won't go in litter on her own

I just received a 6 week old kitten who was "supposed" to be litter trained.  I guess she is?????  I come to find out that the owner had her and her siblings in a large dog cage because their child was alergic to cats and that is where the litter box was--with all the other cats and food.  

Yesterday morning she was meowing and walking around like she was trying to find something--I thought she was looking for her siblings or mother but here she ended up going #2 in the corner of our living room.  The dear little thing was trying to find her litter box.  When I asked the previous owner that is when I found out she was in a large dog cage--she probably wasn't taught to actually "go" to her box.

When she was finished I moved her to the litter box and I put a piece of it in the box trying to help her associate bathroom and litter.  

She has gone both 1 and 2 in the box but not on her own.  My husband or I will bring her or lead her to the box, put her in it (a couple times she got in it herself) and she would go.

Any advice to get this kitten to use her litter box?  She has only been with us a couple days and I'm worried I'm giving up on her to quickly. 

How often should I bring her or "leed" her to her litter box?

We live on one floor and the litter box is in our laundry room.  I don't want to put it anywhere else because the only other place is in the kitch and that is where we all, including the kitten, eat. 

I don't want to have to give her away if she doesn't go in the box on her own. 

Any advice would be appreciated very much!

Maria

Part of the problem is that she is 6 weeks old, part of it is that she is away from her mum and part of it is probably the poor conditions she was living in.

Put her on the tray every time you see her showing possible 'find a spot' activity, and after every time she goes somewhere else, and after you feed her.

Clean up where she has been with a dilute warm solution of biological washing powder.

If you know what type of litter was being used, use the same type at least for now.  If you prefer to use a different type, gradually change it once she is 12 weeks old or so - litter training should be solid by then.

Keeping her in the laundry room when you are not with her is fine - giving her too much room to start with can contribute because of the 'Right Now' issues.

Never, ever scold or punish her.

6-week old kittens are toddlers - they can have accidents.  They suddenly realise they have to go Right Now. 

And if you can find another kitten, preferably from the same original home, as a playmate for her you will more than double your pleasure.  Kittens will play a huge amount with each other, providing that playtime takes a lot of time, and they keep each other company.  Of course I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't play with your kitten - quite the reverse - but once you've seen two kittens playing you will understand my point which is that a human is a very poor companion compared to a kitten.  Mine play with each other and come to me for cuddles and comfort, and for food!

There are special litters that will help attract kittens, too. Another helpful thing is to place her in the box and gently rub her paw in the litter to stimulate digging. Cats naturally like to bury when they go the bathroom, so it can help to encourage them.

6 weeks is still a baby, so she is likely not fully trained by her mother yet. Poor little thing! That is very young to be separated (the law here is 8 weeks, but most people wait until 12). You will kind of have to take the role of the mother in teaching her some behaviors. It can be done, but it definitely takes a little patience. Good luck!

The girl that I got her from said she would be ready at 6 weeks.  I don't know much about taking care of kittens so I believed her.

I did ask her about the kind of litter and her response was "there are 5 people living in this house and we use different kinds".  She ended by saying she using Tidy Cats.  I did get the Tidy Cats non clumping (I read somewhere that isn't good for kittens) kind. To get the kind they use wouldn't be useful.

My husband and I do bring her to the box often.  Sometimes she goes and sometimes she doesn't.  I try and watch her behavior--does it look like she is searching and if she is doing a lot of meowing.  She has gone on her own but we have to lead her to the box.

Litter that attracks kittens--do you know what kind that is?

A common trick with not entirely litter safe cats is to keep them in one room, at least when they arent supervised.  This way, she will never have any trouble finding the litter.

Her problem aparently is not she doesnt know what a litter is, and doing everywhere just on the whim.

So DO wants to find a good place to do it in...

So what you are doing is a good way.  This is btw the standard for puppies and people manage this. So why not for a kitten now and then?  

Good luck!

mariaanddonnie said:

Litter that attracks kittens--do you know what kind that is?

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Some of our forumists knows and uses, and are happy with the results.

The others, like me, do google:  kitten attract litter.

After it, you can surely find it described here our forums.

One tip.  As this litter often must by buyed on line, and isnt very cheapest, the trick is you dont need to use ALL of in in the litter.

Use your usual litter of classical baked clay,  and pour on some KAL above.   Should work. 

Good luck!

I can get KAL at Petsmart, too. You use about 1/4 of a can on a brand new litter box and then a bit more each time you add litter. Good luck!

I would put her in a small room, like a bathroom, that has, preferably, a hard floor.  Put her food, litter, and water in the room and keep her there for a few days.  That way she'll get in the habit, be able to easily find the litter box, and she'll have her own "safe room" where she feels like she has a territory.

