OFF TOPIC** Need kitten advice from a kitty expert

zapinkleopard

Hi! This is off topic I know but I really need some advice. I adopted an adorable kitten yesterday and was told she was litter box trained. I've provided her with a litter box and good clean quality litter but she refuses to use it. She's peed on my couch and my carpet and doodied their too. She's well mannered in every other way. The thing is I've never had a cat that wouldn't use the litter box so I'm not sure how to train her. She is 10 weeks old. Smart as a whip. When I catch her in the act I say loudly NO!!!! and then I pick her up and put her in her litter box. If she imediately gets out then I put her back in her carrier. She really doesn't like to be in her carrier. If I see her doing her business in the litter box I would praise her and NOT put her in the carrier. But if she doesn't do anything when I put her in the litter then in the carrier she goes. I hoping she'll associate the actions. What else can I do?? Jackson Galaxy where are you???:sad:

kbanzhaf

Keep doing what you are doing, but keep her (and the litter box) in a room where you can shut her up so she isn't going on the carpet or furniture (laundry room, bathroom, etc.). Otherwise, once the 'scent' is there, she may continue to use the carpets, etc. as she doesn't know that it isn't OK.
Good luck.
Kaye

dandelyon

I'd start with another brand/type of kitty litter. Maybe the place where you got her can share what they used? It probably was not quality stuff but it might be what she's used to.

ponycyndi

Keep doing what you are doing, but keep her (and the litter box) in a room where you can shut her up so she isn't going on the carpet or furniture (laundry room, bathroom, etc.). Otherwise, once the 'scent' is there, she may continue to use the carpets, etc. as she doesn't know that it isn't OK.
Good luck.
Kaye

Kittens and new cats should be kept in a small room for the first 1-2 weeks, until they can get used to the new living space. Introduce her to the rest of the house for a few minutes a day, supervised, increasing the time out a few minutes a day.

dmt4641

I know my cats get scared of the carrier, so I would not put her in the carrier directly after the litter box. She may associate it with something scary. If you have a laundry room or bathroom that you could keep her in with food and the litter box, I would start with that. I remember when we got our cats and they were little, we were told to introduce them to only part of the house at first until they got more comfortable. You may also try a different litter box or litter. Some cats like to dig deep so you need a deep box and lots of litter, some cats like covered boxes and some don't. They can be picky that way.

Paws4Luv

Try another brand of litter and/or put another cat box out.

SamanthaD1218

Are you using a very small, open litter box? While kitties are tiny, they aren't going to want to climb into a large or covered litter box. You can buy a small, shallow little box or even cut a cardboard box to fit your kitten. Instead of litter, use paper shavings. If you really want to stick with litter, try an unscented brand. Once it's all set up, introduce your kitty to it by gently placing her in or in front of it. Let her check it out or ignore it as she desires. It should be in a VERY open place so that she can get used to finding it and using it. Once she's in the habit of using it, you can put it in a corner or somewhere more discreet, and switch to a covered box or regular litter when she gets a little bigger.

Be sure not to yell at your kitten or get upset with her. She doesn't understand yet! Plus, yelling at her only makes her afraid of YOU, not inappropriate potty habits. She will get used to the new home in time. People who recommend confining her to a small space until she feels more comfortable are correct. Congrats on the new kitty - so exciting!!

I have a lot of experience with kittens and rescued cats - feel free to message me if you have any other questions or if these suggestions don't help.

amaysngrace

I am a kitty expert. I had two cats both started as kittens before I ended up being a mother. Anyhow, I would recommend that you have your kitten neutered or spayed. Whichever is the one you use for cats, not dogs. That will stop her peeing all over the furniture. Do not put her in the carrier when she doesn't go in the litter box. Cats are much different from dogs. She will not associate it positively or negatively. That is my recommendation.

jacque930

Take her to the vet. Make sure she does not have a urinary track infection. Not going in the litter box is a sign of infection.

Also, as others said.. confine to less rooms.. each time I have a kitten we start by putting them in an area of one or two rooms. It helps them to get to know the smells of their new home.

Trying another type of litter can be a source too.. find out what they were using where you obtained the cat.

Oh and for discipline, get a squirt bottle. Make sure it has a stream on it that can reach a decent distance. Kitten does something bad, squirt water from a distance, without saying anything. They get the picture pretty quickly.

kjo9692

You can try another brand of litter, it may be that. Also, is she spayed? How old is she? She might be marking her territory so this is why I ask too. But it just may be that she doesn't like that litter in particular.

nilbogger

Try putting out a few boxes with different types of litter. She may not like the type of litter, the location of the box or the type of box you're using.

Also make sure you have cleaned the areas where she's peed really well with an enzymatic cleaner. If those areas smell like her pee it will encourage her to keep going there.

jessakittyis

If you know what kind of litter the shelter was using then use that. She might not recognize the litter you are trying as litter at all. Also like other posters said, keep her in a small room at first. She's a tiny thing and even though it may seem obvious where the litter box is to you she may not know where it is/ how to find it all the time.

