# Kitten pooping behind bedroom curtain!



## Darcie Hind (Jun 12, 2019)

So we have 2 kittens, the second we have had for about a month now. They get on really well. They have a litter tray in our downstairs utility and one upstairs. We introduced a cat flap to the utility door 4/5 days ago to help with the smell but kept the flap door propped open, both kittens a were fine with this.

The issue is last night and tonight she has pooped behind our bedroom curtain! But uses the litter trays every other time?

Any clue on why this may be?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi @Darcie Hind - it could be something about the litter trays she is not happy with perhaps. Maybe the type of litter, the type of trays, the placing of the trays (e.g. lack of privacy maybe).

I would provide a clumping cereal based litter such as Cats Best Oko Plus or Worlds Best Original. Open trays are best, but if covered trays are used please remove the door flaps.

A litter tray shouldn't smell if a good quality litter is used, pees are scooped at least twice a day, and the poops scooped immediately they're deposited. It is true that kitten poops can be quite smelly when first deposited.

Feeding your kittens dry food will give them very smelly poops; wet food is healthier for them.

Litter trays are a valued resource for cats and 3 litter trays is the minimum number required for two cats. For my 2 girls I provide 4 trays and have done since they were kittens. All get used.

Cats like to pee and poo in different trays. But may change which tray they use for pee or poo from day to day.

How old are the kittens? If either of them is older than 4 months it is possible the pooing could be scent marking ("middening") related to sexual maturity. On the other hand with "middening" the poo is usually openly displayed, not hidden behind furniture or a curtain.

Was the poo deposit behind the curtain normal - i.e. firm and formed? If it was soft and loose or at the other extreme, hard and dry then it's possible the kitten was avoiding the tray due to associating it with bowel discomfort. Cats do make these kind of negative associations sometimes.


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## Darcie Hind (Jun 12, 2019)

It was quite soft but this is something she has on and off because she has a funny tummy bless her. 

Shes always used the same litter and the same litter box, I change and clean the litter all the time and she does have mainly wet food, she just grazes on dry. 

She is actually just 4 months (17 week). Maybe that's it?

I've had litter trays across the house but both of them only ever really use the downstairs one even though they're the same litter. 

Hopefully she stop it soon


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## Bertie'sMum (Mar 27, 2017)

Just a thought but I wonder if she is seeing another cat outside and is 'marking' her territory to warn the stranger to keep away ?


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## Ottery (Jun 14, 2019)

How far is the 'behind the curtains' location from the nearest litter tray? I have in the past known kittens to be 'caught out' and suddenly need to go when too far away from the tray and leave a deposit e.g. on a doormat. For the first few weeks I have additional litter trays available to make sure there is always one nearby. For two cats, you should have three trays - one for each cat, plus one.

Alternatively, 'behind the curtains' is private, and possibly the litter trays are more 'public'?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Darcie Hind - I think she is avoiding the tray because her stools are soft and also possibly she feels uncomfortable in her bowel. What have you tried so far to improve the consistency of her stools, to make them firmer all the time?

Stools do need to be firm and formed all the time, in order to put the correct amount of pressure in the rectum during defecation so the anal glands are emptied. The anal glands should be emptied every time the cat defecates.

Your kitty's soft stools are quite likely to be diet related. All dry food is very high in calories (especially fats and carbohydrates) and too much fat can be loosening to the bowel. (I give one of my cats extra fat in her wet food sometimes to help her stool become softer).

If your kittens are 'grazing' on dry food between meals, their intake of fats and carbs will be high. They do not need to graze, and having set meals is better for them. At the age of 4 months I feed kittens wet food 5 times a day. 2 of the day time meals will be in timed autofeeders, if I am going to be out. I use the Cat Mate C20 which has served me well for over 25 years! 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-Mate-C...s=gateway&sprefix=cat+mate+C20,aps,131&sr=8-5

I think if you feed a good quality wet high meat protein, low carb kitten food, and give the dry food as one of the set meals a day (measured out according to the instructions on the packet) you may find her stools are a firmer, more normal consistency.


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