Litterbox Issues

[stellacakes]

Hi everyone,
My kitten Stella (who is about 8 months old) has been having a few problems with the litterbox. One night, she got a lot of feces stuck to her backend (it wasn't diarrhea or anything, it was solid..I think she may have got scared). I washed her off and cut some of the hair (she's medium-haired), and everything was fine. Ever since then, she's become obsessive in making sure she is clean after she gets out of the litterbox. She'll run and lick herself to make sure nothing is there. Today, she again got some stuck to her (not as much) and became quite distressed. She ran right to me so that I could "make it better". She's never done this before. I don't know if it is relevant, but she was spayed about a month ago. I called the vet and the vet said I could trim her hair and see if that helps, but I'm worried she's now got issues regarding the litterbox. Has anyone run into this? Thanks so much,
Julie

 

[sandie]

It kind of sounds like she may just be having an anal gland issue. She may need them expressed. You should call the vet and make an appt to have it checked out.

 

[touro1979]

She may not be getting enough fiber perhaps.

 

[stellacakes]

Would there be any other signs of an anal gland problem? After I cleaned her up, she was purring and playful, completely back to normal. Also, in terms of the fiber; I free-feed her Eukanuba Kitten Chicken And Rice, with a pouch of wet food daily. Is there anything else I could give her to add some fiber? Thanks again. I really appreciate having this board around. I read the board for about four months before I got a kitten and it gave me so much helpful advice.
Julie

 

[stephanietx]

Maybe the litter is too deep in the box for her and there's not enough "clearance" space between the top of the litter and her little bottom. Just a thought....

Stephanie

 

[stellacakes]

I think that actually may have been the problem. After you mentioned it, I realized that I had filled the litter up more than I usually do (I use Swheat Scoop and it sticks to the bottom if I don't fill it enough!). Lately, I've only been putting about an inch and a half in it and she's had no more problems, although she's still paranoid about it! Everytime she gets out of the litterbox, she runs to sit down on her carpet and check herself. I feel bad for her, but I guess cats are just fastidious! Thanks for your help!
Julie