Adult cat steps in poop

[Haleyandbambi]

I adopted a 4 year old cat a week ago. I use crystal cat litter and her box is in an enclosure, however I have to keep the enclosure door open because she prefers to go into the box, scoot and dig around, and then sit on the edge of the box with her butt in to do her business. Fine by me. The problem is that when she returns into the box to cover her poop, she tends to step in it, usually with a hind leg. Then proceeds to track it through the house. Her litter box is always clean, so she isn’t stepping in old poop, it’s the fresh poop. I’ve made an appointment with her vet, as another forum said if her poop were the proper consistency, it wouldn’t track and therefore her diet needs to be updated. Most of the threads I’ve read on this are about kittens, and Bambi is a full grown adult. Any advice?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Poop consistency certainly can play a role in Bambi being able to step in it and track it out of the litter box. Things like probiotics, even plain pumpkin puree, can add fiber to her diet and help firm up stools. What kind of food is she eating?

The other thing to consider is if the box is big enough for her. A litter box should be at least be 1 1/2 times the size of the cat - length wise. So, if your cat were hypothetically 18 inches from head to butt (not including tail), then the box should be at least 27 inches long. The volume of litter can also affect her stepping in it. I have found that 3-4 inches of litter works better than less, and sometimes even works better than more. The type of litter may also have a bearing...

Perhaps, a covered box is not to her liking either. Some cats love the 'privacy', others find it to be 'confining'.

 

[Maurey]

Sounds like the box is too small for her, and/or she's having trouble manoeuvring in such a small box.

I will reiterate on the poo, though -- are they properly formed in consistency, or more like soft serve? they should hold their shape well, and be dry (but not cracked) to slightly moist, in my experience.

 

[crouton]

Sounds like the box is too small. Even in a large storage container I have one cat that constantly steps in poo, his or another cats. I find that crystal litter snd litter that doesn’t cover the poo makes it worse, the cats usually won’t dig a hole first to poop in. Some cats just don’t like the crystal litter (large or fine grain) and I do not blame them.