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Help Please!!! New kitten not using litterbox!

post #1 of 13
2/28/10 at 1:39pm
Thread Starter 
Hello all!

I found this forum using a google search for my kitten who is defecating in the house. Here is a little backstory about her...

We adopted her on valentines day from the local aspca. The lady who adopted her to my husband and I didn't really seem to care for us because we are a military family and we lived in an apartment and we are newlyweds. She made this obvious but we were in love with this little girl. She is 8ish months old and was found thrown away in a dumpster a few months ago. When she was in her cage at the shelter she would sleep in her litter box, which I thought was odd but whatever.

When we got her home she was very very anxious, understandably. We set up her litter box and her food in our office room. We kept her in there for a for a little while so she could just get used to us before introducing her to the rest of the house. We noticed after 48ish hours she hasn't eaten really or used the bathroom. We brought her into the living room and while playing she peed on the couch. We immediately brought her to her litter box and she peed and pooped in there (she has the kitten attract litter in there too) and for a whole week she didn't have any issues eating or using the bathroom after that and we just associated the little accident with her being nervous.

A little more about her, she gets scared VERY easily. She loves to hide and really doesn't like to be held. She would be perfectly content just staying in our office (the first room she was introduced to) every day and has no issues when we keep her in there when we are gone. She doesn't really like to cuddle much and prefers to just hide. She likes to play with toys by herself; if you try to play with her toys with her she just stops playing and stares at you like things are no fun anymore. She doesn't scratch things but will pull her claws out the second you try to pick her up. Don't get me wrong, I love her but she has just a completely different personality than any of the cats I have grown up with.

Fast forward to her well kitty vet visit a little over a week ago. At the vet she was nervous and anxious the whole time there. She cried and cried and cried which she never does. When we got her home she was MAD at my husband and I for days and wouldn't come out of hiding and made a huge mess with her food. She checked out fine, got a shot, had a stool check and some kind of oral medication. I also got some revolution flea and tick stuff for her there which I put on her when we got home and she was not happy about.

On Tuesday when my husband was getting ready for work he noticed that the cat had pooped on his jacket which was on the floor. (The joke for a while was that the cat knew I didn't like clothes on the floor and was trying to help teach my husband a lesson) then on Friday while she was playing she pooped on the bathmat and tracked it down the hall. I left to go on a trip yesterday and I got a call from my husband last night that she pooped on the blanket on the couch.

Sooo, now I have no clue what to do. I knew she was a high anxiety cat and read online that her pooping could be due to that. I called the vet and asked and they said we could bring her back in but I'm afraid to because this behavior started after the vet trip and she was JUST there and they said that she was in great health. Should I take her back to the vet even though she stresses out about it so much? Could there be something that went wrong in that week that the vet didn't catch? Things I read online that could help are

-keeping her in "her room" (the office) for about a week and then very slowly reintroduce her to the rest of the house.
-put out another litterbox
-try the feliway plugin
-don't scold her because this will just increase her anxiety
-place her food by where she keeps pooping because cats don't like to use the restroom where they eat
-try different litters
-scooping her box more often, but we have an automatic box so that shouldn't be the issue.

I'm still out of town but so far my husband is keeping her in "her room" and he is going out to buy a new litter (any suggestions?). I don't know what else to do. She does a good job of using the litter box when she is in her room so I don't know if that is working yet.

HELP PLEASE!!! I love this little girl but we can't have her pooping all over our apartment. I understand that she is an anxious little girl and I totally get that because of her rough start to life. help.

~Thanks in advance!!!!
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post #2 of 13
2/28/10 at 2:38pm
Welcome to TCS!

First off - congratulations on the new kitty! Sometimes it's a rough transition for all parties involved. It sounds like your new baby is a more timid little girl, and will take more time to adjust to her new life & new family. With lots of love, patience, and attention she'll adjust. While she may never be the outgoing lover girl, I myself have a timid kitty who is very very sweet.

There are quite a few things you can try, in addition to the things you mentioned.

