Hey everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice about an issue we’re having with our 15-week-old kitten. She’s an indoor cat and initially had no problems using the litter box. Everything was fine when we first brought her home, but recently she’s been consistently pooping outside the box, and it’s becoming a serious problem. We live in a carpeted home, and as you can imagine, this is adding a lot of stress. I’m constantly worried she might poop somewhere else, and the smell lingers even after cleaning, which is starting to wear me down mentally. I really love her and don’t want to give up, but it’s becoming overwhelming. So far, we’ve tried changing litter types, moving the litter boxes to different locations, cleaning them more frequently, and even having three boxes for her. But nothing seems to be helping. Has anyone experienced something like this before? What worked for you? Any advice would be appreciated because we really want to help her (and ourselves) find a solution.
It sounds like there might be an underlying issue here, either health-related or stress-related. Cats tend to poop outside the box when they’re stressed or dealing with an illness. You should probably get her checked out by a vet to rule out things like bladder issues, UTIs, or even thyroid problems. A full blood panel and urine analysis might give you some answers. If it’s not a medical issue, then she could be stressed by something in her environment. Has anything changed recently in your household? Are the litter boxes in a high-traffic area? Cats like their privacy, so it’s best to have the box in a quiet spot. You mentioned changing the type of litter—have you tried something like Dr. Elsey’s Litter Attract? It worked wonders for my cat when nothing else seemed to help.
@Jay
This is solid advice. I’ve gone through something similar, and it turned out to be a health issue. Cats will definitely let you know something’s wrong by changing their bathroom habits. Definitely get her checked out by a vet.
@Jay
Thanks for the suggestion. We actually had her checked out by the vet recently, and everything came back normal—no UTI or any other issues. I hadn’t heard of Dr. Elsey’s Litter Attract before, so I’ll definitely look into it. I’m hoping that will help. Thanks again for your advice.
We had a similar issue with one of our cats, and what really worked for us was switching to Dr. Elsey’s Sensitive Paw litter. Sometimes kittens don’t like the texture of certain litters, especially if they have sensitive paws. Also, make sure you’re cleaning the spots where she’s gone with an enzyme cleaner to get rid of any lingering smells. Cats will often return to places they’ve previously soiled if they can still smell it.
@Ainsley
I hadn’t thought about sensitive paws—maybe that’s part of the issue. I’ll look into that litter and definitely try the enzyme cleaner too. I didn’t realize that the smell might still be attracting her to the same spots. Thank you for the tips!
I’m in a similar situation right now with my cat. We’ve had him for a few months, and he used the litter box just fine at first. But recently, he’s been pooping under the bed and not in the box. We had moved his box into a hutch for privacy since he digs a lot, and I also changed the litter around the same time. Once we switched back to the original litter and started closing off certain rooms, he began using the box again. It’s not perfect, though—he’s still pooping in a corner downstairs on the wood laminate. So, it’s definitely a process.
@Eli
It sounds like you’ve had quite the journey with your cat! I think we’ll try switching back to a different litter and maybe closing off some areas of the house to see if that helps. Thanks for sharing your experience—it’s good to know I’m not alone in this.
I’ve had success with Dr. Elsey’s Litter Attract for my blind kitten. It helped guide her to the litter box when she was struggling to find it. Another thing to check for is parasites. Has she had a recent fecal exam? Sometimes parasites can cause them to go outside the box.
@Brielle
Yes, we had a fecal exam done at her last vet visit, and everything came back clear. I’ll definitely give the Litter Attract a try since it’s come up a few times here. Thanks for the suggestion!
I went through something similar with my kitten, and it turned out that constipation was causing the problem. The vet had recommended giving him pumpkin to help with digestion, but it ended up constipating him instead. He started pooping outside the box until we adjusted his diet. Once the constipation cleared up, the problem resolved itself. Maybe check if her diet has changed recently or if there’s anything else going on. Also, make sure you’re keeping the box super clean, as some cats are really picky about that. If nothing changes, it might be worth another chat with the vet.
@Hayes
That’s really interesting—thank you for sharing! We haven’t changed her diet recently, but I’ll keep an eye on it in case anything like that pops up. And yes, we’re trying to keep the box as clean as possible, but it’s good to hear that might make a difference. I’ll keep at it and check with the vet again if things don’t improve.
If you haven’t already, try using a pet-specific enzyme cleaner on the carpet where she’s pooped. Even if you can’t smell anything, cats have a much stronger sense of smell and might still be picking up on the odor, which could be why she keeps going in the same spots. You could also try confining her to one room at night, maybe a bathroom, to limit where she can go until you get her back on track with the litter box. If you’re worried about the carpet, you can lay down some temporary linoleum or other protective material until the issue is resolved.
@Fay
I hadn’t thought about confining her at night, but that’s a great idea. I’ll try keeping her in a smaller space like the bathroom and use the enzyme cleaner to see if that helps with the smell. Thanks so much for these suggestions!