Okay these kitties wont be staying if they do this again

Oh no..

The other day or new tabby 12 week old (supposed to be litter trained) kitten Jackson , He peed on my mums bed , okay so maybe he was unsettled.. or some thing , but we showed him the litter tray and no more bed problems..

Today i went into my mums room to get a towel for a shower out of the airing cuboard. And smack bang in the middle of my mums bed was a pile of poop..

Now both Jackson and Dolly (his sister) were sat in my mums room watching me clean and strip the bed.

I have closed and locked the bedroom doors and are keeping the kitties downstairs.. but if they keep pooing and peeing in odd places as well as using the trays then they will have to go..

I love them already but , they have no excuse they use the litter tray(s)
and are happy playing downstairs so why do this?
Jess x

With knowledge and patience you can solve this issue...
Here is some info. from a sticky threat at the top of the Behavior Forum.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9563

I will move this to the behaviour forum where more people will be able to help you

Originally Posted by junior_j

they have no excuse they use the litter tray(s)

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Actually they do have an excuse, they are just babies Many kittens seem to find the bed an irresistible place to potty so it's probably best to keep them out of there until they are older and add a few more litter pans so they can easily get to one when needed.

Also make sure to clean the bed with an enzyme cleaner or they'll still be able to smell it and want to remark there.

Thanks , its just frustrating knowing they are litter trained and have loads of litter pans to go in , and they do go in them , they eat and drink the same time as the others , there always a pan to hand yet they choose the bed , silly little stinkers lol.

But there irriestable eyes makes me forgive them
Jess x

Yes please be patient with them, they are still growing babies and don't yet have full complete control of their bodies.

Please keep in mind, when you do catch one of the kittens in the act, please don't yell at them. It will only frighten and confuse them. Remember, in the kitten's mind she is doing something perfectly normal and won't understand why she's being yelled at. Also she may start to think you are mad because she is relieving himself, not because she is in he wrong spot. This can lead to the kitten hiding when they go to relieve themselves.

No matter what anybody says *never* rub a cat's or even a dog's nose in it. It's a very cruel thing to do and very counterproductive. Again the kitten won't understand why she's being punished and she will start to think doing her business is a "bad" thing and she will start looking for places to hide so she can "go" without you being around. (I'm sure you yourself have never done this, I'm just trying to explain why it's not a good idea, because some people just don't understand what they are doing when they give out this kind of advice).

When you do catch one of them getting ready or even in the act, just quickly pick her up and bring her to the litter tray. If she then pees, praise her and even maybe offer her a treat. If she was already peeing when this happens, just bring him the tray anyways. In time she will start to realize that she needs to be peeing outside.

Another trick is that if you find some of their poop, don't throw it away. Instead put it outside at the spot where you want him to go. The scent of his poop there, will tell them that that is where they are supposed to be doing their business.

Line the areas where he has already done his business with aluminum foil. Most cats don't like walking on it and it should help to deter him.

Also make sure the trays are kittin sized, ie, they can easily get in and out of them. and that they can easily get to them quickly. Remember to them your house is the equivalent of a shopping mall!

Last but not least, please don't wash the trays out with heavy chemicals like bleach or other disinfectants It's best to use plain dish soap and hot water. Harsh bleach and other types of disinfecting chemicals may seem like a good idea to us, but despite heavy rinsing, traces of the chemical's smell will remain and tend to repulse the cat as their sense of smell is very sensitive. Another to explain it is that it disrupts the "ph balance" of their litter box, for lack of a better term.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice

I have not got the heart to rub noses or even yell at my animals , but i know a lot do..

The litter pans get cleaned 1-2 times a day , with washing up liquid and boiling water.

They have the biggest sized hooded litter tray you can buy and they all know how to get in and out , plenty of room , and usually clean but with there smell..

Its just when you see a lump of poo or puddle of pee on your pillow you get a bit tetchy , when i caught him i brought him straight to the litter tray , also after eating and drinking if they have not been in the pan for more then 30 minutes i put them in it and they tend to just go lol.