If she does stress easily, I'd invest in a Feliway diffuser (or more to cover your house). I'm not sure where you are located, but you can order them from Amazon.com for a pretty good price.

How many litterboxes does she have? The general rule of thumb is one more litterbox than you have cats.

Is she pooping in the same places? If so - first make sure you clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner. And also consider putting a litterbox there.

Also - take a look at where her litterbox(es) are located - are they in quiet areas of the house, or high traffic areas? Most cats prefer a more secluded area.

I'd consider ditching the auto-matic litterbox for now. She may be pooping outside the box because she's scared of it. And sometimes the boxes aren't big enough for the cat. I'd invest in a couple of very basic plastic litterboxes, no cover - no frills - just a simple box. And make sure you have several of them.

Definitely keep the food & litter separated as much as possible. If she feels safest in one room, keep them on opposite sides of the room. I've had very shy cats, and created a "kitty haven" in a room for them with cat toys, furniture, food, water, litterbox, etc - and the Feliway diffuser. Sometimes just having that safe area to retreat to helps them out a lot.

IMO, cats don't have the capacity to be mad, or spiteful. But rather when they are having "out of the box" moments are trying to tell us (the humans) that something in their world is wrong.
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post #3 of 13
2/28/10 at 3:06pm
^^In addition to the excellent advice above, I recommend you bring her back for a urine check.

Or to avoid additional stress, ask the vet for some special litter and get your sample at home, and another fecal. The pill they gave her was probably a dewormer (drontal most likely) and she may need another dose.

Since she feels stress so keenly it's very possible she has a urinary tract infection, and those are painful.

I agree with not using an automated litter box right now. That's just too much new scary stuff all at once. Cats have to be specially trained to use something like that. She should have two regular uncovered litter boxes, large enough for her to move freely.

It is very common for shelter cats to sleep in their litter boxes, by the way.

Congratulations on your new family member! I know she will give you years of love once she gets used to it all. 2 weeks is a very short time for a sensitive cat to adjust.
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post #4 of 13
2/28/10 at 3:08pm
P S Welcome to TCS! What's your kitten's name?
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post #5 of 13
2/28/10 at 3:22pm
Thread Starter 
Thank yall so much for your advice!!!

I just ordered a feliway on amazon for her and I never knew I could get a sample without taking her back into the vet, I will defiantly call about that tomorrow and have my husband go pick that up. She is just waaaayyyy to anxious right now to travel back to the vet I think.

I grew up with 3-5 cats around the house at any given time but we have never owned one that is as nervous as she is so I guess I just don't know what to expect and how to help her adjust.

Her name is Piper by the way, I would post a picture but I don't have one with me that I can upload while I'm out of town.

A few more things I have been thinking about, every time she has gone in the house it has been later at night and the stool is looser that it is when she goes in the litterbox, does that make any difference?

Also, should I try a different litter? We have the kitten attract kind right now but I was thinking she might like whatever she had at the shelter, it was kind of reddish.

We are feeding her nutro right now but after reading reviews for it online it doesn't seem like its the best kitten food for the expensive price tag, could that have something to do with it?
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post #6 of 13
2/28/10 at 3:34pm
I am not a fan of Nutro. Are you feeding canned or dry? How much does she weigh? If she is at least 8 or 9 pounds, she probably could be transitioned to a high quality complete adult food. I prefer canned.

Was she getting Nutro at the shelter? A sudden change in food can cause diarrhea. A food change should be done gradually, and a probiotic will help keep her intestinal flora healthy during the change.

You are observant to notice the difference in stool consistency between the litter box and else where, and may be on to something. It doesn't feel good to have loose stools, and she may instinctively recognize the different feeling in her gut, and blame the litter box, so avoid it when she feels that way.

Yes, the sudden switch in litter might be part of her problem, but changing back right now, might just confuse her more. You might just sprinkle a little of the old litter on top of the kitten attract for a while.

I think the auto box might have been a big part of the problem to begin with, but since her stress level has escalated, her problem has gone beyond that now and illness is more likely.

Again though, she may need another worming.

