kitten pooping in front of door - HELP!

[lismrog]

I got a kitten about 2 weeks ago. He's litter box trained and very affectionate. He immediately was having a diarrhea problem, which i thought was related to his worming medicine. Since he was very active and playful, we decided to let him stay outside instead of confined to a box inside, so that he could play and run and get exercise. The weather has been nice, and we put a box outside for him to shelter in if it got chilly. But his diarrhea was so bad that he was pooping wherever he was at the time, all over everything.

His diarrhea is better, and we've removed all of his old stuff, but he keeps pooping on our porch, right in front of our front door. I tried putting a litter box outside with him, which he used. Then i filled the litter box with dirt, in an attempt to show him that we want him to go in the yard.

But then this morning, i get up and find a big steaming pile of poo in front of my front door again. I'm sure he's trying to tell me something, but as long as he keeps pooping on my front porch, communication is mostly just frustration from my end.

Any ideas?

I'm desperate.

If we can't fix this before week's end, i'm going to have to find a new home for him before my husband kills him.

[Karen]

Why not just keep him inside? How old is he? Has he been to the vet? Pooping in front of the door is definitely "claiming" his territory ... Where do you live? Just curious as winter's coming soon for many of us ...

An indoor-only kitty would be much safer.

[lismrog]

we live in southeast texas.

we would like for him to live inside but be potty trained to go outside. my husband is very sensitive to odors and does not tolerate the indoor litter box.

if pooping in front of the door is claiming his territory, how do i make him stop it?

[lvpets2002]

Hey I am close to Dallas Tx.. Are you around Waco or Tyler?? Now does this baby have a litter box?? You might put the litter box by the door & or the spot the baby keeps using.. This will hopfully train him to go into the box.. Now how old is this wittle baby?? And yes they are never too young to go to the Vets.. This baby may have a medical reason for all the pooping going on.. I would say worms.. Please reply ok.. Oh by the way Welcome to Pet Talk & enjoy all the talks & pics..

[Medusa]

I use a deodorized litter and I've had 8 cats (2 since have passed so I'm down to 6) and everyone tells me that there is absolutely no telltale odor in my home. I'm also very sensitive to odors and I wouldn't be able to tolerate the bad smell. To expect your cat to go outdoors to potty probably isn't going to work and it's much safer to keep him indoors not just because of inclement weather but because of cat fights, abusive people, cars, etc. Good luck.

[lismrog]

thanks for the replies. to answer some questions:

no, he hasn't been to the vet yet.

we estimate he's about 8-ish weeks old. he was found in the road by the person who gave him to me.

he knows how to use the box, and he does use it. but at night he still poops on the porch.

we live in san jacinto county, about 150 miles south of tyler.

as for the deodorized litter, what kind do you use? and also, what makes you think he's going to stick to the box when he's inside? the deodorized litter won't do any good if he goes on the floor.

he's pooping all over the porch, not only in front of the door, but often right in front of the door. . . two different doors, actually. it just makes me think he's acting out about something, but i don't know what.

he also doesn't seem to know to bathe himself, except right after i've bathed him. but maybe that's for another thread. =)

thanks so much for all the responses.

beth

[Medusa]

thanks for the replies. to answer some questions:

no, he hasn't been to the vet yet.

we estimate he's about 8-ish weeks old. he was found in the road by the person who gave him to me.

he knows how to use the box, and he does use it. but at night he still poops on the porch.

we live in san jacinto county, about 150 miles south of tyler.

as for the deodorized litter, what kind do you use? and also, what makes you think he's going to stick to the box when he's inside? the deodorized litter won't do any good if he goes on the floor.

he's pooping all over the porch, not only in front of the door, but often right in front of the door. . . two different doors, actually. it just makes me think he's acting out about something, but i don't know what.

he also doesn't seem to know to bathe himself, except right after i've bathed him. but maybe that's for another thread. =)

thanks so much for all the responses.

beth

I use Tidy Cats clumping litter and it's great. And you're probably right, he's pooping in front of the door because he's acting out, either because he's ill, which I pray isn't the case, or he's telling you that he wants to go inside and stay there. It's confusing for him. He knows to use the litter but it's instinct to go outside. He may have an accident or two until he realizes that he's in to stay but I've rescued enough cats over the years to know that they're fastidious creatures, they don't like to have accidents, and they truly want to use the litter box but they do have to be trained to use it. When I trained mine, the second they were finished eating, I put them in the litterbox. He's still such a little baby yet; he's got a lot to learn.

