There are some questions that come up often around cats meowing before, during, or after the poop.
If your cat is meowing at any point during their toilet stop there are a few possible reasons that might explain why…
Why Do Cats Meow before They Poop?
In my experience, the most common reason for meowing before taking poop is because the cat is in pain, or associates going to the toilet with pain.
I would advise you take your kitty to the vets for a check up. They may be constipated, have a water infection, bladder issue, or something else causing them discomfort.
Have you wormed your cat recently? Worms are also another reason why cats sometimes meow before using their litter box.
Why Do Kittens Meow before Using the Litter Box?
If you have a kitten meowing before using the litter box they might be in pain due to being constipated.
It’s not uncommon in kittens, especially if they haven’t long been weaned off milk and onto solid foods.
It’s not a nice job but check their poop afterward to see how hard it is. It shouldn’t be really hard, if it is this is probably causing them some pain.
You’re best of acting on the advice of your vet, but if it’s not happening often or you can’t get an appointment soon try a different brand of food to start with.
It’s also not unusual for kittens to meow before using a little box when there is nothing wrong at all.
They do this because they are still figuring things out in the big wide world, and it’s just part of their personality to let you know they are entering their litter box.
Why Do Cats Meow after Using the Litter Box?
If you cat meows loudly after using the litter box as with the other explanations above the first thing you need to do is check the health of your cat.
If you get word from your vet that there is nothing medically wrong, there are a couple of other possible reasons.
Do you have more than one cat, and have you introduced more cats to your home recently?
If so your cat might be making noise to claim their territory. You should have at least one litter box per cat so they can each lay claim to their own toilet space.
Another reason I’ve seen before is age. Older cats start to act differently (as we all do, right?), their eyesight worsens, and they will vocalize as a way of dealing with any confusion.
I’ve known a number of older cats to start meowing after they’ve used their litter box. There isn’t much you can do to stop it.
In Summary
If your cat is meowing before, during, or after they use their litter box the first thing you need to do is rule out a health issue.
All cats can do to tell us they are in pain is meow or cry out. There is a difference between a meow and a cry too, if they are crying out you know there is something causing them pain.
Once you know it’s not health related you can try moving their tray, changing the litter, adding another, checking for odors putting them off, and figuring out what they are trying to tell you,
But it’s likely to just be a quirk of their personality that you’re going to have to put up with. Easier said than done when you hear you cat telling you they’ve just used their box in the middle of the night I know!