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My 3-week-old kitten pees but won't poop in the litter box. Help!

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Persian | Female

I have 3 weeks old kittens. MOIZA AND LAILA. Bothe use litter box. Moiza does peeing and pooping in it. Butility Laila only does peeing in it but does not use it for pooping. We always keep it clean. As and when we see a poop we clean it on regular basis. Please help.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Menolly Cote, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on July 3rd, 2017

It is possible that the kittens just need a little bit more time to figure out the litter box. Three weeks is still quite young and they may not fully understand what the litter boxes for. I would recommend enclosing both kittens in a small area with one to two litter boxes that are cleaned daily. In most situations kittens will figure this out relatively quickly. There is also a litter additive called Cat Attract that may be helpful in enticing Laila to use the litter box for pooping. I would also ensure that Laila is able to get in and out of the litter box provided with minimal difficulty. Using a litter box with low sides may be beneficial. If this continues to be a problem I would recommend consulting with your veterinarian as she may have an underlying medical condition such as parasites exacerbating this issue.

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    Answered By Susan England-Foster

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I would recommend increase the number of litter boxes. I always recommend 1 more box than cat--so in your case three litter boxes. The reason is some cats will have competition at the box and will start defecating some place else. Also you can try placing felioway in the rooms with boxes. This is a cat pheromone that can help decrease stress.

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