Litter box training for cats rescued from a hoarder

shaheena

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I'll get a new foster cat by tomorrow that has been rescued from a hoarding situation. Rescue friends who took in cats from that same hoarder's home are reporting that some of these cats  are having difficulties to use a litter box!   So I'm expecting my foster cat as not being reliable on using the litter box as well. (I hope he will) He is ca 7 month old and got neutered yesterday. 

Does anyone have experience with litter box training for older kittens and cats? I hope I'll be one of the lucky ones since he is still young, maybe he hasn't even started to spray in his previous "home."

I was planning to keep him in my bathroom for a couple of days (for several reasons; he received a parasite treatment but I want to observe that before I let him into a room that may be harder to clean) Now I'm thinking that I should better cage him. But I'd think a cage must be horrible for a 7 month old.

:/

Any advice would be very much appreciated! 
 

StefanZ

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It would surely help if you can get a "kitten attract litter".  dr Elseys is the most known. but there are probably others too.   You dont need to fill the whole box with it, just sprinkle some atop your usual litter.

also, a Feliway diffuser may be useful.  Or at least, Feliway spray.     Shouldnt be necessary, but why dont make things easier for oneself?

Good luck!
 

shadowsrescue

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Dr. Elsey's Litter Attract works really well.  You can either mix some into the regular litter or just use Littler Attract as the main litter gradually adding your regular litter as time goes by.  I have done it both ways with success.  I also found that if they pee/poop outside of the box, sop up the pee with a paper towel and bury it in their litter.  The same withe the poop.  Their own scent will attract them.
 
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shaheena

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Great! Thank you so much. How could I forget Cat Attract?!!!? Sure!

 I may still have of the  herbal looking Cat Attract  to sprinkle on top of usual litter. 

To place whatever went outside into the box is a great advice too!

My hope is he'll be one of those who know what a litter box is for. 

I'll report how it goes

Again thank you!
 
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shaheena

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 I bought him clay litter. I don't expect him to know pine which I usually use.
 

lrosewiles

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although I agree try cat attract, don't abandon the Feline Pine, which is a great litter.  Maybe try mixing a little cat attract or garden soil into it as it's hard pellets until it gets peed in and softens up.  Also I found with one of our adult rescues that a large shallow box is better than a deep or enclosed one.
 

ondine

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I found that those shallow totes to fit under the bed are ideal.  There's enough room for them to scratch around but the tote isn't so deep as to intimidate them.

Hope your foster turns out to be a lovely housecat.  Thank you for helping him!
 
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shaheena

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He is super lovely and cuddly. It's amazing. At least the hoarder treated them nicely.

I'm so glad to report that he doesn't seem to have a problem to find his box!! For the time being he is in a confined area though, there are not many other options as  either to use the box or the bed. He chooses the box. But I believe he will be reliable. 

Our problem now is that he apparently is still not so well hydrated although he got subcutaneous fluids right after being rescued. He is a bit constipated. A few small pebbles was all he managed to press out so far. He is not blocked. It's just hard for him to get rid of it.

The cats had been left without food or water for a day or two (before we got access.)  I'm feeding him wet food with extra water, almost a soup +  pumpkin. He loves belly rubs, I'm massaging his belly and hope that helps. I let him walk and roam freely in the room when its playtime, so he can excerise.

Do you know of any safe laxative that may help? A laxative that would not pull water out of the body to do its job? Thank you!
 
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shaheena

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Lrosewies,  I'll switch him to pine as soon as he is ready. I agree, pine litter works so well for  my cats too. 
 
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ondine

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If I am not mistaken, pumpkin helps with diarrhea.  Maybe just removing that will help.

So happy to hear he wasn't too traumatized by his experience.  Hoarders are so sad - they really want to help but the "off" switch is broken.
 

lrosewiles

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Another thought is adding a little clam juice or a small/partial can of minced clams with juice to food, which has the added benefit of hydrating if your kitty is not drinking enough water.  And yes, pumpkin helps with diarrhea so may be having the opposite of the desired effect! 
 
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shaheena

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I see. I was under the impression that the fiber may help to make the stool fluffy. I'll try clam juice and plain cream. He likes his wet food soup, so the intake of water is not  bad.  He is now peeing three times a day, normal amounts.  (He started with one small pee the first day)

 I assume there is just still a line of small bricks in his bowels that he needs to get rid of before the stool will normalize too.  This morning I found two little bricks, this evening another one. I must be patient. His body seems work on it too, which is great.

Yes, hoarding is really a very sad phenomena.
 
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