CynthiaT60

Have you shown her what she's supposed to do? By that I mean: put her in the box and gently help her scratch with her front feet.
Also, you might check with where she came from, about what brand of litter they used. Buy it and then gradually (mixing a bit more each time) switch to the kind you want.

Eleonora91

I think they're naturally going to turn to the litter box after a bit. If they're really young, it might take some time, I think you just need to put her in the litter box often. She'll understand in time.

MyOwnSunshine

I agree with others -- place the litter box in the bathroom and confine her to a small space until she gets the hang of it. Buy some pet odor neutralizing spray and use it liberally on your couch to remove as much of the smell as possible. Try a shallow, small litter box filled with unscented litter.

byrdiebee

Agree- put her in a smaller area, not where she is currently going. She will want to go were she smells she has gone before, so clean and mask that scent. If you can, put her litter box where she has gone before. You can slowly move it to where you want to keep it after she is using it regularly. Of our 3 current cats, I have one that will use throw rugs in kitchen and bathroom until I figured out he really doesn't like litter, so I keep one box for him with very shallow litter. I kept the rugs up for months until he was not mis-peeing anymore (what a word!!!) and now I can use rugs again. Good luck!

PRMinx

I went through this with one of my kittens (now a very happy, well-behaved cat). Out of nowhere, he started going in the sink.

The first thing I did was clean up and use a spray that kills off the protein so that he didn't smell it again. Just bleaching won't work.

Next, I looked around from his perspective to see if I could identify the problem. The box was covered and in an enclosed space. I moved the box out, uncovered it and put it in an open place in the house.

I also brought him to the vet to make sure there weren't any problems and I checked his paws to see if there were any cuts. Is your cat declawed? Mine are not, but declawed cats can have problems with harder litters.

Do you have other cats in the house? If so, you may need more litter boxes. I have two, so I now have four litter boxes (I'm lucky, I have a finished storage space with plenty of room).

Since I moved the box, he totally stopped and hasn't had an accident since...

OH! Last thing. Do NOT yell. They don't understand it anyway. Also, bad idea putting her in the carrier after the box. You don't want her to associate the box with a bad experience.

nilbogger

I think they're naturally going to turn to the litter box after a bit. If they're really young, it might take some time, I think you just need to put her in the litter box often. She'll understand in time.

Nope. My friend has a cat who's been peeing on the bed and now the couch for months.

NeverCatchYourBreath

I'd start with another brand/type of kitty litter. Maybe the place where you got her can share what they used? It probably was not quality stuff but it might be what she's used to.

this is a good idea. I never had a problem with my cats changing litter until recently and I had to slowly mix in the new litter with their old stuff so they wouldn't be upset about it. They would go in my suitcase or a cardboard box or my laundry basket, but never on my furniture. Cats are so finicky. Also try keeping her confined with the litter box and away from the furniture.

And you're definitely going to have to find something to get that scent out of the furtniture. You could also put double sided tape on your furniture where she has been going to use the bathroom. She won't like how that feels on her paws and she most likely will get away from it.

sunnshhiine

just break up.






.......oh wait. wrong thread.

spoons81

You can't scold a cat like a dog. They don't learn that way. You little kitty is probably just having a hard time remembering where their box is. Keep them contained in a smaller room until she finds her way! Or have multiple boxes through out your home.

NeverCatchYourBreath

I am a kitty expert. I had two cats both started as kittens before I ended up being a mother. Anyhow, I would recommend that you have your kitten neutered or spayed. Whichever is the one you use for cats, not dogs. That will stop her peeing all over the furniture. Do not put her in the carrier when she doesn't go in the litter box. Cats are much different from dogs. She will not associate it positively or negatively. That is my recommendation.

Being spayed or neutered isn't referring to cats vs. dogs. It's referring to male vs. female animals........

Spayed = female
Neutered = male

ChangingAmanda

Congrats on your new pet.

It could be the stress of the move that's causing her to act out. Also not going in the box could be a sign she has a urinary tract infection, which while uncommon at her age, can happen.

Look into the Kitten Attract litter which has herbal additives to attract them to the box. My mom's also found some stuff that you sprinkle into the litter you're already using that does the same thing as Kitten Attract but I don't recall the brand.

Also, keep her confined to a small area, laundry room or bathroom, until she learns. Could be that she's forgetting where the box is and going wherever. It'll also make clean-up of her accidents easier.

For where she's already gone, try cleaning it with a mixture of 1c hydrogen peroxide, 2 tsp baking soda, a drop or two of liquid dish soap (scale measurements as needed for size of the area as I've been told you can't save it for later). Use it on an inconspicuous spot first because hydrogen peroxide can cause color fade. If it's on the carpet, I just soak the area (and even step on it so it gets down into the padding) and vacuum up the residue once it's fully dry. For furniture, I use a white dish cloth to scrub the area. It'll get out both the stain and deodorize the area so she's not as likely to use the spot again.

