Why is my kitten getting messy after pooping in her litter box?

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!

If you switched the food without a transition, it could be causing some digestive upset and the dirty bottom/accidents you are seeing. Most switches from one pet food to another should be done over a period of 7-9 days to help minimize tummy upset. If her bottom is very dirty, pet wipes or a wet washcloth along with a waterless spray shampoo from your local pet store can be used to clean her bottom. If the problem persists, worsens, or new symptoms appear, a vet visit to rule out any other issues is best.

It is possible that the kittens just need a little bit more time to figure out the litter box. Three weeks is still quite young and they may not fully understand what the litter boxes for. I would recommend enclosing both kittens in a small area with one to two litter boxes that are cleaned daily. In most situations kittens will figure this out relatively quickly. There is also a litter additive called Cat Attract that may be helpful in enticing Laila to use the litter box for pooping. I would also ensure that Laila is able to get in and out of the litter box provided with minimal difficulty. Using a litter box with low sides may be beneficial. If this continues to be a problem I would recommend consulting with your veterinarian as she may have an underlying medical condition such as parasites exacerbating this issue.

It could be that your cat never learned to clean herself as a kitten, or just doesn't realize she has stuff stuck to her fur. Longer haired cats can also get things stuck easily. Keeping the area trimmed and wiping down her bottom with a pet wipe or baby wipe can help keep her cleaner.

Most kittens will outgrow this messy phase. Adult cats tend to be very clean animals. You may try a different type of litter to see if that helps with the mess or even try something like an automatic litter box. Get a mat as well to put in front of the litter box to can help to knock some of the litter off their paws. I hope this helps and best of luck. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

This can be a difficult problem to figure out. Some cats prefer to urinate in one litter box and defecate in another, so if he only has access to one box the first thing I’d recommend is adding a second box. If you haven’t tried Dr Elsey’s Cat Attract litter it may be worth trying that specific brand. Finally, if he seems to prefer fabric you could try lining a litter pan with a disposable potty pad. If at any point his stool doesn’t look normal (i.e. If you see diarrhea, mucous, blood or if it seems very firm) I’d recommend rechecking with your vet. Good luck!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Kittens are full of playful energy, and it can be an exhausting (but very entertaining) phase. What you're describing is completely normal kitten behavior, which means it's just a phase that you need to get through. There is no way to ask Jinx to be calmer - but you can help her use some of that energy before bed by playing with her, encouraging her to chase a laser pointer, etc - and hopefully that helps tire her out so you can sleep! If you need to confine her to get some sleep, you might set her up in a different room with plenty of things to play with, or get her a large indoor kennel (big enough to fit food, water, litterbox, and toys). Her playing in the litterbox is also part of the mischievous kitten stage, but it might help to get her a larger litterbox that offers a bit more space, make the layer of litter deeper, or play around with the type of litter and see if there's one that better covers her stools. If all else fails, have patience and try to find the humor in her antics - she will calm down eventually when she grows out of her baby stage! Hope this helps!