At My Wits End Trying To Litter Box Train This Kitten..

[Kenzierussell]

So about 3 weeks ago, I got this kitten from this lady who said the litter was 10 weeks. In the litter there was this super teeny emaciated little gray kitten, the runt. Absolutely covered in fleas. I thought it was a female, ended up being male. The other 4 kittens were big and did have fleas and worm belly but were not in god awful shape. We brought him home, gave him a good flea bath and used flea medication, and got him eating good.

A couple days later we took him to the vet where we found out she was a he, vet says he is actually about 5 weeks old, and had flea anemia. Vet says he will be in good shape with good food and a loving home. He has definitely gained tons of weight, no longer the same kitten.

I love him to death! Seriously the sweetest, funniest little guy. But my trouble is getting him litter box trained. I have gotten 5 different litter boxes. Covered litter boxes, uncovered litter boxes, shallow litter pans, litter boxes in every room, I put a litter box directly wherever he used the bathroom (corner of the living room), clean with Nature's Miracle. I have used Tidy Cat, Fresh Steps Hawaiian Aloha Breeze (what the lady I got him from said he was using, she did say he was litter box trained), Cat Attract, World's Best Cat Litter, and am now using Kitten Attract. I have a pan of Kitten Attract on both floors of my home on a quilt of puppy pee pads.

I do not scold him, I gently place him in the litter boxes and dig his paws in, and when he poops outside of the box I put his waste in his litter box. He used to go behind the couch, blocked that off. Now it is the corner of the living room. And even with the litter tray in the corner where he poops and pees, he will poop and pee next to the litter tray!!! It is like he goes out of his way to avoid using the litter box.

So when I got him, the next day I dropped off deworming medicine and flea medicine and flea shampoo to the lady who had the litter. About a week ago I picked up a littermate of his, another male named Hendrix. Thinking I can't teach him to be a cat and do cat things, another kitten can. The new kitten uses all the litter boxes BEAUTIFULLY.

My little guy, not at all. Vet says he will just learn and he has no UTIs.

I don't know what to do, he is being kept in our 2nd bedroom with food, water, scratching post, cat tree, and 2 littler pans filled with Kitten Attract. I don't want to keep him locked up.

Any tips on how to get him to use his litter pans, and not the space directly next to his litter pans, would be great!!

 

[Topherius]

Kittens, once they get that sand under their feet will go in the litter on instinct but it will take a bit of trial and error. Make sure when he poops outside the litter, the area is well cleaned with no smell left over so he doesnt go in the same spot. If he goes out side it and you put the poop in, make sure he is witness and even show him how to bury it with his paw and place him in the litter box as you do so. Place him in the litter at certain times even if it seems he doesn't need to go so he can get the idea of its use and feel the sandy texture. Try not to move the litter box around so its routine to go in the same are. Every kitten is different, especially if they weren't properly reared by the previous owners, so just keep at it and keep consistent. I never had luck with kitten attract stuff my self.

 

[Kenzierussell]

Kittens, once they get that sand under their feet will go in the litter on instinct but it will take a bit of trial and error. Make sure when he poops outside the litter, the area is well cleaned with no smell left over so he doesnt go in the same spot. If he goes out side it and you put the poop in, make sure he is witness and even show him how to bury it with his paw and place him in the litter box as you do so. Place him in the litter at certain times even if it seems he doesn't need to go so he can get the idea of its use and feel the sandy texture. Try not to move the litter box around so its routine to go in the same are. Every kitten is different, especially if they weren't properly reared by the previous owners, so just keep at it and keep consistent. I never had luck with kitten attract stuff my self.

If I keep him locked up in the bathroom or second bedroom with the litter pan, he will use it. Kept him in the second bedroom for the past 2 hours and he used the litter pan. But when he has free roam of the house, he uses the corner of the living room. I have 3 litter boxes where the living room/dining area is! And I keep them meticulously clean. So why he avoids using them when he has full access to the house, I don't know. I clean with Nature's Miracle and vinegar. I keep puppy pee pads in that corner just to protect my carpet. Just kind of getting frustrated. I don't want to keep him in a room, he loves his house.

 

[Topherius]

Just a shot in the dark, but perhaps theres too many options? If its just one cat I would suggest just one litter and in the most frequent spot he goes (which sounds like your living room?) until hes consistent with it. As hes roaming the house keep him out of the other two previous bathroom spots. And leave at least the previous pee/poop in the living room one so he can remember thats where the future pee/poop goes. I had an easy time with mine since I raised her from 5 days old but when you are dealing with one already grown that isnt at the spot they should be at that age its frustrating.

 

[Kenzierussell]

Just a shot in the dark, but perhaps theres too many options? If its just one cat I would suggest just one litter and in the most frequent spot he goes (which sounds like your living room?) until hes consistent with it. As hes roaming the house keep him out of the other two previous bathroom spots. And leave at least the previous pee/poop in the living room one so he can remember thats where the future pee/poop goes. I had an easy time with mine since I raised her from 5 days old but when you are dealing with one already grown that isnt at the spot they should be at that age its frustrating.

Well, my train of thought was if he has litter boxes EVERYWHERE, he should have no excuse not to use them. Nope. I have 3 cats in total, so I keep 2 downstairs that my litter trained boys use, and I keep 2 Kitten Attract ones on each floor for my gray Denver. We are gonna keep him in the second room while we are at work. Just hoping to get some advice, I hate keeping him in a room.

 

[neely]

If I keep him locked up in the bathroom or second bedroom with the litter pan, he will use it.

First, a big welcome to TCS! I agree with your quote about keeping him locked up in the bathroom for now especially since you said he will use the litter box in there. Whenever we had a new kitten or cat I always put him/her in a confined space so they knew where the litter box was to go. If they were using it I would open the bathroom door to our bedroom and let the kitty have access to that room but kept the bedroom door closed. After a week I would let the cat roam the house but only with supervision and if I left I would put the cat back in the bedroom with the bathroom door open. It takes patience but in the end it was successful. Best of luck!

 

[Kenzierussell]

First, a big welcome to TCS! I agree with your quote about keeping him locked up in the bathroom for now especially since you said he will use the litter box in there. Whenever we had a new kitten or cat I always put him/her in a confined space so they knew where the litter box was to go. If they were using it I would open the bathroom door to our bedroom and let the kitty have access to that room but kept the bedroom door closed. After a week I would let the cat roam the house but only with supervision and if I left I would put the cat back in the bedroom with the bathroom door open. It takes patience but in the end it was successful. Best of luck!

So do I keep him in the guest room all day and all night? Can I let him out for a couple hours a day? My thought was, he goes in the second bedroom after meals and after waking up and when we aren't home.

 

[neely]

It's entirely your decision, it is my suggestion to keep him confined in one room with his litter box until he is regularly using it. Yes, by all means let him out a couple hours p/day but with supervision so you know where he is and where he goes. Obviously you don't want him using the corner of the living room like before. But when you leave the house put him back in the same room with his litter box and keep the box in that same area at all times so he knows where to go. Kittens and cats are so smart, he'll get the hang of it.