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My 7-month-old cat leaves small poop around house, still uses litter?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 5 months and 25 days old | 8 lbs

Hi. My cat is about 7 months old and has started leaving small amounts of fecal matter around the house. Doesn't bother him, he doesn't even seem to notice he is doing it most of the time, and he is regularly using the litter box. I changed his food about 3 months ago and haven't noticed any problems until now. Any advice?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on February 6th, 2018

Poor Coal! It sounds like he is having a little bit of fecal incontinence. I would have your vet take a look at his feces to make sure he doesn't have any type of parasite or bacterial infection. These can sometimes cause an increase in frequency and even sometimes a little softer stool than normal making it difficult for him to hold it in. If everything there is normal, then I would have your vet check him for any neurological problems. Your vet will be able to see if he needs any treatment for that or if any medicines can be added to help him out. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on November 14th, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Most of the time this is due to a medical reason like intestinal parasites for example. Otherwise, it could be behavioral. You can start by changing the litter box material and adding at least one more litter box to see if that helps. If no improvement, I recommend you check in with your veterinarian. Good luck and have a great day!

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