Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hello! My husband and I recently brought home 2 new babies. A brother and sister, about 7 weeks old now. They took to the litter box fairly quickly, but for about a week we've been having a problem with the male kitten pooping outside of the litter box. He knows how to use it (I've seen him pee and poop in the litter box multiple times) but the last couple mornings we've woken up to him pooping in the corner of our room. His poops are solid, no diarrhea, no other symptoms that he might be having stomach problems. His litter box is in the same spot, we have not moved it so it's not hard to get to.

Please help!

I've tried changing litter to something to attract kittens and he liked it! Hopped right in and pooped after I switched the litter out. But then the next morning he was pooping in the corner of the room.

My next guess is that maybe he just doesn't like a messy litter box? Is this common? Does anyone have any advice?

Thank you!!

It is common for cats not to like a used box, so that's very possible. He may also be showing the world whose box it is by marking outside it. 7 weeks is a bit young to leave their mother so there could maybe be some issue from that.

Do you have only one litter box? The recommended minimum is one per cat plus one, so for two kittens 3 boxes in different places. That could help if he does insist on a squeaky clean box.