Litter box issues: Poop & Run

NekoHK

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My adorable 5 month old british shorthair kitty has started having litter box issues in the past few weeks. She's used the litter box without problems until now but about two weeks ago I discovered a surprise poop behind the sofa - it may have been there for days! She eats a homemade raw diet so her poop is well formed, no residue and doesn't smell. Then another surprise poop in the bedroom a couple days later. I finally caught her in the act and was relieved to see she's still squatting in the litter BUT she bolts form the litter box just before she's completed the process and runs like crazy around the house trailing the poop from her butt until it falls off. She seems upset about the whole experience.
Anybody had similar issues? Should I try adjusting her diet or the litter box? She eats raw chicken or beef mixed with a premix and drinks enough water (no problems with peeing in the litter box). I'm open to trying anything to help!
 

klunick

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A former cat we had used to do the same thing. His poops were rather large and somewhat dry. He probably needed more moisture in his diet to "hydrate" his poops. He would pee a river when he went so no idea why his poops were so dry. I hope somebody chimes in with better advice on how to resolve it.
 

moxiewild

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This is usually an indication of pain.

Most of the time it’s pain that is currently happening, so it would be good to take kitty in for a check up first and foremost to rule out anything medical.

Occasionally, however, it is a memory of a past pain that Kitty is now associating with the litterbox or specificity defecation, or even a combination of.

It could be other things too sometimes, though -

How long have you had her? Where did you get her from?

Has she been wormed or has her stool ever been sent in for a PCR?

Any notable changes in stool since you’ve had her?

Any changes in litter, litter box, litterbox location?

Do you have any other pets?

How long has she been on the food you’re feeding? Is that exact mix what she’s always had since she’s been with you?

Is she declawed?

When you get a chance, can you take and post a photo of her poop (don’t worry, we’re used to it here)? A photo will also be helpful for your vet.

Next time you catch her squatting, can you try and film the whole ordeal? This will also be enormously helpful, particularly for your vet.

So sorry your baby seems distressed! You’re doing a great job getting on top of this early!
 
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NekoHK

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Here’s a photo.. the cat hair you see is likely from the bath mat that it landed on in her mad dash around the bathroom. She’s not dehydrated as she pees regularly and a good amount. The breeder suggested trying more fibre (psyllium husk) in her food. I haven’t made any changes to her diet and I’ve had her for 3 months on the same raw diet and premix the breeder fed her. It’s really perplexing why this is suddenly a problem for her.
She hasn’t had a stool test but I’ll call the vet tomorrow to check if she’s been wormed and if they suggest I bring her in.
Thanks for any and all advice!
915A99E8-4A7A-4D7F-B2C7-AE6A5989148F.jpeg
 

klunick

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Here’s a photo.. the cat hair you see is likely from the bath mat that it landed on in her mad dash around the bathroom. She’s not dehydrated as she pees regularly and a good amount. The breeder suggested trying more fibre (psyllium husk) in her food. I haven’t made any changes to her diet and I’ve had her for 3 months on the same raw diet and premix the breeder fed her. It’s really perplexing why this is suddenly a problem for her.
She hasn’t had a stool test but I’ll call the vet tomorrow to check if she’s been wormed and if they suggest I bring her in.
Thanks for any and all advice!
View attachment 359189
Good grief! I thought my Boone laid some Lincoln Logs. That is freakishly long. 🤣 No wonder she has a hard time getting that all out in the box.
 
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NekoHK

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Good grief! I thought my Boone laid some Lincoln Logs. That is freakishly long. 🤣 No wonder she has a hard time getting that all out in the box.
Yes, but why?? 😩
 

game misconduct

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My adorable 5 month old british shorthair kitty has started having litter box issues in the past few weeks. She's used the litter box without problems until now but about two weeks ago I discovered a surprise poop behind the sofa - it may have been there for days! She eats a homemade raw diet so her poop is well formed, no residue and doesn't smell. Then another surprise poop in the bedroom a couple days later. I finally caught her in the act and was relieved to see she's still squatting in the litter BUT she bolts form the litter box just before she's completed the process and runs like crazy around the house trailing the poop from her butt until it falls off. She seems upset about the whole experience.
Anybody had similar issues? Should I try adjusting her diet or the litter box? She eats raw chicken or beef mixed with a premix and drinks enough water (no problems with peeing in the litter box). I'm open to trying anything to help!
are there people with long hair in your home? i had/have that happen to different cats alot of times usually when they eat a long strand of hair then they take off running like you said with the poop dangling after them its funny but its notyou can
 

klunick

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are there people with long hair in your home? i had/have that happen to different cats alot of times usually when they eat a long strand of hair then they take off running like you said with the poop dangling after them its funny but its notyou can
We had a cat do that. Eat my hair and then poop out a strand of hair with poop attached like a pearl necklace. 😲 So far either Boone or Gracie has only done that once. . I try to be more diligent about loose hair on the bathroom floor.
 

