one kitten of three doesn't understand the litterbox

hey folks,
we have three 7-week old kittens who are all active and healthy. two of them started using the litterbox a while ago, but the third just doesn't seem to get it. we keep them in two adjoining rooms (one of which is our bedroom), the kitten keeps pooping under the bed.

i put another litterbox (shallow baking pan actually) on the spot he's been going (i cleaned the area well and treated it with nature's miracle). yesterday, somebody used it so i thought our problems were solved. well today, he's pooped next to it. i'm using world's best cat litter.

their mom doesn't like the smaller litterbox so she uses the one in the basement, but she will scratch around in their boxes, so i know he's seen the behavior properly modeled. but it's still not sinking in. i've tried placing him in the box and showing him how to dig, but still no sign of comprehension.

i'd somehow be less worried if all 3 kittens didn't use the litterbox, but he's the only culprit. he seems otherwise as smart as his brothers, not to mention the fact that he always seems to wait until we're out of the room to do it! does anyone have any idea what to do? i'm starting ton inquire about adopting them out and it's not a good selling point if he's not litter-trained

Patience is key. Keep up what you are doing. He sounds like a slow learner at this. BEST OF LUCK, and keep us posted. Maybe others on TCS will have more helpful info than I do.

Seven weeks old is too young to be adopted out anyway. Its better they stay with mom and siblings for another 3-5 weeks (10-12 weeks old). They will learn a lot of important things other then how to use a litter pan.

I'd confine the kitten to a crate with litter pan till he gets the idea. Kittens will make mistakes for the first few months - that's why its important to keep them till they learn everything.

just an update: i decided to experiment with different litter, so i tried the basic clay nonclumping stuff. one litterbox has this, the other has clay litter mixed with some potting soil. i also sprinkled catnip onto the litter. the offending kitten was very interested in the soil-infused litter box (even though he's never been outdoors in his life!), and scratched in it a bit and generally played around the box. i have yet to personally see him use the box but it has been pooped in twice since yesterday so odds are good it was him (it was covered up, the other kittens are fastidious about burying everything).

oh, and they won't be going anywhere for another couple of weeks! just getting commitment from their future humans!

Sounds like "the offending kitten" (I don't feel comfortable calling him that, but don't know his name...) is keyed into his ancestral side ! btw, this site has a lot of good links to cleaning products, catboxes, and related products. You might want to check them out!