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Serious Problem

post #1 of 22
8/29/09 at 7:20pm
Thread Starter 
I don't know if this is the right category but I need some advice.

We got two kittens after the kitten I found passed away. It's been a week and I don't think I can do it any more.

Today I left to go to the store and we had family members over. Well one kitten must have gotten over this barrier my husband put up and pooped on our mattress. I was in the process of washing/drying our sheets, blankets, and mattress protector.

One of the little kids went into our room as no adults were watching them. The kid jumped around my bed with the poop on her shoes and clothes and now our $600 mattress is basically ruined. My husband is stating get rid of the kittens, he can't deal with it any more.

My first question is why does this kitten poop on my bed and blankets all the time?

Also, if I am forced to get rid of the kittens, what do I do with them? I feel like it's not their fault and I also feel like she may have gotten over the barrier but couldn't get back over to poop and had to poop somewhere.

I keep telling my husband to forget the barrier to keep them in one side of the room because it isn't working, but he will never listen to me, but again this is typical.

I'm at my wits end and thinking that this is the reason I never did animals.
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post #2 of 22
8/29/09 at 7:27pm
If her litter was not clean, she might prefer the feel of the bed on her paws. Young kittens should be kept in a small area where they can easily find and get in their litter box. On that I would agree with your husband.

Sounds to me more like you should get rid of the kid, rather than the kittens.
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post #3 of 22
8/29/09 at 7:38pm
Thread Starter 
the kid is gone.

no one who was here is willing to take responsiblity. they keep saying that it was the kitten's fault. however, the kitten had no poop what-so-ever on her. it was smeared poop on my mattress. i know that it was the kid who got the poop on her.

if she wasn't in my room, there would have been a small spot of poop which i still would have been upset about but it would have been better than being everywhere.

i don't think my husband will let me keep them now. unfortunately we do not have a spare bathroom to put them in and keep them in there. it's just not an option. i don't want to take them to the cat shelter but i worry in trying to find new home for them that the new owner won't take care of them and they may get rid of them.

does anyone have some good solid advice on how to deal with this situation? how do i get poop out of my mattress? i have been using heavy duty carpet cleaner and it seems like it's working a little but the stench is still there.
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post #4 of 22
8/29/09 at 7:42pm
You need an enzyme cleaner, specifically made for pet accidents. Even if you can no longer smell it the kittens still will if you use other cleaners and they will then re-soil the area.

How old are the kittens? They will need several litter pans around the house if they are quite young.

Younger kittens will often soil on the bed, you may want to keep them out of the bedroom until they are litter trained.
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post #5 of 22
8/29/09 at 8:18pm
Thread Starter 
well i thought they were litter trained because they use the litter box. we live in an upstairs with family.. it's basically an open area on the second level of a house. hard to explain but we have them blocked off in one side with the litter box but the accidents happen when well one of them jumps the barrier or climbs her way over into our side where there is not a litter box.

i'm thinking what you said and we should get another litter box to put in our side.


i did talk to my husband and we're going to keep the kittens but it's just more than i bargained for. i never remember having this trouble with animals when i was younger lol.

the kittens are about 8 weeks i would have to guess. maybe 7 weeks. a woman i know gave them to me because of several reasons.

i don't have an enzyme cleaner but i will definitely go tomorrow. i had to use resolve carpet cleaner and dial or palmolive soap, can't remember.

should we use the enzyme cleaner on our blankets and sheets as well?

also my last question being, we have a dog cage that is big enough for a golden retreiver to comfortably fit in. would it be acceptable to keep the kittens in there with water, food and the litter box? as i stated earlier, i don't have a small area really to confine them in. this is the only thing i can think of. keep them in there and we can take them out and play with them while we're here but keep them in there when we are gone.

most important i guess is the last question and the enzyme cleaner..

i really do appreciate the feedback i get from this site. i am not really a cat person so this is all really new to me. i appreciate everyone's help and try not to judge me (not saying anyone would) because i have no clue what i am doing when it comes to this type of stuff.
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post #6 of 22
8/29/09 at 9:29pm
Baby kittens are a real challenge. They really shouldn't leave their mother until they're 10-12 weeks old, for obvious reasons.

It's certainly acceptable to crate the kitties until the're old enough to run loose. I prefer to confine kittens whne unsupervised until their litterbox habits are firmly set (usually 14-16 weeks). Though I usually keep them in the spare bathroom, a large dog crate should be fine, as long as there's enough room for everything. You can add a "second level" shelf if you're handy. That's how the local animal shelter keeps cats---in a large dog crate with a shelf.
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post #7 of 22
8/29/09 at 9:53pm
At 7 weeks, you can't expect them to know any better. That's like telling an almost potty trained child to hold it 5 minutes & walk across a mall to go to the potty - it just isn't going to happen. The kitten may well have simply been out exploring - and had to go potty - with a whole lot of space between her & the box.

