My kitten is terrible at pooping

[fs626]

Hi all,

My kitten, 6 months old, has some pooping issues. First of all, he never covers it. He tries, kind of, but will do the swiping motion three feet OUTSIDE of the litter box, meaning he doesn't actually cover it. In and of itself, this isn't awful, but his second issue is that he seems to step in it and will track it all over the house. Cleaning it off of him is an adventure (my wife is covered in claw marks, even with a towel wrap maneuver). I have no clue how to help improve these issues. I'm hoping from some wisdom from the community here, any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Jem]

My first thought would be to try different types of litter. Some cats don't like the feel of certain litters on their paws so they will not dig and cover their business. It seems he wants to cover (hence the "covering" outside the litter), but does not like it.
The other thing is perhaps his litter box it too small for him so he tends to step in it. Depending on how he climbs in and turns around, a bigger box may stop him from stepping in it.

 

[Dario the GreyCat]

On top of what the above poster mentioned, how big is your litter box? It might not be big enough for him.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Can you either let him watch you cover it, or gently help him to cover it with his paw (assuming that doesn't entail getting clawed at!)?
As Jem stated, the box size, shape, and even the litter itself might be part of the problem for both issues. Until you find other solutions, you could try placing some puppy pee pads or a washable rug right outside the box to see if that might help 'catch' some of the stool as he leaves the box. However, if his stool is of normal consistency, it would seem it wouldn't be as easy to step in and track all over the place outside the box. Are his stools too soft?

 

[fs626]

My first thought would be to try different types of litter. Some cats don't like the feel of certain litters on their paws so they will not dig and cover their business. It seems he wants to cover (hence the "covering" outside the litter), but does not like it.
The other thing is perhaps his litter box it too small for him so he tends to step in it. Depending on how he climbs in and turns around, a bigger box may stop him from stepping in it.

Bigger box is a great point, I will buy a bigger one tomorrow. He has doubled in size since we got him two months ago, so it makes sense that perhaps his box is too small for him now.

I'll see what other kind of litter I can find as well!

 

[fs626]

Hi. Can you either let him watch you cover it, or gently help him to cover it with his paw (assuming that doesn't entail getting clawed at!)?
As Jem stated, the box size, shape, and even the litter itself might be part of the problem for both issues. Until you find other solutions, you could try placing some puppy pee pads or a washable rug right outside the box to see if that might help 'catch' some of the stool as he leaves the box. However, if his stool is of normal consistency, it would seem it wouldn't be as easy to step in and track all over the place outside the box. Are his stools too soft?

Today's stool (that he tracked around a lot) definitely seemed softer (and smelled funkier) than usual. He hasn't changed his diet at all though, so I'm not sure what caused the change.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Today's stool (that he tracked around a lot) definitely seemed softer (and smelled funkier) than usual. He hasn't changed his diet at all though, so I'm not sure what caused the change.

Does he go outdoors at all (got into something he shouldn't have and it upset his digestive tract a bit - maybe even inside somewhere)? Has he been dewormed? Sometimes, certain kinds of worms can cause loose stool. You could also take a sample of his stool to the vet and have it tested - most vets will accept and test a stool sample without seeing the cat at the same time. You could call and check.

 

[fs626]

Does he go outdoors at all (got into something he shouldn't have and it upset his digestive tract a bit - maybe even inside somewhere)? Has he been dewormed? Sometimes, certain kinds of worms can cause loose stool. You could also take a sample of his stool to the vet and have it tested - most vets will accept and test a stool sample without seeing the cat at the same time. You could call and check.

He doesn't go outside at all. If his stool continues seeming off, I will collect some to be tested, thanks for the idea!