Why does my cat bolt from the litter box after using it? Should I be concerned?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is a bit unusual. I would say that if this becomes consistent, this may be due to her not liking the litter box material or perhaps the litter box itself. You could try changing the litter box and/or the material to see if that resolves the issue. Good luck!

When cats get older, they can develop health problems such as arthritis. Arthritis would cause it to be painful for Elvira to crouch to go to the bathroom, and so she goes to the bathroom and gets out of the box as soon as she's done to get out of her painful position. Given that this is a sudden change in behavior, I would have her seen by a vet for this. The vet can diagnose if she is suffering from something such as arthritis causing this behavior, and can prescribe treatment for it. Please do not give her any human medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. The vet can prescribe her safe pain medications if needed.

There are a few things to consider; some cats will go in the corner of the litter box, so they end up hanging their tush over the edge and it goes out of the box. You could try a litter box with a cover or with high sides to see if that helps. The size of the box and ease of entry is something else to consider. If she is still small enough that she has to leap into something that she can't see into, getting in the box may be a bit daunting. Make sure the has an approachable entry for her. Also consider if you changed the type or brand of cat litter. Some cats can be very picky. Go back to the old brand if you have switched. If you have not made a change it cat litter, you can also try a cat litter called Cat Attract-- its a brand of cat litter that most cats accept very well. Another thing to keep in mind is other cats and the location of the boxes. If you have multiple cats, make sure that you have enough litter boxes. If you have 2 cats, have 3 boxes. If you have 4 cats, have 5 boxes. I know that seems like a lot, but its the best way to prevent negative cat interactions near a litter box, and avoid them feeling territorial. If you have an older cat, the box may have been "occupied" when she needed to go, or she may have been intimidated by the other cat being nearby and didn't want to get in a confrontation. To be thorough, I would also recommend that you take her to your vet to see if there's any medical issue going on that could be contributing. Take a stool sample with you. If she has intestinal parasites or other causes of inflammation in her intestine, she could be having some urgency that doesn't allow her to quite get into the box. Also, if she is painful somewhere, she may be trying to avoid getting up into the box. I hope that helps you. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I have seen my cats do this as well. There are a couple of reasons why Kooner may do this. It could be that she doesn't like the litter itself, so she doesn't scratch at it to cover her feces. It could be that she doesn't like the box itself, so she wants to leave it as soon as possible. She may also never learned to cover it up when she's done. As long as she is actually going in the box, it's really a non-issue that she doesn't cover up after she is done. I would not recommend changing her box or her litter, as cats are extremely particular about this box and litter, and changing it could stop her from using the litter box completely. I would not worry about it, and leave it be.

I would be concerned she may have cystitis - painful inflammation of the bladder (or possibly colitis or constipation of the bowel). This is an extremely distressing and uncomfortable condition and should be assessed and treated by your vet as soon as possible. Try to encourage fluid intake with wet food and freshly boiled chicken broth in the meantime

I would recommend having Paws examined by a vet. Sometimes cats will start to feel sluggish and uncomfortable in the litter box if they have a UTI, bladder stones, some inflammatory conditions, or constipation. Since you aren't seeing much in the box, it is hard to determine which is the case, but a vet should be able to figure it out on physical exam.

That has to be frustrating for you! Even if you’re absolutely certain that the problem is behavioral, you need to have your cat examined by the veterinarian to make sure there isn’t an underlying medical problem. There are a number of medical issues that could be causing your cat to feel uncomfortable about pooping in the box. If she experiences constipation, for example, she may associate the box with her discomfort and attempt to go somewhere else. If your cat is older and has arthritis, it may be difficult for her to perch on the litter substrate in order to eliminate solids. If you have a covered litter box, she may feel cramped in there while perching in position to poop. There are a number of intestinal problems (inflammatory bowel disease for example) that commonly result in cats defecating outside of the box. Sassy may experience cramping and the discomfort causes her to try to eliminate wherever she is at the time. She may also become so uncomfortable that she can’t make it to the box. I recommend taking her into your vet to rule out a medical reason behind this, and if it is ruled out, your vet can discuss behavioral techniques to get her to poop in her box. Take a sample of her feces with your for the vet to examine.