Kitten gets poop stuck on her always

[Newkittengrandma]

New adopted kitten started a week before adoption to have poop on her behind, legs and tail
every time she leaves the litter box. It seems like she moves back after doing nr. 2 and then
it all sticks to her and it leaves poop everywhere as the poop is also softer.
She started doing it at about 11 weeks of age. She was adopted from an Animal Rescue
Organization and she was at a foster family with all her siblings, aunts and cousins till everyone
was adopted. Please, any insight on this would help. No one knows why this happens.
We can't always know when she poops, so it may be everywhere till we notice it.

 

[fionasmom]

Welcome to The Cat Site! This problem can have several causes and I am not sure exactly which one might fit your description. If you suspect that the kitten is having diarrhea, as opposed to just messy poop, that can be serious in a young animal. She needs to possibly get some veterinary attention as the causes can be varied, including parasites. This can also be from a change in diet. Is this a litter box use problem? Can you call the rescue and see if there is any further information they can give you?

A young kitten with diarrhea might need a vet so watch for signs of illness.

 

[Newkittengrandma]

No, she was tested for any parasites, worms and giardiasis and it was negative.
She is very healthy and this has been going on for 5 weeks now.
She does not always have soft stool, it varies, but it definitely sticks to her and smears
on everything else as you can think from her legs, tail and but with also some litter stuck
to it too. Does not look like she covers her pee or poop really, but tends to totally miss it most
of the times.

 

[Newkittengrandma]

The rescue does not know either. She was fine till about 11 weeks at foster parents.

 

[ani]

My best advice for you is to when you can assist he/she by cleaning after it. I understand you can’t constantly do this but it may not know any better as their previous home didn’t teach them well.
Do you need to groom it? Is it’s hair long?

 

[Newkittengrandma]

It is not that long the hair, it is a siamese kitten. She tends to kind of go backwards after pooing and then it sticks to her a lot of it, since
the poop is not hard and dry. Then she walks around and wherever she sits or lies, it smears.

 

[ani]

assuming it’s a girl. She may not be used to the litter, maybe try and switch it up! You may have to wait it out and see what happens when she gets older!
My best bet is she feels save in the litter box which is why she may sit .

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

I had a kitten that had soft poop and also a penchant for stepping in it after she was done (as she was trying to bury it). A couple things helped us.

First, i got a fecal test and she had a bunch of issues, including giardia, which took several months to treat, but firming up her poop has really helped, because now if she accidentally steps too close to it, nothing happens.

Second, and more immediate term, I got her a larger litter box. Not a full fix but helped minimize her issues until I could address the root cause. She seems to have spatial issues (I can relate) and needs a little extra room so she can figure things out....

Also, it got better as she got older. It sucks while it's happening but it gets better. (And I say this even though she dragged poop across my den today, for the first time in quite a while. Blerg).

 

[Newkittengrandma]

Thank you. You are the first person to have had this issue. No one else so far including the vet can really give me advice.
Unfortunately my daughter is not able to always see when she is doing nr. 2, so it makes it hard to be there to immediately
kind of hold her tail and her up so she does not go back into the poop. We had her tested and it was all negative. She is staying
with us this week while daughter is on vacation, so we are here with her all the time. I have started feeding her some canned
pumpkin with some chicken and her other food to see what would happen if the stool firms up more. Will also maybe get a bigger
litter box. She is not good at all burying her waste, it is totally miss too. Thank you.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

You might also try s. Boulardii. After seeing a rec for it here, I started my kitty on it and it seems to have helped with the soft stools.

 

[Newkittengrandma]

Thank you. Good idea.

 

[Newkittengrandma]

Got Pet Gel Bene-Bac plus probiotics for 4lb kitten for very loose stool.
What would you suggest giving her? They say 1mg per 10lbs and only 2 times, 3 days apart.
Should I go 1/2 gram and can I do it daily? Thanks.