We adopted a kitten from the Humane Society and she is 4 1/2 months old. She easily trained to the litter box and used it fine for 2 months. Then 2 weeks ago she started defecating outside of the box (usually right next to or near it), but not in the box.
She urinates in the litter box just fine. Nothing has changed with her box or the litter. She's been to the vet and has no medical issues. Any suggestions? I cannot figure out why the sudden change in behavior and why she only uses the litter box to urinate. Please help, how do I get her to use the litter box for all eliminations?
My first thought was add a second litter box, and I see most everyone has already mentioned that. Someone also mentioned not having too much litter in them. Very true! Cats do not like to sink up to their little ankles in the litter! Definitely scoop every day.
I am not sure if this will work, but I knew someone at one time who had to have 2 litter boxes. One for the cat to urinate in and the other to crap in. Hope this works.
Each cat is supposed to have two litter boxes. One for pee and one for poop. I never knew that. When my cat only had one box, she used one end for one and the other end for the other type of business. Also, she pees outside her box if it is not clean enough for her tastes.
Be sure your kitten's litter box is her size. She needs to be able to get in and out comfortably rather than like climbing a mountain. And the litter inside should not be so deep as to be over her head. imho. She is only a baby after all. Best of luck. I care.
I have several cats. I have 4 litter boxes. I scoop them out every day. It sounds strange, but one litter box always only has urine in it, never any poop. The poop is always in the other 3 boxes! Try adding another box. Good luck.
Are you putting too much litter in the box? Only put about an inch in there and see if that helps. Is the box big enough - should be at least 1-1/2 times the length of the cat. People always make the mistake of giving a kitten a small box. Putting the poop back in the box and covering it with litter may help her get the hint, but since she did it before, that tells me she knows she's supposed to be doing that. Try changing the litter. I like World's Best cat litter - try that.
HI. This is my first post. I grew up with cats and kittens are pretty easy to train. I dont know if this will work for yours, but what we would do was to pick up the poop and put it in the litterbox. They pretty much get the hint if you keep on doing it. Good luck!
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Request: Kitten Only Uses Litter Box to Pee
Archived on 11/05/2009
Should I take my kitten to the vet? She is pooping on the floor, but pees in the litter box just fine.
Lindsey from Phoenix, AZ
Feedback:
RE: Kitten Only Uses Litter Box to Pee
Put the next poop that you find right into the litter box and put the kitten in the box and let her smell the poop. Praise her and pet her while she is doing this. Be sure to clean all the previous poop deposit spots with a 1:1 vinegar and water solution.
Keep an eye on her, especially after she eats, and re-direct her if it looks like she'll be going on the floor. It'll take some vigilance, but it shouldn't take very long until she learns. Cats want to be clean and to bury their wastes. Please let us know what works. Good luck.
Nancy in FL
(12/27/2007)
By Nancy from Florida
RE: Kitten Only Uses Litter Box to Pee
Your kitten might not like the cat litter you're using, or the litter box might not be clean enough for her. We have one cat that won't use the litter box if it isn't completely clean, so my husband cleans the boxes every day. Some cats are pickier than others when it comes to the litter box, so it may take some trial and error to figure out if it's the litter or the cleanliness of the box. (12/27/2007)
