Expert: Dear Tabbi - 6/17/2008

Question
Dear Tabbi

I have 2 kittens aged about 14 weeks old. The problem is that 1 of them (I don't know which) is defacating once every night on the kitchen floor. If I put something over the spot where its been, then it goes in another spot. They both use their 2 litter trays just fine for urinating and defacating at all other times during the rest of the day and night.

Answer
Janine,

Usually that is the way a cat (or kitten) has of telling you that something is wrong or that something is upsetting him. Sometimes you have to be a detective to figure what that is.

You don't say how far away the litterbox is from where the cat is defecating. Since it is happening at night the problem could be related to something at night that is scaring the kitten so that it is not using the litterbox. Is it too dark at night for the kitten to find the litterbox? Maybe the other kitten ambushed the one kitten when he was using the litterbox in the dark and he is scared to use it again at that time. Do you have a nightlight where the litterbox is located? Have you tried a litterbox at night in the kitchen?

I am including a couple of links that have informational articles on improper elimination that you may find helpful. Copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar:

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm

Punishment should be avoided because cats cannot associate a punishment given after the event. Attempting to reprimand during the act will cause stress and probably cause the cat to toilet secretively somewhere else.

To figure out which kitten is defecating in the kitchen, use ordinary food coloring. Place a few drops of green or blue in the kitten's mouth before he eats. The stool of the kitten given the dye should come out darker than the other kitten's.

I hope this helps and gives you a direction to go in to find out the reason for the kitten's behavior.

Tabbi