Good luck!!

april1445

Put her in the box, and dig with her front paws for her--ours peed in their right away after I did that. At first, I kind of took her to her litter a couple of times a day and did this, like training a puppy. It took 2 days I'd say.

diverchic73

To second (third and fourth) the above:

1 - check what kind of litter she was using previously and use that.
2 - make sure the box is accessible to her (ie low enough for her to easily enter and exist)
3 - put her into a small room to acclimatize to the new smells and sounds
4 - use the same feed she was eating previously.

If the feed and litter she is used to is different than that you are using that can upset her stomach (causing the runs) and also she may not like the feel of the litter if it's a new kind. My cats are very picky about their litter.

When she has settled a little bit you can slowly change the food over to what you'd like to use in the future but remember the 'feel factor' regarding litter. Also, you can getting her used to having it's paws and teeth examined straight away as well to make those vet exams less stressful.

Make time to play and cuddle and handle your kitten, start building that bond now.

Oh, one tip for play time - don't use things you don't want her to think of as toys later on. My housemate thought playing with their earphone cable would be a great toy... now one of mine thinks all cables are chew toys and that the ear buds are little chewy things on the end *sigh*

Enjoy the little fluffy - all too soon she'll lose the kitten fluff and become a sleek independent cat.

SLLRunner

Hi! This is off topic I know but I really need some advice. I adopted an adorable kitten yesterday and was told she was litter box trained. I've provided her with a litter box and good clean quality litter but she refuses to use it. She's peed on my couch and my carpet and doodied their too. She's well mannered in every other way. The thing is I've never had a cat that wouldn't use the litter box so I'm not sure how to train her. She is 10 weeks old. Smart as a whip. When I catch her in the act I say loudly NO!!!! and then I pick her up and put her in her litter box. If she imediately gets out then I put her back in her carrier. She really doesn't like to be in her carrier. If I see her doing her business in the litter box I would praise her and NOT put her in the carrier. But if she doesn't do anything when I put her in the litter then in the carrier she goes. I hoping she'll associate the actions. What else can I do?? Jackson Galaxy where are you???:sad:

I'm a true blue lifetime kitty person (as you can tell from my profile picture). :bigsmile:

They might have kitty box trained her, but right now Kitty is just adjusting to the new home,. Her behavior is normal right now.

Keep her in one of your rooms for a few days with her water, food, and kitty litter box on the other side of the room. Every few hours you give her a visit in the room and put her in the kitty box, even if she does not have to go. Put down newspaper on some plastic too, just in case she doesn't get the kitty litter thing right away.

Don't yell at her. If you see her going on the floor, just kindly pick her up and put her in the kitty box. Just keep doing it. The lightbulb will go off.

Once she has the kitty box thing down let her venture into the rest of the house.

SLLRunner

I am a kitty expert. I had two cats both started as kittens before I ended up being a mother. Anyhow, I would recommend that you have your kitten neutered or spayed. Whichever is the one you use for cats, not dogs. That will stop her peeing all over the furniture. Do not put her in the carrier when she doesn't go in the litter box. Cats are much different from dogs. She will not associate it positively or negatively. That is my recommendation.

I agree with spaying, but that's not why she's peeing all over the place. She is reacting to her new home.

rml_16

Take her to the vet and make sure she doesn't have a UTI.

if she checks out healthy, try different litter. If you have other cats, make sure you have enough litterboxes, too.

rml_16

I am a kitty expert. I had two cats both started as kittens before I ended up being a mother. Anyhow, I would recommend that you have your kitten neutered or spayed. Whichever is the one you use for cats, not dogs. That will stop her peeing all over the furniture. Do not put her in the carrier when she doesn't go in the litter box. Cats are much different from dogs. She will not associate it positively or negatively. That is my recommendation.

I agree with spaying, but that's not why she's peeing all over the place. She is reacting to her new home.

Neuter is for males, spay is for females. It doesn't matter the species.

PRMinx

I am a kitty expert. I had two cats both started as kittens before I ended up being a mother. Anyhow, I would recommend that you have your kitten neutered or spayed. Whichever is the one you use for cats, not dogs. That will stop her peeing all over the furniture. Do not put her in the carrier when she doesn't go in the litter box. Cats are much different from dogs. She will not associate it positively or negatively. That is my recommendation.

I agree with spaying, but that's not why she's peeing all over the place. She is reacting to her new home.

Agreed. This is behavioral. Spaying won't help. Barring any medical issues like a UTI or paws that hurt, she is adjusting, learning and/or being picky about litter, box placement...heck, even the plastic bags under the litter can set some kittens off. Also, make sure the box is scooped cleaned everyday, if not twice a day.

leilaphoenix

Lock the kitten in the kitchen with litter tray until it learns. Also make sure that you clean the places where she has peed or pooed so that she cannot smell it and is tempted to go there again.