance Cats with CKD defecate less frequently than healthy cats. The use of litter box monitors could allow for earlier interventions and therapies, possibly preventing episodes of overt constipation.