So...I was sitting here organising paperwork for my visa application (so tedious and confusing I want to scream..LOL) and I smell that distinct kitten poo smell.
I look out in the hallway behind me, and there on the landing I see two kittens looking back at me, and an unidentified brown shape.
I go over....and Ruby is trying to scratch the carpet to cover the shape, which , of course, is about an inch long tube of poo. She fails, Jamas has a go, I move him aside and then notice there are bits of poo on other spots on the landing.
I go to investigate the litter boxes...one is empty, but the other has poo..quite a lot too.
Upon inspection, I realise that Ruby was the culprit. She started having a poo in her box but, for whatever reason, decided to finish on the carpet.
I cleaned it all up, soaked the carpet with orange oxy spray..luckily there was no other tracking and it was solid.
I have never ever had troubles with her before when it comes to the litter box. I know it wasn't due to the smell because she began in the box (I can get into details as to how I know that but I'll spare you all. LOL).
So now I am totally mystified. To make matters worse, she was an absolute devil when I tried to clean her, tried to swipe at me several times and gave me multiple warning bites on the hands. so now she's in the bathroom until she settles down.
Oh Ruby!
She seems upset about something, but what I have no idea! I just hope she doesn't do it again, you don't need Jamas being set off again!
Most litterbox problems have their origin in illness, although adjustments to a new cat may cause them too. The swiping when you handle her also indicates discomfort, although it may have been the circumstances. Particularly if she shows unusual upset at being handled, a vet visit may be appropriate.
Are you sure the pooh was not stuck to her hair.
I had to cut Leyla's hair a little around her bottom cause pooh sometimes would get stuck and then fall off on the carpet. It worked great for her no more pooh sticking or brown spots.
Linda, we've recently been finding a very few little "bullets" around the house, I bet it's because the last bit is sticking to their fur! It's winter here so their fur is very long and plush. I think you've solved our mystery, it's been bugging me for days
Yikers! Maybe it was a stick and drag piece that finally "fully exited" when she hit the carpet. At least they both tried to cover their tracks, so to speak
I'm thinking that it has much to do with the kind of fur they have, Katie has never had a single one but Dexter is the king of the Cling-on's, I have to check him after every visit to the litterbox and he is a bit of a grump when I use the baby wipes on his fanny.
(07-20-2010 01:45 AM)CandyKiss Wrote: [ -> ]Oh Ruby! She seems upset about something, but what I have no idea! I just hope she doesn't do it again, you don't need Jamas being set off again!
Exactly...! LOL. we finally get to the point where Pyjamas is back in the bedroom with us and now this....oy...! I didn't expect this from Ruby.
(07-20-2010 07:05 AM)JanH Wrote: [ -> ]Most litterbox problems have their origin in illness, although adjustments to a new cat may cause them too. The swiping when you handle her also indicates discomfort, although it may have been the circumstances. Particularly if she shows unusual upset at being handled, a vet visit may be appropriate.
Jan, I was worried that she is in pain somehow, but she's been to the vets so frequently and they have examined her and otherwise she seems fine. She always gives us a struggle when we have to clean her, and this isn't the first time she's reacted this way as you know.
I do wonder if she still isn't taking to Pyjamas. Her attitude when he's not around is so completely different that it is kind of shocking (and frustrating).
Then only thing I can think that may be making her crankier than normal is the fact that Pyjamas has been sleeping with us again for the past few nights. so maybe this is her way of acting up?
(07-20-2010 07:14 AM)jellybean Wrote: [ -> ]Are you sure the pooh was not stuck to her hair.
I had to cut Leyla's hair a little around her bottom cause pooh sometimes would get stuck and then fall off on the carpet. It worked great for her no more pooh sticking or brown spots.
My boyfriend brought this point up tonite actually....and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it was a poo dangler but it looked really large to get stuck in her fur. Ruby isn't a fluffy cat, she's rather sleek. But I suppose this is a possibility. We did buy hair clippers just for them and will be clipping their bums this weekend so maybe that will help.
(07-20-2010 07:25 AM)CandyKiss Wrote: [ -> ]Linda, we've recently been finding a very few little "bullets" around the house, I bet it's because the last bit is sticking to their fur! It's winter here so their fur is very long and plush. I think you've solved our mystery, it's been bugging me for days
How large are these "bullets"? The biggest one I found was about 2.5 cm long which seems pretty huge...
(07-20-2010 07:26 AM)dextersmom Wrote: [ -> ]Yikers! Maybe it was a stick and drag piece that finally "fully exited" when she hit the carpet. At least they both tried to cover their tracks, so to speak
I'm thinking that it has much to do with the kind of fur they have, Katie has never had a single one but Dexter is the king of the Cling-on's, I have to check him after every visit to the litterbox and he is a bit of a grump when I use the baby wipes on his fanny.
LOL ah yes, my kittens hate baby wipes with a passion. you'd thing I was choking Ruby the way she reacts....
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It might be clingon but I'm still concerned it seemed pretty big, and it is a fair distance away from the litter box so it sure took a while to make its complete exit.
I hope it's just a cling-on accident - I think Jamas helping to cover the traces is normal I have the same thing here when the odd cling-on accident happens.
Ruby seems to be a very headstrong little lady
Cling-ons don't just get stuck in the fur, ummm - I might have to be a bit more graphic there... sometimes a dangler is connected by hair to a piece still inside the intestines that way it can take a bit to fall off
Mishka sometimes gets so excited after pooping that she races down the hall to the den. On occasion, we've found small poops in the hall where they fell in her haste to return to the action. Only a couple of times has she sat upon a clingon, and we had to cut her britches to get it off. We learned long ago that she HATES her britches or bottom washed, so we tend to check closely both her and the hall when she comes racing out of her room. Oh, the things we'll do.....
It does sound a bit too big (with the 2.5 cm measurement...lol) to be a cling-on, but considering pretty Ruby started in the box, maybe she's fussy about her litter box habits and just thought she ran out of room to poo in there anymore and finished on the rug? Just thought of this......some people use those huge sterlite/hard plastic containers that retail stores carry, but considering the space they take up, it's not always workable. Jelene, I'm sure this must be stressful for sure & I'm wishing you the best on a speedy resolution for your precious kittens.
Also, if Phoenix gets a little poopster stuck on his back-end fur, I just trim the piece off him vs. trying to wash it. Washing seems to spread the smell more on his hair and smears the poo as well.
Huggy.....LOLOL on Mishka getting so excited after she poops. And, I've sometimes wondered why Ragdolls announce that they're going to use the litter box. It's so funny and cute!