I suggest setting up several litterboxes, you can remove them slowly (if necessary) once they are 100% litter trained.

Keeping them in a crate, IMO, while not ideal, will suffice. Keep a close eye on them & put them in the litterboxes often.
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post #8 of 22
8/30/09 at 4:18am
When I brought Symphony and Amadeus home they were 8 weeks old. In the pet shop they had a litter box and the pet shop owner promised me they were litter trained. Some promise.

Amadeus and Symphony used to clamber behind the TV and poop/wee in the corner. I kept having to clean up and use a lot of carpet cleaner and air freshner. I remember I had a pile of books in the opposite corner of the room and they stained them.

I got to the point of thinking I don't know if I can keep these two kittens. The house is stinking and they just arn't learning!

You know what I did, I took them both into the kitchen with a litter tray and left them in there for a couple of weeks slowly allowing them the rein of the house a few tens of minutes at a time. Gradually building the time they were allowed through out the house by ten minutes each day (provided they had no accidents).

Now they never poop on the carpet!

Also litter trays you need 1 tray per cat and an extra one.. Please don't give up on these babies.. every one deserves a second chance..!!
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post #9 of 22
8/30/09 at 5:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiberius709 View Post
the kid is gone.

no one who was here is willing to take responsiblity. they keep saying that it was the kitten's fault. however, the kitten had no poop what-so-ever on her. it was smeared poop on my mattress. i know that it was the kid who got the poop on her.

if she wasn't in my room, there would have been a small spot of poop which i still would have been upset about but it would have been better than being everywhere.

i don't think my husband will let me keep them now. unfortunately we do not have a spare bathroom to put them in and keep them in there. it's just not an option. i don't want to take them to the cat shelter but i worry in trying to find new home for them that the new owner won't take care of them and they may get rid of them.

does anyone have some good solid advice on how to deal with this situation? how do i get poop out of my mattress? i have been using heavy duty carpet cleaner and it seems like it's working a little but the stench is still there.
Get a cat playpen TODAY!! If the problem is not having a place to confine them when you cannot watch them, then this could be the first step! You'll still have to reverse the bed-pooping behavior, but for now if they cannot get to it, it won't happen. CLOSE bedroom doors as well. I don't think a kitten could/would smear poop everywhere...first of all, the kitten would be too small and second of all they are such CLEAN ANIMALS (much cleaner than children!) I can't imagine a kitten WANTING to do that! Give these young kittens a chance..give them boundaries. It's the humans' fault, not the kittens' I have an almost six month old kitten and she has a playpen where she sleeps at night. She used to stay in it while we were away as well (to keep her safe from things she could get into), but we don't need to do that anymore. The playpen keeps her from nocturnal mischief and she loves to sleep in her hammock in the cage. She has never EVER had an accident anywhere in this house! I also keep the boxes (2) clean by scooping 2-3 times a day.
I hope you can talk your husband into keeping them Good luck!
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post #10 of 22
8/30/09 at 5:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiberius709 View Post
well i thought they were litter trained because they use the litter box. we live in an upstairs with family.. it's basically an open area on the second level of a house. hard to explain but we have them blocked off in one side with the litter box but the accidents happen when well one of them jumps the barrier or climbs her way over into our side where there is not a litter box.

i'm thinking what you said and we should get another litter box to put in our side.


i did talk to my husband and we're going to keep the kittens but it's just more than i bargained for. i never remember having this trouble with animals when i was younger lol.

the kittens are about 8 weeks i would have to guess. maybe 7 weeks. a woman i know gave them to me because of several reasons.

i don't have an enzyme cleaner but i will definitely go tomorrow. i had to use resolve carpet cleaner and dial or palmolive soap, can't remember.

should we use the enzyme cleaner on our blankets and sheets as well?

also my last question being, we have a dog cage that is big enough for a golden retreiver to comfortably fit in. would it be acceptable to keep the kittens in there with water, food and the litter box? as i stated earlier, i don't have a small area really to confine them in. this is the only thing i can think of. keep them in there and we can take them out and play with them while we're here but keep them in there when we are gone.

most important i guess is the last question and the enzyme cleaner..

i really do appreciate the feedback i get from this site. i am not really a cat person so this is all really new to me. i appreciate everyone's help and try not to judge me (not saying anyone would) because i have no clue what i am doing when it comes to this type of stuff.
Aw, boy they are really YOUNG!! (I love older kittens!) I'm glad to hear you've decided to keep them. Now I see you really can't close off the "bedroom". Yes, use the cage, but a cat playpen would be better b/c it is larger (taller) and comes with perches and you can hang a hammock like I did! As small as they are and with their being two of them, they'll have a blast in their playpen! Just make sure they get all the free time they need when you're home or not sleeping and can't watch them. At this age they are so little and so are their bladders and they can't hold pee/poo for very long. Not their faults Take heart, they will be wonderful grown cats some day!! How about some pictures??? Please!!
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post #11 of 22
8/30/09 at 7:17am
Terrific advice, already, don't have anything to add just now, but want to tell you thank you for taking in these babies, and hurray for you for deciding to see it through. Except, but sure to give them a LOT of interactive play time when you are home, kittens need to run and play, and go and go and go almost constantly until they crash and sleep and sleep and sleep!

