Kittens Pooping On Floor

[anewell1321]

Hello,

I just adopted two 8 week old sisters and they are absolutely adorable. I have had them just over 3 weeks now and they will be 12 weeks this Saturday. The first two weeks I had them they both used the litter box with no accidents. For the first week I had them confined to my room and bathroom so they could get acclimated. The second week I let them into the rest of the apartment it's a smaller place so they only had the living room and kitchen/dining area left to explore. I let them into that area during their second week and for the whole week still no accidents. This past Saturday I got a new flavor of food(same brand) but it upset one kitty's stomach and she had a runny accident in the dinning room. I figured it was just due to the upset stomach so I cleaned it well and didn't worry about it. The next day my family arrived for thanksgiving, the kittens weren't intimidated by the new people at all but I'm afraid the sudden change in schedule may have thrown them off. My family left two days ago but every day for the past week while they were here and since they left the one kitten was pooping along the wall in my dinning room. Now her sister has started doing the same thing. I got a second litter box and placed it in the dinning room but they're still pooping along the wall next to it. It's not always the exact same spot but along the same stretch of wall. I clean the box once a day and they never pee outside of it which I am thankful for. But this morning when I got up there were 3 new little piles along the wall just feet from the box. I even deep cleaned the whole dinning room carpet this past weekend. Please help! How can I keep them from going along that wall and retrain them to use the box since they had been doing so well for the first two weeks. I'm worried having company this week really threw them off and I don't want this to become a permanent habit.

 

[Neo_23]

First thing I would do is take poop samples to the vet to get tested. Have the kittens been dewormed recently? Parasites are very common amongst kittens and since they are both having these poops it indicates to me that it may be an infection. Once you have ruled out parasites then I would work on behavioural training.

 

[anewell1321]

Yes they were just to the vet last week and both had stool samples taken. Since they are both doing it, it makes me think it's a behavioral problem

 

[Calmlybreathe]

Have you ever witnessed it yourself? Do they poop there all the time, or sometimes? It's odd they never pee there and only poo. My kitten sometimes starts fights right when one tries to go into the litterbox or tries to dig right after. Is the litterbox covered? I recommend not having a covered one, just makes it easy for being ambushed, and makes them feel safer. Maybe feels safer to go there without the litterbox? Did you try putting the litterbox right on top of the area they go on? Just temporarily place it there until they get used to that box, and move it inch by inch after. I'm assuming the vet said there was nothing wrong with them physically? Just suggestions, let me know what you think!

 

[anewell1321]

Thanks for the help. I have seen them going there some of the times but miss it others when I'm in another room or asleep. The boxes are uncovered and one is along the wall the accidents happen but obviously it can't take up the whole wall, that's why it's frustrating when they poop on the wall right next to the box. I'm going to try to put some aluminum foil or double sided tape along the wall to deter them.