Poo flinging again (sigh) (declawed, carpet, drinks, food)

[lottamoxie]

My 3 yr old black long hair cat (my only pet) has been leaving one dropping in the hall outside the bathroom where her litterbox is located, after she (obviously) races from her litter box as if her life depends on it. This had been a sporadic problem before but she's done it every.single.day this week. Also, she doesn't bother to cover up her droppings in the litterbox about half the time now.

Some factoids:

- Eats well (non grain kibble and non grain wet when I can get her to cooperate & eat wet)
- Drinks water
- Eliminates well
- Feces perfectly formed and good consistency (TMI but this is important)
- Energetic, playful, stubborn, no behavior changes
- Indoor cat only (and I've had her since she was 6 wks old)
- Has zero stress and no competition for the litterbox
- Has 1 servant (that would be me)
- Big uncovered rubbermaid tote used as litterbox, scooped out at least once a day.

Her butt hair is not shaved but it is trimmed to about 1 inch. She won't let me near her with electric clippers. There's nothing caught in her hair (I check every day).

I think she needs a "brazillian down there" by a professional groomer.

What else can I do? Living with a wild chimpanzee poo-flinging cat is amusing, except for the poo-flinging part.

[CFoulke]

Her litterbox is in your bathroom? Is it near the heat source? If it is and the box gets too close - maybe the box is hot to her touch and she can't stand to be in it any longer, or maybe the noise of the air in the vents spooks her and she gets scare before she is done with her duty. To me is sounds like something has or is happening in that bathroom that bothers her and she remembers it. Time to put on your detective hat!!!

[KittenSparkles]

I have a long hair cat who gets stuff caught in his fur under his tail.

I take him to the groomer for what is called a "sanitary clip" - it really helps.

[lottamoxie]

Her litterbox is in your bathroom?

Her litterbox is in an upstairs spare bathroom that no one but her uses. I am the only human in this house and she is the only animal. There is no direct heat source near the box. There is one vent in the ceiling, but that bathroom doesn't get much heat.

She has used this same bathroom since I first got her. There is nothing new in the environment. Like I said, her box is large, uncovered, private, and is cleaned out at least once a day. She races out of that box like she's on fire or has no time to spend. She is *so* excited after going and she likes to run, zooming down the stairs and just all happy and energetic.
Active, young cat.

I think a "sanitary" shave is going to be necessary since something is making her leave the box before she is really and truly 'done' going. It's like she doesn't realize she is not quite yet done and then can't be bothered to cover up her droppings in the box. (a drop 'n go, if you will).

[ocngypz]

I had an angora with the same issue. My father used to call them "dingleberries". She didn't know she had the problem. A trip to the groomer's solved it! For whatever reason, she loved going to the groomers unlike most cats.

Can't help you with the not covering bit as she'd dig her way to China in the litter box.

Now what she would do as soon as she finished her business was try to kick the poo out of the box, so I got her a covered box to eliminate that problem.

Cats - ya gotta love 'em.

[Zelva]

Maybe try a different litter? Or try closing the bathroom door half way, just so maybe the 'drop off' happens in there? Or she feels a bit more privacy. Maybe the quick departure has just become a habit... but maybe there is something she's just not liking about 'her' bathroom. (LOL - sorry! It's just kind of funny, of course, I'm not the one following behind.....)

[lottamoxie]

Yeah I'll have to experiment. She has complete privacy. The bathroom is at the very end of the hall and as I said, I'm the only human and there are no other pets either. Maybe she doesn't like the litter. I've been using more of one type as the other type ran out. Her litter is a mixture of brands but maybe it's too much of a type she doesn't like and she is rushing herself.

She doesn't have any dingleberries but maybe that last bit is too slow to come out and she gets impatient. It's not on her (it's on the rug after she runs out).

[catsmom21]

Hmmm. Long hair fur may be causing it to dangle until she bolts. Some egg yolk lecithin a couple times a week may help her pass the fur easier. Hairballs are made up of mostly fat. Egg yolk lecithin is a fat emulsifier, it breaks down the fat in the hairball allowing the hair to pass freely through the cat's system.

How often do you brush her?

Another thought: Do you have long hair, by any chance?

[lottamoxie]

I have very short hair.

I brush her every couple of weeks, but I guess not often enough. She is more properly a medium-hair kitty. Her hair is very silky/soft but it does not tangle at all. Her fur is not as long as a long-haired cat.

I trimmed her butt hair to about 1 in in length and that's the most I could get because she is not cooperative in any way. I want to have her butt area shaved completely but that will require a professional, some falcon gloves, and perhaps some light anesthesia. Maybe a shot of brandy for me and the groomer.

I give her a teaspoon of vaseline once a week to help move any hairballs. I also add some probiotics to her food once or twice a week. The feces she dropped on the carpet this past week was devoid of any obvious hair. Just a perfectly formed 1 in piece each day, and perfect feces consistency (if such a thing can be considered perfect). No issues with diarrhea or constipation.

I'll try adding egg yolk lecithin and see how she does with that added to her diet. She does self-groom, as a typical cat does. Not excessively, but regularly.

She is in all other respects a normal, healthy, spirited, stubborn kitty, who occasionally likes to take her time and dig in her litterbox and other times would rather fly out of the box as fast as she can and zoom around the house in excitement.

[brokencrayola]

Has she been declawed? I only ask that because cats that are sometimes find certain brands of kitty litter to be painful to walk in and cover their poop with. I was going to mention the fur, but it sounds like you have a good handle on that.