I have her litter box in our laundry room.  I can close the door and I tried that but she meows and meows and it just breaks my heart.   I may move the litter box closer to the door.  It is along the far wall now so I'm thinking if I put it near the door as soon as she walks in she will "see it".  It is like when we lead her to the box and she gets in it she is like "oh, right, I have to go to the bathroom." lol   She has had the run of the house now and I hate to confine her to one room unless I absolutely have too.

The first time she went #2 she started meowing and going around the kitchen and living room and running around.  I thought she was looking for her littermates or momma.....but I realize it was her litter she was looking for.  

I guess my plan is to continue taking her to the litter in hopes she will eventually walk there on her own. 

No, don't separate her from you.  This will only cause her to cry.  She is a baby still.... You probably need to find a smaller litter box.  Some kittens that young are too small to tackle a regular sized litterbox and will get frustrated and give up.  So find a kitten sized one that she can comfortably get in and out of.  (Sorry, I haven't read all the way through just your first and last post.)  And put it close to her food dish.  After she is through eating, put her in the litterbox.  If she jumps out, just do that a couple of more times until she gets what you want her to do.  Kittens usually go right after eating!!!- Just a helpful tidbit there.  She is still really young so she wasn't used to using the litterbox.  Her mother probably still "took care" of that mostly.  Just give her time. It's going to be like potty training a toddler.  Easier of course but still she has no long term memory and very little short term right now so she might forget where it is and have accidents.   And think of her like a baby.. Would you treat a baby that way?  No.  She needs patience and love.  It isn't her fault the breeder was a bad person who had no knowledge of cats. 

I use those cardboard can trays as litterboxes for little kittens. A regular box can be too tall for them. I keep the big box there so they can use it if they feel adventurous, and put the can tray next to it. Of course the can trays aren't washable so be sure to get a decent supply of them (at the grocery store).

Well, I just found or "smelled" where my kitten pooped in my bedroom. 

So I picked most of it up and my husband I brought her to her litter box, put her in it and let her smell her poop.  I left some in the litter box and then went back and cleaned the spot where the accident occurred.  She even sat there and watched me clean it up.  Did I do the correct thing??????  This is very upsetting.  And my heart is breaking.  I want to keep her but I can't put up with this. 

Should I confine her to the Laundry room area?  I can put a blanket and her toys in there along with water and food.  How long should I do this for?  Overnight?  Days?  Or what? 

I've only had her since Saturday and I guess I'm expecting too much from her too quick. 

mariaanddonnie said:

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Should I confine her to the Laundry room area?  I can put a blanket and her toys in there along with water and food.  How long should I do this for?  Overnight?  Days?  Or what? 

I've only had her since Saturday and I guess I'm expecting too much from her too quick. 

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That is punishing her.  She won't understand what she did to deserve it.  She will just cry and become depressed.  You are expecting too much too soon.  She is a baby animal.  No different from a baby human.  You wouldn't expect a baby human to know what they did wrong and you wouldn't lock them up.  Have you ever had cats or other animals before?  Or is this just an impulse "purchase"?  I ask because I think that you are getting upset with her for the wrong reasons.  The fact that you are upset with HER and not the person you got her from who clearly did not know much more and lied to you is a bit disheartening. 

I know a lot of people who get an animal, usually a kitten or a puppy, and when it messes up their tidy home, they become very frustrated.  They are babies.  They are going to be messy.  They are also learning.  You need to be patient, calm and understanding.  And try things people have suggested:  Getting a smaller more kitten friendly litterbox, putting her in it after meals, etc. 

Maybe while she is eating and for about 30 minutes after, you can keep her in the bathroom so that she knows she is to stay there and do her business in the litterbox.  But not all day or all night and for the forseeable future.  Kittens thrive on human love and companionship... Because she is so young, she sees you as mommy now.  Remember that she will not understand what you are mad about but she can sense your frustration with her.  Be calm, patient, and loving please.  If you cannot, perhaps someone more understanding would be a better option for her... But please do not take her to a shelter.  Contrary to popular belief, not all kittens find homes.  Many are put down. 
 

I think it's OK to confine her when nobody is home, and at night. I do it with kittens all the time, although usually there's more than one. I have also crated kittens in a large rabbit cage (solid bottom; wire hurts their feet). I mostly do this for their own safety, but solidifying good litterbox habits is a bonus. Confining her when somebody is awake and at home probably would be a bad idea, though. She would know that somebody is out there and would get agitated, and it would have a bad effect on her socialization.

As long as she gets tons of attention and playtime when everybody is home and awake, this shouldn't be seen as a bad thing. You can make "her room" extra cozy and fun, with toys and scratching posts and everything. Laundry rooms can have a lot of hazards (machinery, bleach, etc.) for kittens so be careful.

yes, I've had cats but I was a child and my parents took care of them.  And all of them were/are litter trained and I have never have had to go through this.

