My cat poops once in the litter

by Naomi
(Australia)

My 7 month old desexed female tortoiseshell cat poops only once in her litter and then on the floor beside the litter tray. Help, what can I do to stop this?

My Thoughts:

I'm sorry to hear your kitty is having issues, Naomi. Assuming she's physically healthy (for example, isn't suffering from some intermittent bowel problem)...

Is she getting in the box, pooping, and then getting out of the box and pooping again on the floor immediately? Or do you mean that she poops in the box, but then later in the day poops on the floor next to it while the box is still dirty?

If it's the latter, I'd suspect that she doesn't like the level of cleanliness of the box, or perhaps likes a separate box for poop and pee.

That can be addressed by tending to the box more and adding more boxes. If she's the only cat in the house, she should have at least 2 litter boxes. I recommend clumping litter, scooped twice per day and periodic washing of the boxes and fresh litter.

I hope that helps. Please update us on her situation when you're able.
-Kurt