When Do Kittens Start to Defecate on Their Own?

Normally a kitten wants to defecate after eating, but newborn kittens cannot do it on their own; the mother cat usually licks the kitten’s anus after nursing to stimulate urination and defecation. A newborn’s output is mostly urine and little stool. If no mother cat stimulates it, the owner can use a cotton swab to gently stimulate the anus. Kittens generally begin to defecate by themselves at about 3-4 weeks of age.