Also, if he only bathes himself after you bathe him, it's probably because he's trying to get the smell off from whatever you used on him. There's no need to bathe him unless he gets into something nasty. He'll clean himself naturally; just let him be. We'd love to see pix of him when you get the chance.

Please get him to the vet asap. If he was found in the road, he needs to be thoroughly checked and immunized. Bless you for taking him in. All furkids need a good and loving home.

[Medusa]

I thought of something later as I was cleaning litterboxes this morning. Be sure to clean the litterboxes at least twice a day. I clean theirs right before bed and first thing in the morning and, if necessary, during the day if I see that traffic has been heavy. My RB Peeka would "test the waters" first, so to speak; she'd put a paw inside the box and if it didn't feel right, she wouldn't use it and would go to another box. All the boxes in this house have covers and that helps to keep the odor down, too, although I'm told that some cats don't like covers but I've not experienced that. Also, the rule of thumb is one litterbox per cat plus one box, so it would be two boxes for your house. That way your kitty would always have a fairly clean box to use. Hope this helps.

[Catlady711]

If the kitten has had diarrhea and doesn't groom himself, he may be ill. I'd definately take him to the vet to rule out a medical problem. Be sure to mention the pooping on the porch to him.

As Medusa said keeping the litterboxes clean will keep odor down ALOT which would make your hubby happier.

[jennielynn1970]

8 weeks old and he's tossed outside. That's so nice.

Please get him to a vet. And get him inside, or sheltered somehow. He shouldn't be tossed outside like yesterday's trash.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I agree that he should be seen by a vet asap. Kittens can have worms, coccidia which causes diarrhea, fleas, and other medical problems. He should also be tested for FELV/FIV and if he's healthy he should get his first shots.

Later on he also needs to be neutered so that he's won't start spraying and marking his territory, getting into cat fights, wandering away from home, or getting female cats pregnant. I sure hope that there's nothing physically wrong with him. Good luck and please continue to keep us updated about him.

[jennielynn1970]

I didn't want to sound mean, it's just that he's a baby still. I can't imagine him being stuck outside and being sick.

Please get him to the vet ASAP.

[Pinot's Mom]

First of all, thank you for giving this baby a home...
That being said, as the mom of a few strays myself (only one at a time, which makes me the minority on this site!), I have to agree with previous sentiments - get the kitty to a vet! ASAP!
You can not tell what the potty issue is, but I also agree that keeping inside - especially at this age - is the best thing. I use a standard litter, Tidy Cat, which is not clumping and does not have any special deodorant in it. My vet has always recommended that route, and I've never had trouble with smells.
The basic explanation on the potty issue may be worming. This is a simple pill treatment and could be just the ticket.
Please keep the kitty inside if possible, and GOOD LUCK!

Pinot's Mom aka Maggie

[RipplingWaves55]

Thank you for rescuing this little baby! I'm sure he is frustratingly cute.

He is probably claiming his territory like some of the other PTers said.

Is your porch screened in? I have my three cats in a screened in porch and it works good. If you do have a screened in porch you could move his belongings out there, and if he is pooping directly on the porch you can put a litter box where he is & he should use it.

Although.. Take this by NO OFFENSE. But do you keep missing him do that? If so, he might be trying to go out but he cant hold it since he's a baby kitten & can't hold it like other cats can.

Sorry, I tried my best to help.

[newwoman1959]

Wow, there sure are a lot of cat-lovers ready to give great advice. I also wanted to give you kudos for taking in that sweet baby - watching him grow up and develope into an adult cat will bring you hours and hours of joy and laughter.

My boyfriend doesn't care much for cats either and had issues with the cat box odor. I switched to Arm and Hammer scoopable litter and was really amazed at the wonderful smell. I even stopped using other air fresheners because the litter smells so good. Of course, I'm now careful to clean out the boxes every day too, but even scooping the boxes is nice because of the great smell.

Lots of luck with your new addition.