This was a free kitten given to me by a former student of mine (Im a high school teacher.)  The girl said she went in the litter box for her.  Well of course she did, they were in a basement and in a large dog cage. 

Multiple people said to isolate her to the room where the litter is....including a woman that works for the human society of our county.   And I tried it and she escaped twice by sliding under the door.  She came back through the house and up in bed with me.  I brought her back out, she jumped in the box and peed.

I was going to sleep in there with her but that probably would work either. 

It seems like she gets the "urge" and can't hold it enough to go to the litter box.  This time it looked mushy.  could this be a sign that something is wrong with her?  i have an appointment with a vet on Friday.  This will be her first visit--the girl didn't bring them to be checked for worms, fleas or anything. 

I work during the day and need my sleep at night.  I don't have time to put her in the litter box everytime she eats.  We have been doing that for 2 days. 

I guess I will have to put up with it for a little longer or give her up. 

If you really can't keep her, please take the time to find her a very good home. . .it wouldn't be easy but with time and effort it's possible. She would probably be put to sleep at a shelter .

Can you confine her to the bathroom? Probably the door is lower there. Or borrow a large dog crate or rabbit cage from somebody? The more she goes in a litterbox, the more she'll get used to it and not go anywhere else. The more often she goes somewhere else, the more that habit will become ingrained. You need to set her up so she can't fail. Is it possible to put litterboxes in other places, just for a little while? It's like potty-training a toddler by having a potty in the living room and the playroom and the bedroom, etc.--you aren't going to have a potty in every room forever; it's just to get him accustomed to using a potty chair. After a while you can remove the extras.

I would say there is nothing wrong with her.  That sounds normal... not being able to hold it when she has to go.  Like I said, think of a toddler in potty training, they have very little control.  When they have to go, they have to go NOW!!  It's the same way with puppies and kittens.  That is why I said to put her in the bathroom while she eats and for about  half an hour after, she should take the hint.  Remember that it is going to take time.  This is a learning process for her.  But, she will get better and this will be a thing of the past soon.  Just try not to get frustrated with her.  She is only a baby. 

But if you can't keep her and can't deal with it, please find a wonderful, responsible home with someone experienced with kittens and do not dump her at a shelter. 

The vet is a good idea and I am glad you are taking her in.  They will advise you much the same as we are... That she is normal and she is like a toddler, she is going to make mistakes but it will get better, just not overnight.  Please don't give up on her.

It is important for successfull learning not to be stressed.  Stressed people do have difficult to learn in deep, the learning is just on the surface...  Being a teacher you surely agree.

So no punishments nor sour mines... Foresee what she is going on to do, and encourage and praise when she does right.

Yes, her poo being rare is not what is it supposed to be. Ask the vet when you visit.

And if she has problems with her stomach, it is easier happened for accidents.   many times the easiest way to stop the accidents is to heal the stomach problem. not seldom worms.

I wrote earlier a common method was to isolate her in a room etc...  IF you do it, you must of course be yourself there as much as you can.  And or set on music, etc...

But this method is usully used for older cats who arent litter reliable.  A baby needs company. Of people or another friendly being, a cat or friendly dog.   I did perhaps wrote that too quickly.

Last, but not least. Cant you put extra litters on others places too?   I know it is not what you want, but for the time being?  It will greatly lessen the risk for accidents.  And if so, it is a cheap price for the inconvenience.   Another reason, some cats prefer to pee in one litter, and poo in another.

Use the shallow trays like suggested before.

Good luck!

The bathroom wouldn't work I don't think either.   As for the cage.. that is what she was in before with her siblings and momma and I'd hate to do that agian.

Would I be confusing her by having litter in 2 places? I'd really like her to use this one in the laundry.  It is private, out of the way and quiet for her.  Should I put her food and water in the laundry room and then keep her confined in there for a 1/2 hour or so after feeding her?

I don't want to give up on her.  I love her so much.  And I don't want to drop her off at the shelter.  I'll try and be patient. 

One more question.......this morning about 5:45 I woke up and woke her up.  within a couple minutes I took her to the litter, tapped the box and she got right in and peed.  She then made an area to poop.  And before she pooped she meowed a couple times. She did this before too--meowed once before she pooped.  Is this a sign of something wrong with her?  Last night's accident was mushy, this mornings was alittle more formed. 

I'd try the shallow pans but she gets in and out of this one fine.

I try and not get stressed around her.  I usually end up going to my room and crying or crying on here. 

mariaanddonnie said:

Would I be confusing her by having litter in 2 places? I'd really like her to use this one in the laundry.  It is private, out of the way and quiet for her.

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Very true, they DO prefer private and quiet and out of the way.

But if it is possible for you to consider at least one extra, it cant hurt, but with any luck can help much.

Good luck!