Get them used to being handled by you right away, including touching their paws so you can trim their nails. the more they are handled, and the more attention they get from you, the easier they will be to train.

You will be well rewarded with years of unconditional love and companionship, and entertainment.

What are the kittens' names? Have they been to the vet yet? I advise you to get them in for a check up and get their vaccinations started. they probably need to be dewormed.

And start thinking about when you will get them spayed/neutered. If you have both a male and female, the female should be spayed at four months to prevent accidental pregnancy. The male can be neutered around 6 months. Kittens don't care if they are littermates!

.
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post #12 of 22
8/30/09 at 8:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Allmycats View Post
Get a cat playpen TODAY!! If the problem is not having a place to confine them when you cannot watch them, then this could be the first step! You'll still have to reverse the bed-pooping behavior, but for now if they cannot get to it, it won't happen. CLOSE bedroom doors as well. I don't think a kitten could/would smear poop everywhere...first of all, the kitten would be too small and second of all they are such CLEAN ANIMALS (much cleaner than children!) I can't imagine a kitten WANTING to do that! Give these young kittens a chance..give them boundaries. It's the humans' fault, not the kittens' I have an almost six month old kitten and she has a playpen where she sleeps at night. She used to stay in it while we were away as well (to keep her safe from things she could get into), but we don't need to do that anymore. The playpen keeps her from nocturnal mischief and she loves to sleep in her hammock in the cage. She has never EVER had an accident anywhere in this house! I also keep the boxes (2) clean by scooping 2-3 times a day.
I hope you can talk your husband into keeping them Good luck!

Great advice, thank you!

Where would I find a cat playpen and do you know how much they cost?

I would love that idea. I know the kitten didn't spread the poop, she was sooooooo clean when I came home that I knew she couldn't have done it. Plus like you said she is way too small to "smear."

I am going to look into the playpen, but for now I am going to keep them in the cage while they are unsupervised.

I love playing with them and so does my husband, we just get frustrated when we see pee or poop somewhere but we understand that they are just babies. =)
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post #13 of 22
8/30/09 at 8:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
What are the kittens' names? Have they been to the vet yet? I advise you to get them in for a check up and get their vaccinations started. they probably need to be dewormed.

And start thinking about when you will get them spayed/neutered. If you have both a male and female, the female should be spayed at four months to prevent accidental pregnancy. The male can be neutered around 6 months. Kittens don't care if they are littermates!

.
They are both girls, their names are Ezri and Jadzia (we are big Star Trek fans ). We are going to take them to the vet this week.

We will definitely get them spayed once they are old enough. We are trying to figure out how to deal with the claw thing as we do not want to get them de-clawed.

I will post a picture of them soon. =)
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post #14 of 22
8/30/09 at 8:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RussianKitten View Post

Please don't give up on these babies.. every one deserves a second chance..!!
Even though the kitten pooped on my bed (in one little spot) I couldn't fault her and the other one for the kid smearing it everywhere.

I will continue to give these little girls chances, even though I stepped in poop this morning after cleaning the litter box. lol

Sometimes I clean it out and they poop not even a foot away from it on a towel or blanket. Hoping the cage or maybe cat playpen will solve that for the time being.
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post #15 of 22
8/30/09 at 11:01am
When you are cuddling and spending time with your kitties, play with their paws and get them used to having their paws touched. Start clipping their claws by taking the tips off. You should be able to see the pink part - don't clip too close to that. I used small human nail clippers and clip from side to side rather than from top to bottom to avoid splitting the claw. They probably will never "enjoy" having their claws clipped but they can be taught to tolerate it. Hold them between your legs with their butt on the chair and their back against your tummy. While holding them with one arm under their front paw and holding that paw, gently press on the toes to get the claws to come out and clip with the other hand. A light touch on the toes is the secret. As you get used to doing it, it will become a much faster job and the clirerioooooooooooooooooooooooop;[[[[[p['/ (oops, Bijou wanted to add his comment there), clipping will take just a few seconds.

We are an anti-declawing site so we thank you for not declawing.
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post #16 of 22
8/30/09 at 12:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiberius709 View Post
Hoping the cage or maybe cat playpen will solve that for the time being.
Since confining a cat to a small area with a litter box and food dishes is a common, and effective, retraining method I think that the cage or pen will solve the litter problem.