Please keep us updated on Piper!
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post #7 of 13
2/28/10 at 3:43pm
Thank you for adopting a shelter kitty. As a shelter volunteer, I wish there were more people like you!

It sounds like you're a concerned cat owner, and that goes a long ways.

Do you have a spare bathroom that you can keep her in? The smaller the room, the better, and a tile floor would be best.

Put her food, water, and litter box in that small room. Feed her there, and make sure she knows you're giving her food. Stay in there while she eats, if you can. Talk to her. Read to her aloud, even.

Otherwise, don't pick her up. Don't pet her, unless she asks for it. Let her come to you. It's easy to want to pick her up each time you see her, but this will often create a cat that avoids you.

Good luck, and thank you for your service to our country.
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post #8 of 13
3/1/10 at 10:27am
Thread Starter 
Yall are wonderful, thank you so much for all of your help!!!

She is currently staying in our office/spare room. I don't know for sure what food she was on at the shelter or the exact litter she was using although looking at all the litters at the store I *think* I know the old litter she had. I'm nervous to call the lady who adopted her to us because she was so rude to begin with. Should I suck it up and call to see if she is normally like this?

Yeah, after reading online I'm not a fan of nutro either and I plan to gradually switch her to a better food once she is more adjusted. We have tried many different types of canned food with her and she will not eat canned food at all. The only thing she kind of ate was a pouch type of food but she just scattered all of the meat peices around her food bowl and ate the gravy sauce stuff. Should we still be trying different types of canned food right now or wait until she is more comfortable? We have been holding back on trying the canned foods for now since she didn't seem interested but the vet said its good to have both canned and dry in their diet so idk. She is also still pretty small (about 4 lbs when she went to the vet last week) so we are supposed to keep her on a kitten food a little while longer.

I'm about to call the vet again as soon as I hear back from my husband about a time he can take her in. I will ask them about collecting the urine and stool at home, but if they still want to see her do yall have any tips for taking her in that would keep her anxiety down?

Thanks again!!!!
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post #9 of 13
3/1/10 at 10:46am
I'm not sure what she was eating at the shelter would be a big factor. In fact, they may not know what they're feeding there, since it is often a mix of various brands donated by pet stores, etc.

Poor little girl. Changing homes can be very stressful for a cat. It's the same as it would be for us to get married, or go away to school, or at least to move from one house to another. All very stressful for humans, too!
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post #10 of 13
3/1/10 at 12:12pm
Fitzy, outside of the pooping issues, your experience sounds very similar to mine. I adopted Holland when she was about 5 months old. She was so skittish and afraid that I didn't even TOUCH her until I got her home. She spent almost an entire 3 days hiding under my bed after I adopted her. I spent a lot of time crying those first few days, just wondering what the heck I'd gotten myself into. Holland is my first cat, and I felt like I had gotten in WAY over my head, and I started wondering if I'd fallen in love with the wrong cat at the shelter.

I kept her shut in my bedroom with her litter box, food, water and toys whenever I left my condo for about the first month. Once she became comfortable with that, I let her have the run of the house at all times. With time and patience I realized that I did NOT fall in love with the wrong cat at the shelter. She's still afraid of people, but (selfish as this may sound) it's kind of nice knowing that I am the one person in the world who she trusts. The first time she allowed herself to fall asleep - hard! - on my lap, I knew that she trusted me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mrblanche View Post
Otherwise, don't pick her up. Don't pet her, unless she asks for it. Let her come to you. It's easy to want to pick her up each time you see her, but this will often create a cat that avoids you.
This is great advice, and it was the hardest thing for me to learn. Holland still does not like to be picked up, but she will conk out on my lap for hours if it's HER idea to jump on my lap. I even get the occasional head butt now when she wants to be petted.