Bedroom doors are locked now , maybe when there older and tolieting outside they can have some access to the cosie human beds they love , in the mean time , they have plenty of cat beds and quiet places they can play , sleep , eat in
Jess x

Hi. I'm guessing from your original post that you have at least 3 kittens. Until they get older they may have trouble getting to the litter tray on time - after all they are just babies. You say you have a large covered litter tray. With 3 kittens you should have at least 3 trays placed in different areas of the house so they can get to the potty in time when they need to go. The general rule of thumb is 1 litter tray for each cat plus one extra. We have 2 cats and 2 litter pans so we don't exactly follow the rules.

The trays (as another poster pointed out) need to be shallow sided so the kittens can access it easily. Clean all the areas they have messed with a good enzyme cleaner - otherwise they will still smell the urine and poo and think it is OK to still go there.

Let us know how you make out.

Also...some kitties do not like covered boxes.

just a thought but like it was said some cats dont like hoods on their litter I know both my cats like their litter now that we took the lid off so maybe try that

Going to the toilet on the bed can be a sign of insecurity, because it is where humans sleep they view it as the safest place in the house (on the basis that we sleep in there every night so we feel safe enough there to not have to stay alert).

It is not uncommon for young kittens to choose to go on the bed if they cannot remember where the litter tray is, if they are feeling unsettled about being away from mum and in a new home, if they are feeling intimidated by another cat or kitten, or if they can smell strange cats outside (maybe if they are spraying nearby) and find it threatening. Because it's often due to insecurity, stress, or new home nerves, it's easy to see that making a fuss about it could make the problem worse rather than better.

One of my boys went through a phase when he was a youngster of peeing on the bed at night while we were asleep, we had 2 weeks of waking up most nights with him peeing on our legs, which was quite distressing for all of us! We worked out that he had a number of stresses including being introduced to our other cat, a change in my work schedule, amongst other things. Once he had got used to the changes in routine, the peeing stopped.

There are things that you can do to help the culprit grow out of this behaviour-
Make sure there is a litter tray within view of the bed
Use a mix of covered and uncovered trays, some cats have very strong preferences for one over the other (none of mine will use a covered tray!)
Obviously don't let the trays get messy, but also don't scoop right away after they've been - it may seem contrary to normal advice but especially with kittens leaving a little soiled litter in the tray will help to remind them that it is where they should go. Also if they poo anywhere else put the poo in the nearest tray and leave it there for a while rather than disposing of it.
Make sure you have sufficient litter trays - 1 per cat plus 1, out of sight of each other - this prevents a dominant individual from guarding 'his' toilet. Even a distant stare from another cat will put a more submissive individual off using that tray.
Try using cat attract litter or litter additive
Thoroughly clean the soiled bedding with biological detergent and use machine washable mattress protectors, you can get nice soft fleecy ones these days.
Give treats on the beds, or if they are on dry food that won't make a mess put the bowls on the beds - it goes against every instinct a cat has to go to the toilet where he eats

It is frustrating, but I am sure it is just down to them being babies, most grow out of it

Originally Posted by junior_j

The litter pans get cleaned 1-2 times a day , with washing up liquid and boiling water.

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Are you taking out the litter and washing it out 1-2 times a day? I don't think you need to do that, seems excessive and they may not like it that clean. Most people seem to only do that once a week at most.

Just a random thought - not really to add more to the thread as there's already been plenty of great advice. But has anyone ever babysat young children or have some of their own? I've never once heard a parent or someone baby sitting a young child that should be toilet trained but has an accident now and then threaten to get rid of the child.

Just something I wanted to throw out there, and it ties in elsewhere in discussions about people having unreal expectations of an animal.

I agree, the kittens may be avoiding the litterbox because it is covered (most cats dislike that) and being washed too often. And the sides may be too high for small kittens.