Sounds like they just can't get to the box in time (since it's behind the gate) and so have gotten into a bad habit of going where ever they happen to be. The confinement will likely nip that in the bud, as cats do not like to soil where they eat or sleep.

Please do keep us posted on Ezri and Jadzia!
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post #17 of 22
8/30/09 at 4:50pm
I think the large dog cage will work well - also, you might try Kitten Attract litter for them as well, but I suspect it's more that they just can't get to the tray quickly enough when they're in the bigger area...also, sometimes, like little kids, they may get so involved with playing that the 'forget' to go until they just have to. You can get Kitten Attract at Petsmart, at least in my area.

Bless you and your husband for opening up your hearts and home to all these babies and for trying so hard. And, BTW, the enyzme cleaners are wonderful for just about any stain in the home - pet or non-pet! Oh, for smell alone, I've had wonderful luck with a product called Zero Odor (Bed Bath & Beyond carries it) - again, works on a multitude of odors. A little pricey, but you don't use much, and BB&B will take it back if it doesn't work for you.
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post #18 of 22
8/31/09 at 4:45am
You can get a cat playpen at a large pet supply store such as Petsmart for example. Midwest makes them and so does Kennelaire. You can also order them online. The price varies anywhere from just under 100 to around 160. I paid around 129 for mine at my local Feeders Supply. GOOD LUCK!!
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post #19 of 22
9/5/09 at 6:06am
Thread Starter 
Just a quick update on Ezri and Jadzia:

It's been I think almost a week since we started keeping them in the cage while they are unsupervised and let me tell you, it is working! =)

I am still trying to save some money to get a playpen because even online they are so expensive! =( We took a box and cut holes in it and they love that, it's so funny to watch them jump in and out of it, bat at eachother, etc!

So in almost a week since we started doing this, they have had ZERO accidents. We will keep them out to play for hours during the day (my husband works evenings, I work all day).

I'm so excited that we are actually doing something right and I haven't had one day where I was so angry that I stepped in pee or poop or they did their business on my bed. lol. We have been teaching them that they don't go on the bed. It's working because before they would try to get on the bed try after try after try, relentlessly! I've only had to get one down 3 times so far since the "accident."

We haven't been able to get them into the vet yet but that's my next task. I think they definitely need to get wormer and possibly be old enough for all the other stuff. I still can't pinpoint how old they are but I definitely know they are 8 weeks at least but they might be older. I'll give an update on that as well.

We started giving them a little bit of canned food but keep dry food out for them. Is this a good idea? You all are cat experts so I need your advice on this one!

Also, regarding food, we have been feeding them Science Diet, however, they struggle a little bit with the kibble and I was curious if anyone ever tried Royal Canin Baby Cat which I know has tiny kibble and is softer? But I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to give them Royal Canin kibble but Science Diet canned food? I'm so new to this that I don't really know! lol

I was surprised that they didn't get any diarrhea once we introduced the kibble and then the canned food because it always seemed like it happened to me with kittens before.

Oh, here is a picture of them in the box they love! =) Ezri is on the left and Jadzia is on the right.

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post #20 of 22
9/5/09 at 6:50am
They are adorable! I'm so glad to hear they are doing better with the litter box.

Even if you trim their claws, cats love to scratch. Be sure to get them something to scratch on. My older kitty just loves those cardboard scratchers. My little one prefers to scratch upright, so she has a sisal covered scratching post.
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post #21 of 22
9/5/09 at 6:56am
Aww, they are so cute! That box is perfect! So clever of you! And intuitive, really.

I'm glad the kenneling is working, it sounds like they are still getting plenty of time to run and play. You may not ever need the bigger pen, if things keep going as they are, it sounds like soon they will understand about the litter box, and that they will be big enough to get to one when they need it.

I feed both canned and dry kibble to my cats, but I don't free feed at all, I feed scheduled feedings. Food preferences and feeding methods vary greatly between cat people so you will probably get plenty of opnions.

Generally it's best to feed the highest quality you can afford, look for foods with meat and meat meal (such as chicken, chicken meal) as the first two ingredients, no wheat or wheat gluten, no by products. There are less choices for kittens than adult cats. some of the "premium" brands have "all life stages" foods, but most vets say kitten food for a full year, or until they reach 8 pounds.
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post #22 of 22
9/5/09 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom View Post
They are adorable! I'm so glad to hear they are doing better with the litter box.

Even if you trim their claws, cats love to scratch. Be sure to get them something to scratch on. My older kitty just loves those cardboard scratchers. My little one prefers to scratch upright, so she has a sisal covered scratching post.
Yes, definitely look into getting (or building) a nice cat tree for them, something they can jump and climb on and scratch to their heart's content!

Cats do need their own furniture, along with plenty of box forts!.
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