Kitten stepping in poop

[Destinyyymarie]

I have a 3 month old kitten who has been having a real issue with his litter box. When he tries to cover his poop he backs right into it and it gets everywhere. In between his toes and up his back legs. It’s so bad that he has to get a bath EVERY time he goes to the bathroom. At it’s starting to become a thing where he doesn’t like being picked up because he associates it with baths. He hates it. I hate it and I don’t know what to do. I got him a much larger litter box (the largest offered at the pet store) and have tried to show him I’m not there to clean it every time hoping he’d catch on to how gross it is. But he doesn’t care. He likes to go on my bed and I get nervous that he’s running across where I put my face this those horrid toes. I’m at my means end with this issue and with not end in sight it’s starting to become really frustrating. If anyone has ANY idea I wouldlove some help

 

[Antonio65]

How long have you had him? Has he always done this thing? Is he your first kitten?
It sounds like his poop is soft, or it wouldn't stick to his toes so easily. Could it be?

From my experience, it seems it's a kittens' thing. Some kittens are a bit clumsy and walk in their own poop, with their toes getting a vehicle of filth all over the house.
As far as I know, they tend to outgrow it. My kitten would do the same thing when she first arrived and it was a really serious problem, I had to wipe her toes clean every time. After a few weeks she learned how to move in the box, and, even better, she started keeping herself clean after her business in the litter.
This happened with a couple of other kittens I had before her, so I think it's a kittens' thing.

 

[susanm9006]

How big is his litterbox? Firmer poop and a larger box might help a great deal. You can try mixing a teaspoon of pure pumpkin purée into his wet food to see if it firms up his poop.

 

[Destinyyymarie]

How long have you had him? Has he always done this thing? Is he your first kitten?
It sounds like his poop is soft, or it wouldn't stick to his toes so easily. Could it be?

From my experience, it seems it's a kittens' thing. Some kittens are a bit clumsy and walk in their own poop, with their toes getting a vehicle of filth all over the house.
As far as I know, they tend to outgrow it. My kitten would do the same thing when she first arrived and it was a really serious problem, I had to wipe her toes clean every time. After a few weeks she learned how to move in the box, and, even better, she started keeping herself clean after her business in the litter.
This happened with a couple of other kittens I had before her, so I think it's a kittens' thing.

I’ve had him for a little over a month and it’s always been and issue but lately it’s been worse. Before it was once and a while but he wasn’t using the bathroom as much. I thought the same this with is poop being too soft and honestly he doesn’t let me see because he literally immediately backs into it. It’s still solid from what I can see tho. Not like diarrhea. He is my first kitten in my adult life. I had a cat for 16 years and she was the most well behaved.

 

[Destinyyymarie]

How big is his litterbox? Firmer poop and a larger box might help a great deal. You can try mixing a teaspoon of pure pumpkin purée into his wet food to see if it firms up his poop.

This box is big and I live i a hotel so getting those industrial sized ones aren’t an option. He also had a problem with constipation so he gets a can of pumpkin spread throughout the week!

 

[susanm9006]

This box is big and I live i a hotel so getting those industrial sized ones aren’t an option. He also had a problem with constipation so he gets a can of pumpkin spread throughout the week!

Maybe cut back on the pumpkin then. Too much can also cause looser stools.

 

[Destinyyymarie]

Maybe cut back on the pumpkin then. Too much can also cause looser stools.

Trust me it’s not soft stool. I mean any pet that would step in its own poop immediately after going to the bathroom would have this problem

 

[Lisannez]

Trust me it’s not soft stool. I mean any pet that would step in its own poop immediately after going to the bathroom would have this problem

I have to disagree with that. We have two female cats, one is 12 and one is 13 and they do sometimes still end up with poop on them, needing to be washed, but only if the poop is soft. Normal hard cat poop unless the cat is literally jumping up and down on it does not tend to get on the cat. Maybe a small bit on the paw but not as you describe. Have you had other cats? Is it possible that the poop is soft and you have nothing to compare it to? I am not talking about liquid, but softer than normal.

 

[She's a witch]

Trust me it’s not soft stool. I mean any pet that would step in its own poop immediately after going to the bathroom would have this problem

I also disagree. Cats that are on high animal protein, low carb diet, especially raw, have smaller and harder poops. In my cats' case there's no way it would leave the residue on their paws the way you described it, if any, actually.

 

[cataholic07]

Get pet wipes and use that instead of giving a bath I use those a lot for my fosters who did that for the first while cause yah when they are small they do it alot. You for sure actually do not want to give a lot of pumpkin. If his poop is too loose or too hard then a diet change is something you should look at. You want to ensure to be giving a mix of wet food and dry food He was taken away from his littermates and mom too early (kittens should stay with siblings and mom until 12-16 weeks old, but for sure 12 weeks) so it will be a process.