I agree with whoever said to just use a plain ol' plastic litterbox. And while you may not want to, I think you should call the woman who adopted Piper to you and ask if she has a history of pooping outside the box. Having said that, do NOT let this woman make you feel bad because you are in the military and live in an apartment!! It doesn't sound like you let her get to you, but I just want to re-iterate that there is NOTHING wrong with having a cat in an apartment. And the fact that you and your husband are newlyweds doesn't make a difference either. You are obviously concerned about your baby, you got her to the vet, you are doing everything you can to make sure she is safe. IMO, that woman should be ashamed of herself for the way she acted.

OK, rant over! As far as playing, Holland also likes to play by herself and doesn't really seem to want me involved with her play time. One thing I have found recently that she likes to do is chase after her favorite toys when I throw them for her. She doesn't really respond to wand toys, but as long as I can get her running around, I figure it's good enough exercise for her!

Just be patient with Piper (love that name!) and I have no doubt you will be rewarded. I hope you get her poopy issues figured out, I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you there. Please stick around these forums, there is an endless amount of help and support from the members here. And as mrblanche said, thank you for your service to the country!!
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post #11 of 13
3/1/10 at 1:00pm
Give her time and she'll be a sweet kitty and you'll wonder how you ever did without her

I agree that the automatic litter box would be pretty scary for her. It's possible that she's not feeling well when she does her loose stools (upset tummy), and has associated her litter box with that feeling. It might be worth taking another stool sample as well as a urine sample in if you get a chance.

I would recommend trying a pate style tinned food (solid, rather than chunks in gravy/mince etc.). A good way to firm up stool is to mix a small amount of pureed pumpkin into the food - just a teaspoon is plenty. Do ring up the shelter and find out the food and litter she was using, and ask if she had any loose stools then. I understand you don't want to talk to the horrible lady, but hopefully you'll get to talk to someone else, and you might get some very useful information about Piper.

The Kitten Attract is a good litter, and most shelters use a clay based litter, so it shouldn't be too different.

That's great you bought a Feliway diffuser, it will definitely help

My girl Lily is a fraidy cat too. She's getting on 4 now, and we've had since she was 3 months old, and she still freaks out when I pick her up. If I even put 2 hands on her sides, even just to pat her, she gets scared and runs off!

It took a long time for her to settle down, and we just patient with her. Spend as much time as you can just hanging out with her, sit in the office with her and read a book out loud. If you talk on the phone, do it where she is so she gets used to the sound of your voice. I found the best toy is Da Bird. It's a wand toy, with long feathers on a swivel, and when you swing it around, it makes a bit of a whirring sound. Cats find it irresistible! As soon as we got one of them and started playing with Lily, she gained more confidence and her behaviour changed drastically.

It's been more work having a fraidy cat, but I feel such joy when she comes to me for cuddles, because I know just how far she's come, and I'm sure you'll come to understand that feeling.

The amount of research you're doing shows you're a dedicated pet owner
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post #12 of 13
3/1/10 at 1:21pm
Longtime owner of a fraidy cat here. EG is going on 13 and is incredibly sweet. While it took a lot of patience I cannot fall asleep without a black furball sleeping on me purring happily now.

If she doesn't like directly playing with you does she like chasing balls? You can roll a ball from behind her so it will zoom past without her know you made it go zoom. Once she gets more adjusted that's a way to start playing with her. Eventually she'll figure it out but will have plenty of happy moments of chasing after the balls. Maybe she'll want to play with you more then. It's worth a shot, she might be more of a solo player though, some cats are. Oh if you are going to try this trick, don't be predictable. You have to roll the balls past her from an angle she's not looking at random times. Otherwise she will find you out too fast.
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post #13 of 13
3/9/10 at 6:48pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone for all of your advice!!!

Just wanted to give yall a little update on Piper. She seems to be doing really really well. After keeping her in "her room" for about a week we have started slowly introducing her into the rest of the house again. We also have the feliway going in the living room so maybe that is helping too. She seems to be a lot less skiddish than she used to be so thats great. So far we have gone 3 days being out of her room without an accident!!! yay!!!

Oh, and I also finally got her to eat her canned food. Someone mentioned watering it down and heating it up. I tried it and she will eat a whole can a day with her food done that way!!!

Again, thanks for all your advice!!!
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