Poo-ey paws! Kicking after the litter tray?

[willowlondon]

We have two 8 month kittens, they have been perfect with the littertrays but over the last few weeks I have noticed poo pawprints on our bathroom floor where their most used litter tray is (they have another but never use it).  I think when they bury they are accidentally kicking it whilst still wet (yuk!!) 

Is there anyway I can address this? I scoop the box regularly and have a litter mat thing in front.  Its a XL covered box and I use Cat's Best clumping litter.

I want to try and sort this out as they are still naughtily getting up on our kitchen counters despite continued "training" to stop this and I am worried about germs not to mention poo-ey paws on our carpet, bed and every nook and cranny they like to explore!

 

[tammyp]

Hi Willowlondon,  I'm not sure there is anything you can do really about this...other than keep things clean and wait for them to 'grow out of it'. 

But, having said that, I'd also probably try to work out why now, if everything (when younger) was fine, as one would think they'd grow in dexterity rather than regress.

We have had poo paw issues too, but this was usually only in kittenhood, while they were still a bit clumsy.  Add in a tummy upset, or times when poos are a bit sloppy, and definitely poo paws can be an issue, basically as the poo is wetter so if they step in it accidently while covering, it squishes.  A firm poo won't really leave anything on the paw in the same instance, as the layer of litter is enough for a firmer poo not to go through.  We keep a close eye out for poo paws  even now if tummies are upset, or there is excessive digging in the box.  It's not an issue now that they are older, and of course, when they are in good digestive health.

One other possible cause of stepped in poo that I can think of , as you said they seem to only use one box, is that the box is rather crowded with deposits.  So clean it lots - twice a day minimum.  I also tend to clean immediately after a poo if I'm around.  Like you, I also have a plastic litter mat in front of the boxes and that has helped in certain accidents.

The good news is, cats are clean animals, so there is incentive to learn to keep their business and their paws separate!

 

[tammyp]

Oh, one thing you could try is an uncovered box.  Sometimes that feel 'crowded' in a covered box and this can reduce their dexterity.

 

[willowlondon]

Thanks Tammy - I might try it with the hood off for a while to see if that helps as they do spend yonks in the scratching around!  Fortunately no tummy upset to worry about as far as I can tell.  They do poo ALOT like 2-3 each a day!!

 

[tammyp]

Hmm, I'd be a bit concerned about 2-3 poos a day.  I've been through a bit of digestive dramas with my kitten, so this is something I checked with my vet, and she said around 1 poo a day (of course with raw feeding, it's not unusual for 1 poo every 2-3days, as there is less rubbish to go through).

It could be worth reviewing their food.  There's heaps of info in the nutrition feed, but as a quick summary, avoid kibble, feed grain-free wet food, and maybe have a look to see if raw would suit you (it certainly suits the cats that successfully transition to it).  The consistency of a good poo is firm (not wet or hard), one-to-two pieces (not droppings, and not puddles), and no big stink (raw-fed literally will give zero stink, I kid you not!).  Good digestive health will also mean no flatulence.  

Hope that helps a bit!