Apartments & Cats - Need some Cat Advice

~Vel-Asunai May 24, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

I am posting this here because it is technically a help with life issue...as these two cats of mine are my family and I am having issues with them.

I recently adopted a second cat who seems to be having some issues with the litter box... ....She'll use it but she won't finish, in other words she ends up leaving the litter box before finishing and then the house gets littered in kitty poo.... It's almost like she doesn't even realize she still needs to go and the poo falls out.

I've taken her to the vet and the vet said that there are no problems with her physically...got her her shots and everything. I'm at a loss as to what I can do to try and train her to use it properly...it has to stop.

Also, is it normal for cats to sneeze a lot after getting their shots? She seems to be sneezing a lot and it worries me. Can't seem to reach the vet, though, to ask them.

If I can't figure out a way to help this new kitty...I will probably have to get rid of her. I really, really, don't want to do that.

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~AlmightyShadowchan May 24, 2012

Some cats can have flu-like reactions to vaccines. I don't know what vaccines she received, but they generally deliver disabled or weak viruses into the body for the immune system to fight off. If her immune system isn't so stellar, those "weak" bugs can cause an illness. It shouldn't be permanent, but your vet would be able to tell you how to treat it. As long as she is eating, drinking, pooping/peeing in "normal" quantities (and she isn't lethargic), it shouldn't be dangerous to her overall health.

Of course, she could have also just caught a cold at an inopportune moment

As for her inappropriate pooping... This actually a very common vice, especially in homes with new/multiple cats. Your cat is probably still stressed and insecure about her new environment, and your first cat is most likely feeling territorial and jealous (you even mentioned he was being a brat). The new cat still sees everything (litterbox included) as the first cat's "territory." Has the other cat ever hissed or attacked her while she was in the box? It seems to me that she wants to do her business and get out of the box ASAP before the other cat confronts her. This anxiety would cause her to not want to go back and finish. Can you get a second box and see if that alleviates the problem? You would want to put it in a quite place away from all the other cat's things.

If she just isn't fully housebroken yet, one thing you could try is catching her while she's on the box pooping, and prevent her from leaving for another few minutes to encourage her from leaving. Nothing forceful, just get in her way.

~Skuldier May 24, 2012

There was an episode of My Cat From Hell with this exact type of litter box. The cat would go in it, but also all around the house. I guess the way it tilts to collect the waste makes the whole thing covered in cat poop and pee inside, and it's disgusting and cats don't want to go to the bathroom in it. After they changed the litter box (and gave the cat some stuff to climb on), the cat started going in it like normal. Try getting a normal covered litter box, or an open one just to test the theory, since that would be cheaper.

These pet shows aren't right about everything, but I got my cat a cat tree after watching that show, and he's stopped licking all of his fur off. This is worth a try, too. Open litter boxes are cheap.

~Viskamiro May 24, 2012

Cats can actually die more easily than other animals from vaccines (we all can but cats are sensitive compared to dogs), either soon after or from cancer at the injection site. Vets won't tell you that yearly vaccines are not needed or that it can kill.

It's weird she doesn't finish, maybe her poo is sticky so doesn't fall after she pushes. None of the grocery store types of cat food are that good for them, mostly corn and meat by-product scraps.

~Vel-Asunai May 24, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Poo doesn't seem sticky to me at all. This is the first time that she's been vaccinated, which is why I went ahead with it as she's never had it before. Favewit had her vaccinations last in 2008, so i figured 4 years difference was okay to get new ones. They are both short hair.

`bohobella May 24, 2012 Professional Traditional Artist

Don't rub her nose in it, first off, dumbest "training" move ever.

Is there any chance the turds are getting stuck to her bum? I'm actually just back from a walk cut very much short with my dog because her poop is too soft and got stuck to her bum, which leaves her pooping little turds everywhere and wiping her bum on everything if no one helps get her bum clean. Trimming bum hair usually helps, although if your cat is a shorthair this probably isn't the case. Unfortunately I'm a dog person, so this is the best thing I can figure, I know about animal poop but not so much litter boxes. The only other thing I can think of is diet. People food and soft food can lead to soft poops, which is what caused my doggie's earlier poop fiasco. Switching to solid kibble, or combining solid kibble with a bit of wet food, as well as eliminating any human food as Hippos has already listed might change her poop habits considerably.

~Vel-Asunai May 24, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

As far as I know the poo isn't getting stuck. She'll leave the litter box and no poo will be in her butt, but then a minute later I'll lift her tail up and there will be a semi-exposed poo on it's way out. This is the time that I've tried putting her back into the litter box, but apparently that approach makes her " suck back " in her poo and not go....which resulted in 2 days of kitty not using the restroom.

I buy store brand food because I dunno what else to buy or where to get it. 9 lives seems okay, though. Try some soft food you say?

~Schieben May 24, 2012

Sneezing: Allergies. When the trees stop putting out pollen she will taper off. Spot has bad sneezing until mid-june.

Litter: Rub her nose in the poo, say NO! in a loud firm voice, and put her and the poo back in the litter box. It's the only way to get them to use it.

~Vel-Asunai May 24, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Sneezing started after the shots though and that's what worries me.

=HungryxHungryxHippos May 24, 2012 Student General Artist

What are you feeding your cat? Cats can be allergic to things just as humans are. It's possible something she's eating is causing bowel movements that she's not able to cope with. The sneezing could be a part of it too, though that's most likely a cold.

~Vel-Asunai May 24, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Well I got her all of her shots and she's only 2 so I imagine this is the first time she received them. Sneezing didn't start happening until the shots had been delivered...
I feed them 9lives Daily Essentials.

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