Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my kitten "goes" out of the litter box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Question

my kitten started to poop out of the litter box. why is this and how can I stop it???

Answer 1

Hi Michael...if this is something that recently developed, first consider all the possibilities such as:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
- unspayed/un-neutered if cat is over the age of 5-7 months. Cats will become aggressive as they sexually mature and territorially mark with either urine or defecating.

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

Answer 2

Kittens and cats will NOT use a Unclean litter box esp if urine and the Ammonia Smell(from urine ) has been allowed to get really strong. Always have a fairly clean litterbox, clean thoroughly the places the kitty has gone for will smell and go back to the same place.Until the kitty uses always the litterbox when you clean keep a little of the urine soaked litter in the box just enough to smell to the kitty as the place that is meant as the place to go.Use Sraight Vinegar on the places the kitten has gone outside the litterbox for the vinegar is safe on most all surfaces incl.carpet and kills the urine odor and kills bacteria.Gently put the kitty into the litterbox when you notice it smelling floor and/or circling-do not act rough for you will make it scared of the litterbox and if that happens means you'll have to get another new litterbox and a new place for it to break that association.

Answer 3

Michael
The main reason kitties go outside their box is because the box isn't kept clean enough. Be SURE to scoop it at least once a day! The best litter is the "clumping" kind; it stays cleaner. But if your kitty just isn't cooperating, try this.
Kiity needs to be retrained. Confine him to a small room, like a half-bath. A large cage is even better, if you have access to one.
Put his box in there with him, as well as his food and water (just don't put them too close to the litter). He'll need a comfortable blanket or bed too.
Cats are very clean animal and will be reluctant to soil any small space in which they are confined. A few days to a couple of weeks of this should get kitty back on track. If not---there could be a medical problem and a vet check is in order.

Answer 4

Make sure you scoop every day, and even with scoopable litter, change it at least once a week. If the cat has a urinary tract infection, it will also go out of the box. Try keeping the cat in a small room like the bathroom during the day or whenever you aren't around, with a clean litter box and see what happens. this is not normal, so don't blame the cat. You may have to see a vet.

Answer 5

Okay, now when you say she goes out of the litter box, do you mean like just right outside the box, or on the other side of the room? If the litter box is dirty, this could be one reason why your cat is pooing outside of the box. If you haven't already done so, put a towel, newspaper or mat under the litter box that is slightly larger than the base of the litter box, so that if she poops outside the box its on the newspaper or mat. If you can catch her in the act, gently place her in the litter box so she will know to go in it.
good luck!

Answer 6

Has she been using it regularly before this? If so she may have a urinary trct infection or something else that is bothering her. When a cat isn't feeling good one of the 1st signs is usually "going" outside of their box. Make sure that the litter is clean and she laways has access to it, if she continues like this you should take her to the vet.
I hope this helps:)

Answer 7

You may have a picky cat on your hands, so you might have to clean his/her box more often even twice a day if you have to

Answer 8

Read the book, "Twisted Whiskers" and you'll figure out why they do stuff and what to do about it.