Whenallhellbreakslose

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My adorable 5 month old british shorthair kitty has started having litter box issues in the past few weeks. She's used the litter box without problems until now but about two weeks ago I discovered a surprise poop behind the sofa - it may have been there for days! She eats a homemade raw diet so her poop is well formed, no residue and doesn't smell. Then another surprise poop in the bedroom a couple days later. I finally caught her in the act and was relieved to see she's still squatting in the litter BUT she bolts form the litter box just before she's completed the process and runs like crazy around the house trailing the poop from her butt until it falls off. She seems upset about the whole experience.
Anybody had similar issues? Should I try adjusting her diet or the litter box? She eats raw chicken or beef mixed with a premix and drinks enough water (no problems with peeing in the litter box). I'm open to trying anything to help!
When I first read your post it reminded me of the 2 kittens I had who had the habit of pooping then having a case of the zoomies. I often heard with cats it happens the other way around; zoomies, then they poop. In the case of my kittens, I had them checked by the vet and they had nothing wrong with them.

However, seeing a pic of your cat's stool, it seems too large. I would get your kitty checked at the vet. Maybe this problem has to do with eating hair as others have pointed out. Your kitty may be experiencing pain and that is why she is behaving the way she is. Please have your cat checked for worms and parasites. Did you recently change her food? This could also be a problem. Food changes need to he done slowly and cautiously otherwise it could cause GI issues or other bad reactions. Also, it might be this current diet is not right for your kitty. Are you giving your kitty probiotics? While probiotics is good for the gut flora, too much or certain strains can produce large poops.

Well, as suggested do go to the vet and try to get to the root of this problem. Best of luck.
🙂
 
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NekoHK

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Thank you for all your advice! I have long hair and didn't see any evidence of hair in her poop but I'll be more cautious of that. Just called the vet and Biscuits got a deworming pill a couple weeks ago and the vet wasn't concerned about parasites since it's not diarrhoea. The vet suggested adding a bit of wheetabix and water to her food to add fiber so it moves along better. I'll give it a try!
 

neely

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I'm glad you contacted your vet since there could be several reasons why this is happening. Just out of curiosity, how many litter boxes do you have? The rule of thumb is one more litter box than the number of cats, e.g. if you have one cat you should have two boxes, two cats = threes litter boxes, etc. How Many Litterboxes Should You Have? – TheCatSite Articles

This thread has similarities with their cat and pooping, note the info. in some of the members' replies:
Cat Pooping Outside (right Next To) Litter Box-only Wants To Use 1 Out Of 3 Litter Boxes

Although this Article discusses IBD in cats it has some helpful advice in the last paragraph about homemade raw diets:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Cats – TheCatSite Articles
 
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NekoHK

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Hi - Just an update on Biscuits and the poop & run incidents in case anyone is searching the forum with the same issues. She's on a raw diet made with a pre-mix and I was advised to try adding a bit more fibre to her food to help. I've tried psyllium husk and ground up All Bran cereal (all natural kind without the sugar), both soaked in water before being mixed into her usual food. The vet advised I could try Weetabix too but I didn't have that in the pantry. The All Bran seems to be the easiest and tastiest for her. I add about 1/2-1 tsp to each meal and no poop & run incidents since!
 

Claire07x

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Hey, I've actually made a video on this and tips on how to fix it, if you'd like to check it out? Hopefully it'll give you some good info and suggestions!

 

danteshuman

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Nick poops then runs around all crazy like his tail is on fire! No idea why! 🤣🤣🤣

Jackie will drag poop behind him if he eats paper Easter basket grass or long blades of real grass. Thankfully it rarely happens. But the 3 times it did happen led to awful poop in fur! The worst was the time it was hanging out and he sat in it! 🤮 I feel your pain!

You might try adding a bit of pumpkin purée or sweet potato purée to her meals or looking into what kind/amount of oil you can safely add (as a laxative.)
 
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