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New kitten questions.
Omnicron9999
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I figured I would post the pics first, the questions second. I know pics are required payment for any advice about pets.
So this is . My girlfriend and I adopted her from a couple who found her, her sibling, and mother after their mutant owners left them all when they moved. Yes, they should be shot in the mouth (the previous owners).
Anyway, I've had experience with cats before, I've owned several, one from kittenhood, but seems a bit different. I know all the normal stuff, vet, shots, spaying, etc. A few questions though.
How much do kittens normally poop? She seems to be doing it excessively, 4-5 times a day it seems.
She always seems to get a bit of it on her paws though, is there any way to train her out of this? We keep her box as clean as possible, and it seems to happen even if that is her first poop in a clean box.
Thanks!
So this is . My girlfriend and I adopted her from a couple who found her, her sibling, and mother after their mutant owners left them all when they moved. Yes, they should be shot in the mouth (the previous owners).
Anyway, I've had experience with cats before, I've owned several, one from kittenhood, but seems a bit different. I know all the normal stuff, vet, shots, spaying, etc. A few questions though.
How much do kittens normally poop? She seems to be doing it excessively, 4-5 times a day it seems.
She always seems to get a bit of it on her paws though, is there any way to train her out of this? We keep her box as clean as possible, and it seems to happen even if that is her first poop in a clean box.
Thanks!
Omnicron9999 on
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I wouldn't worry about her pooping too much unless it's a weird consistency, she does it compulsively, it seems to hurt her, smells unusually foul, etc. Young'uns of most species tend to have to eat a lot, and it all has to come out somewhere.
What kind of litter are you using?
Ugh! Tracking is nasty, and I have a similar problem. Given that my Oscar is now just over one year old, let me tell you my experience....
From Oscar, it seems like tracking can be the result of overzealous covering. And you can't really train the burying out of 'em. He still tracks, but not half as much. Even now. We just keep some baby wipes for his feet, and floor cleaning is semi-routine now
Good luck!
Whoa, mouthsex for adoption...thanks! lol
What would define weird consistency? I really don't remember the consistency of my last kittens waste. Hers is a bit loose, not watery though.
I figured as much with the rest, I know kittens have a very high metabolism.
My last cat only needed his litter changed 2-3 times a week. I change, wait, not change, just empty hers at least once a day.
EDIT: Forgot the litter question.
We just use the cheap, storebrand, clumping, flushable litter. Its worked fine for all of the other cats that I've had. Any chance this could be an issue now?
Yeah it really is nasty, and given the amount of pooping she does, there is an awful lot of her tracking.
She does cover quite a bit, well not actually cover her poop, she is one of those cats that scratches everywhere BUT her poop. So I guess we should just call it scratching around.
Any tips for helping with preventing the floor cleaning? She tends to poop, scratch around alot, and then RUN out of her box. Sending poop and litter around. We put down an old area rug under the box hoping she would at least wipe some of it off, didn't help much.
If she is eating kitten food, try putting her onto one of the vet-specific brands. Maybe it's a digestion difficulty... Some of the kitten foods contain a lot of filler. <shrug>
That's one of the things that I notice with my new kitten -- she was bought up with a Chef kitten food breakfast, and a large dinner in addition to having biscuits all the time. Boy does she use the litter box! I'm looking forward to stopping the breakfast, and encouraging her to eat more biscuits...
Re: tracking. It's a toughie! Have you tried putting a layer of newspaper under and around her box? It's a tad more absorbent than a rug, and might pick more off her feet. But you will always have to do some floor cleaning with this type of cat. On the bright side (from my experience at least), it does eventually reduce itself!
She's adorable!
Yes, its Purina Kitten Food, mostly dry, but supplimented with a bit of wet about once a day. She doesn't seem to be overeating or having digestion problems, but its worth a thought.
By biscuits do you mean treats? Everything I've heard says that you shouldn't give them too many. Just a few a day, max.
I might try the newspaper, it will at least be easier to get rid of, or clean. Lets hope she quits it a bit though!
Our current litter box has a lid, with a relatively small openeing. I'm worried putting anything over that will make her not use it. She is really small.
By 'biscuits' I mean dried cat food in pellet form, and Purina should be fine
Good luck, and have fun!
Remember: Newspaper is your friend, my new kitten looooves little balls of paper!
First five ingredients for Purina Kitten Food: Poultry by-product meal, rice flour, corn gluten meal, wheat flour, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of vitamin E),
First five for Blue Buffalo kitten food: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Salmon Meal
Cats don't digest grains, those are pretty much there to fill out the food and make you have to feed more of it. The more meat you have in the first 5 ingredients, the better the food. Plus, anything "byproducts" is pretty nasty, meaning feet, beaks, tumors, anything completely unfit for human consumption. The better food is more expensive, but a bag of it will last a lot longer and less bulk of food in = less poop coming out. (Plus, in my experience, said poop smells a heck of a lot better.)
This is a really good point, more fillers would mean more poop.
I will try switching to something with actual food in it.
Thanks!
The way to tell with cat foods is to look at the first five ingredients (info available online, yay!) The more actual meat in there (and not byproducts), the better the food. Wheat is terrible for cats and a lot of them are actually allergic to it, and brewer's rice isn't very good either.
The Hills stuff is nutritionally pretty mediocre, but a lot of the prescription stuff is helpful for specific problems. If your cat isn't having medical issues, a switch would probably be good. I've heard excellent things about Evo.
To some people cat food is just cat food, but if it means you have to clean the litter box less and it keeps your house smelling better, it's worth it.
I just looked at the entire ingredient list on the Purina food. 95% of it is crap. Byproducts, chemicals, and stuff that cats apparently cannot even digest.
I actually apologized to my cat for the shit I was giving her.
This is so odd too, I always read the ingredients on EVERYTHING I eat, I feel bad for not thinking about it for her.
I guess cat food shouldn't be just cat food. I am seriously going to get something better for her.
i wouldnt be so hard on yourself. after all its a cat, not a people.
Also, I've never fed cats wet food every day, that might be part of it? I've always kept to dry food myself, only feeding wet food on occasion as a treat.
We've always used clumping cat litter with our cats and never had an issue (The big giant boxes from costco)
I have read that they can potentially cause health issues with cats though. Apparently it can get in their fur and when they bathe themselves they ingest it. The little can then clump in their digestive tracks causing issues over time.
I've never had it happen to one of my cats but it is something to keep in mind.
:P I was being a bit dramatic. But I really was shocked to see all the crap they throw in there.
Here is their ingredient list:
My kitties used to be on Science Diet and their poop is waaay less stinky on Kirklands.
She pooped a lot when she was a kitten but that may have been the various shots she had to get (born feral, had to get her fully healthy after we caught her). She's a lot better now.
The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun.
Grr...