Has you cat ever over-aggressively kicked and threw around litter?

[cocobutterfly]

Our cat is usually very mild mannered and very gently covers up her business after using the litter box. However, twice in the past few weeks, she has made a complete mess - litter kicked around everywhere, her scooper (which clips on to the side of the box wall) was knocked off and thrown aside, and a small piece of her poop got thrown out of the box and onto the floor as well. She never plays in or near her boxes, so we can't imagine this was a playful thing. She also doesn't like the sight and the smell of her poop, so she wouldn't spend extra time lingering in that area.

Just a little back story: we scoop multiple times a day. We have to scoop as soon as she's done pooping or she will not return to that box until it's free of her poop. But she has a total of 4 boxes spread throughout the house that serve different purposes for her - one mostly for peeing, second for pooping, a third upstairs near where she sleeps because she doesn't go near the other boxes at night, and a fourth just in case she's not liking the rest. That one pretty much never gets used. If it ever does, we know it's time to wash out her other boxes. I know I know. She's very sensitive about her litter and slightly spoiled, but it was the only way to prevent peeing outside the box which we found out the hard way. 

This incident is not a big deal since it's rare and very easy to clean up, but we're just baffled and was wondering if anyone else out there has experienced this odd behavior.

 

[SeventhHeaven]

I picked up a cheap drop sheet @rona's, have two sizes of boxes, you can buy nice deep large boxes @Bosley pets that should solve it for you. Find it depends on thier moods, sometimes they can kick that litter with back paws with allot of force. Lol while chirping complaining...litter habits can change, diet eating table scraps or real foods. If outside the box different areas of the home, then a serious health issue maybe the cause. You have noticed a little change, I would just watch her for other signs or changes.

 

[Columbine]

I've found the odd piece of 'ballistic poop' occasionally, as well as excess litter. I think it depends on where in the box they're digging - if they've gone right by the edge they're more likely to create mess when trying to cover it.

So long as your girl is her usual self in all other respects I really wouldn't worry about it. A bigger box might help, as might a top entry box...or even a 'Rubbermaid' type container with a notch cut in the front for easy access. There are never any guarantees though - litter is just sometimes messy

 

[cocobutterfly]

Thanks Seventhheaven for the reply and Columbine for always providing the best advice! Just as you suspected, the two times that she kicked out litter everywhere was when she went just inside the box right by the entrance most likely because we forgot to remove a lump of her pee in the middle of the box. All good now!