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6-week-old kittens dig heads in litter. Is pellet litter too heavy?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 1 month and 19 days old | 10 lbs

I just adopted 2 kittens & both are 6 weeks old. When they use their litter box, they tend to use their head to make a deep hole for their poop. They use their paws too but also use their head. I am using a pellet litter and am wondering if that may be too heavy or difficult for them to move. I was using regular litter at first but noticed one of the kittens was trying to eat it.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Penelope Graben, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 15th, 2018

Hello, Excellent job on changing the litter to a form they are not interested in eating! Pellet litter should be fine for kittens to move, but if it is a tiny bit heavy for now, they will be more than strong enough to handle it within a couple of weeks of growth. It's more important at this stage for them to be attracted to using the litter properly (peeing and pooing, not eating it), so as long as that is going well, there is no need to change. Kittens tend to dig their head into lots of gross places at their young age- you can use a damp water washcloth to gently wipe their faces down when necessary. :) I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    It may be something they will outgrow. The only way to determine if it the litter is to change the litter and see if the behavior continues. You can try a shredded recycled paper bedding which will be much lighter and still absorbent.

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