At the end of my tether

[MyBiscuitspread]

I have two six month old ragdolls who are absolute sweethearts.
However, everytime I think they've grown out of it, it happens again and it's driving me crazy: While covering up their poop (in their very large and generously filled litter tray), they sometimes step in it. It's like they forget it's there. Having to then wash their paws is kind of traumatic for them and me.
I never expected to have this kind of problem when I got them. Having cats was my biggest dream in life. But I suffer with ocd and the idea of them walking all over the house with their dirty paws without me noticing is driving me insane.
As much as I love them, I must admit I have been thinking about giving them away to someone loving and more capable.
I have become physically ill with worry to the extent that I have constant stomach pain, can't eat and have lost a lot of weight.
Is there a way out of this? Please talk some sense into me I really need a solution.

Do they wash their paws themselves if you leave them to it? Just curious. Mine currently tries to cover his with the flooring, ignoring the actual litter in the tray so leaves it on top but hes satisfied its covered. By which I mean I know they can be odd critters.
Wondered if you could put something down to protect your floor while observing from a distance to see if they clean it off. Cats generally can't help but clean when theyre dirty. Also they feel extremely vulnerable if watched while using the litter tray, not saying you are but if youre anxious about it iys a possibility which may make things worse.

Thanks for your reply!
They do clean themselves quite meticulously but the first time it happened, one of them had already walked all around the house with her dirty paws before I noticed the smell and checked. I locked them in their room and spent hours cleaning everything.
I don't have the impression they mind being watched because they often come and use their litter trays just as I'm cleaning them.
They seem to see me as their mum which is very sweet but is this my life now?
As soon as I hear their litter box scratching my heart starts racing and I check everything's clean after they've finished.
I wish I didn't have that anxious response to hearing them being in their litter tray and I wish I could just clean it morning and evening without feeling like I need to be there for every single time they use it.

Thanks for your reply!
They do clean themselves quite meticulously but the first time it happened, one of them had already walked all around the house with her dirty paws before I noticed the smell and checked. I locked them in their room and spent hours cleaning everything.
I don't have the impression they mind being watched because they often come and use their litter trays just as I'm cleaning them.
They seem to see me as their mum which is very sweet but is this my life now?
As soon as I hear their litter box scratching my heart starts racing and I check everything's clean after they've finished.
I wish I didn't have that anxious response to hearing them being in their litter tray and I wish I could just clean it morning and evening without feeling like I need to be there for every single time they use it.

Have you tried providing much bigger litter trays and different types of litter to see if that helps?

Cat poo should be quite firm so if it's not (and being able to spread it through the house suggests it's not) then maybe look at adjusting their diet.

An excellent point. If its diarrhea, get them seen and change their diet. Slowly. A bland diet of chicken plain really helps if they are loose. Rice is also ok.
If it persists it could be many things but allergy/intolerance is worth considering. If you have a single flavour food, ideally something like chicken or turkey which is less rich you could try that for a bit and see if it makes a difference.

Don't switch their food around quickly, gradual transition over at least a week. Most recently I did over a month to be careful. Changing food suddenly can cause tummy upset.

Its a good sign they are cleaning. Cats generally feel vulnerable when using the loo, eating and drinking, its a primitive self preservation thing. Also do they have enough litter trays, for two, three trays would be best. They can be in the same place.

Any chance of cat tax? They sound gorgeous

I too think the problem may be that their poo is too runny - the fact that the can tread it around the house is very unusual. May even be worth a vet visit, to get some dietary advice? I have had cats many times and never had this problem - and my brother has a ragdoll and has never mentioned this, so I don't think it's a breed-specific thing.....

If you enjoy all other aspects of cat ownership, please consult a vet about this problem before rehoming, as it does sound like something that should be solvable by a change in diet....

Good luck!

As everyone else has said, their poo should be solid and firm and they shouldn’t be able to track it round the house in the way you describe.

It sounds like they both need their diets adjusting - assuming they’re up to date with their worming treatment etc.

Agree with the others - this shouldn’t be able to happen as their stools should be firm. Even if they stood in ‘normal’ poos they wouldn’t be able to tread them around five blue. I would speak to a vet and change their food.

I have 2 ragdolls and the think that drives me mad is the amount of hair! However, they are beautiful, great company and just enhance my life in every other way, so I have to get over it!

Don’t give them away without speaking to a vet and changing their diet. They are doing their best by using their tray and burying it.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Just needed to vent and wrote the post immediately after it happened again so felt quite overwhelmed at that moment.
I used to be highly judgmental of people who give away their pets so finding myself in that position has made me question everything I thought I knew about myself... However, I will persevere as I've made that commitment and they are babies under my responsibility now.

When they were little their stool was indeed on the softer side. We don't have that issue anymore. But imagine a piece of playdough stuck to their paws. That's what it's like. Even if it's firm and they walk around with it for some time, it's highly unhygienic to say the least.

I've done some research and apparently it's also common with Maine Coon cats? Some people say cats grow out of it as they mature but I worry if mine don't.

As I said they have a very big litter tray already and from what I can see it's just them being a little bit, dare I say, "dim". It would be quite endearing if it was a different issue but the thought of them leaving poop around the house is unbearable to me.
I'll keep trying to find answers but for now, I'll have to observe them when they go which is not sustainable I know, but I see no other option.

Do you only have one tray? Ideally there should be 3 trays for 2 cats.

Are they covered trays? You could try a top entry tray.

I would try 3 different types of tray, large uncovered, standard covered, and a top entry, with different litter in each. See if it makes a difference.