Bengal kitten using water bowl as litter box..

rare1

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We have a 13 week old Bengal girl named Ebi. Over the past couple days she started urinating and defecating in her water bowl.

She has tritrichomonas, and we are treating her with ronidazole. Her behavior has not changed at all besides this. She is eating well and everything else seems fine.

I even witnessed her drinking the water right before she urinated in it.

We keep changing her litter box, up to 3 times a day, and wash them in between. She will use it sometimes, but has used the water bowl 4 times in the past two days.

I have tried a different water bowl and the same thing happened this morning.

Has anyone else experienced this, or does anyone have some tips?
 

snosrap5

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I thought Ebi was a kitten? She is an F-1 correct? If she is then this really is very very normal for a F-1 or 2 Bengal to use her water bowl as a litter pan.

I will try to find an article that was sent to me about EG Bengals.
 
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rare1

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Originally Posted by snosrap5

I thought Ebi was a kitten? She is an F-1 correct? If she is then this really is very very normal for a F-1 or 2 Bengal to use her water bowl as a litter pan.

I will try to find an article that was sent to me about EG Bengals.
Oops!

It was supposed to be 13 weeks....Yes she is an F1, but up until now she has been using her litter box perfectly.

Thanks!
 

snosrap5

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I'm interested in getting an F-3 or 4 bengal with in the next year. So I have been doing a lot of research and reading about the EG Bengals and everything so far has said the EG's all use a water source to defecate.

I wonder if it was a fluke that she even used the litter-box for the time she did.
 

larke

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Have you considered training her to use the toilet - lots of cats do now, and she might appreciate the point. The trouble though might be to get her to use a litter box at graduated heights before she actually goes potty, but if there is some way to rig a wide but not deep shallow bowl of water for her to use permanently as a 'box' (but make sure she has water from i.e. one of those fountain or free running water dispensers could you live with that? After all, we use a bowl of water, we just also flush afterwards. I'd intro. her to it with urine already in it, so she gets the point, and maybe after she had a go at the water dispenser for drinking.
 

kai bengals

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Contact your breeder that you got Ebi from. They are the best source to advise you.

You have a 50% ALC running around your house. They use water to drink and also to do their business in. ALC's are famous for this. It's instinctual and you won't be able to modify her behavior, but you may be able to make the litter pan her second best choice.

Invest in a pet water fountain, so it's not so easy for her to use as a toilet.
Maybe she'll revert back to the litter pan.

You might give her access to the tub with a small amount of water in the bottom. Kinda gross, but better than having her find inappropriate spots in your home to use.
 
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rare1

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I think I can blame myself for this. We gave her a larger water bowl because she kept flipping the smaller one when she was playing. I think she may have seen this as her "great new toilet".

I think I am going to get some type of fountain type so there will not be standing water to tempt her. If not, I think I might have to create some type of water litter box like you suggested.

If anyone has any ideas....please chime in!
 

snosrap5

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I don't have any ideas but I am curious. Does she get completely in the water? Feet and all? That makes for a very wet kitty.

Off topic a little bit but our Iguana is water box trained and I know when she goes she's completely in the water. There is no balancing on the edge or anything.
 
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rare1

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Originally Posted by snosrap5

I don't have any ideas but I am curious. Does she get completely in the water? Feet and all? That makes for a very wet kitty.

Off topic a little bit but our Iguana is water box trained and I know when she goes she's completely in the water. There is no balancing on the edge or anything.
When I observed it she was drinking her water, with both paws in the bowl (of course
) and then she did some type of balancing act on the edge of the bowl land tucked her bum over the bowl.

Strangely enough it was very cute to watch.....

Ebi loves water so much, she will come completely into the shower with us and ends up looking like the cutest drown rat I have ever seen.

Also, she loves everyone that comes over. You have never seen so many head butts and kisses before. She is really a great kitty!!
 
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rare1

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Here is a pic of the monster!

 

goldenkitty45

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In the meantime, can you put her water bowl up higher - like on a small stool or stepstool - something where she could reach to drink but would not be capable of getting on the same area to pee in there?
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by 4meezers3kids

Ooooh, what a stunning beastling!!!

This thread is fascinating! I had no idea Bengals preferred to do their biz in water!
ONLY the early generations ... commonly called F1-F-3 ... the kitty in the Pic is a F1 and is 56% ( correct me ) asian leapord cat

many small wild cats do there "thing" in water
 

siggav

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She's gorgeous!

..and yes like has been covered already the early generation cats often use water rather than normal litterboxes, it's one of the things you have to be prepared to deal with when you get an early generation cat like she is. You might be able to train her to use your toilet.

I think the wild cat instinctually tries to use water to hide their tracks. It's the same need to not leave scent around that makes normal domestics cover their stuff in the litterbox.
 

alwaysaangel

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Out of curiosity - can someone explain (or point me to a link) about this early generation thing...

Does that mean she's not the result of a Bengal x Bengal but the result of the original animals that were crossed to get a Bengal?
 
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rare1

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Originally Posted by alwaysaangel

Out of curiosity - can someone explain (or point me to a link) about this early generation thing...

Does that mean she's not the result of a Bengal x Bengal but the result of the original animals that were crossed to get a Bengal?
Her dad was an Asian Leopard Cat and her mom was bengal. So she is a little more than 50% ALC blood.
 
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