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Cats/Cat Defecation Problem

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Expert: - 5/14/2009


Question
Hello, my kitten is about 8 months old and has twice now taken her poop outside of the litter box. We put her in a comfortable bedroom overnight (because she still quite playful in the wee hours) with access to her water, toys, scratchpad, bed and litter box. She has everything she needs, yet both instances of taking the poop out of the litter box have happened either overnight or in the morning before we let out into the common areas. She poops inside the box then we find a piece of poop on the floor with the litter on it so she is clearly starting in the box and taking it out. I don't understand why she is doing this. Is she playing or is she frustrated? She gets scolded or squirted with a water bottle when she is naughty but both times she has done this she was not disciplined before bed. She is getting TONS of love and attention and I just don't understand why she is doing this all of a sudden. Her litter box gets cleaned either every morning or every other morning if it is still pretty clean. It is becoming really frustrating. Please give me some suggestions as to why she is doing this and how we can help her best.

Answer
Chana,

Is she a long haired cat?  I wonder if some poop is sticking to her rear end as she leaves the litter box after pooping?

Anyway, you may try coming out her area behind her legs abnd under her tail to see if that helps.

Is she spayed?  If not, being in season can also lead to this behavior.  She is certainly old enough to have reached puberty.

Here is a link to a whole bunch of articles on litter pan problems which may have further suggestions:

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

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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