Cant get my new 8 week old kitten to use the litter box

[scriles]

Hi everyone.  I adopted an 8 week old kitten yesterday, and I cant get her to use her litter box.  In fact she seems terrified of it.  I have read online that after they nap, feed or have a major play session, you should grab them and put them in their litter box.  The first time I tried this, she freaked out as if she was terrified of it.  So, I obviously didn't push it and waited till after her nap and tried again and the same thing happened.  I then tried just bringing her over to it and she just seemed un interested.  Last night I left her in the bathroom, with her litter box, her bed food and water and some toys.  I woke up to no pee or poo anywhere.  She then later in the day peed in her bed.  I figured Id go to the pet store and try a finer softer litter with a different odour to it, thinking maybe she didnt like the litter.  Well she doesnt seem as hesitant towards the litter, but still is terrified of the litter box.  I tried rubbing a towel in her fur and glands and rubbed it all over the box and left it inside it.  I also put a poo she left in a corner in the litter box and showed it to her, and then removed it a few hours later but left the litter box in that location, but she peed right beside it a while after instead of in.  

Does anyone have any suggestions?    

 

[scriles]

Anyone have any suggestions at all??

 

[otto]

Hello and welcome and congratulations on your new baby!

Where did the kitten come from? What litter was being used in her first home? What kind of box is it? Where have you put the box?

Perhaps a different box, lower sided. When you clean up her poop or pee and put it in the litter box, leave it there, so she starts to understand.

Use a litter that has no scent added at all. Don't use clumping litter for such a young kitten. You might try some Cat Attract litter.

http://www.preciouscat.com/product/kitten-attract/

 

[stephanietx]

First of all, don't stress as she will pick up on it.  Secondly, kitties are notorious for holding their urine and bms when in a strange, new environment.  When my kitties were very young, I used old cake pans for litter boxes rather than standard size boxes so they could get in and out easily.  Look into getting some Cat Attract for kittens litter additive.  Pick her up every 20 mins and place her in the box.  Move her little paws while she's in there and she'll get the hang of it.  Also, don't put her food near the litter box.  Kitties don't like that.
 

 

[scriles]

Her litter box is in the bathroom, because we have to keep her in there at night.  I cant really put her in it at all or move her paws around in the litter because she freaks out and jumps right out.  We got her a smaller litter box already and its not helping at all  Ive put her poop in the box, but she doesn't go near it now.  I guess Ill try acat atract litter and see if that works.  Hopefully my pet store has it because I am allowed to bring back and exchange the litters I've been using in case they don't like them which has been a huge relief
 

 

[scriles]

Shes going beside her litter box now,  She refuses to go in it, but likes the location.  I phoned around and I cant find any kitten training litter anywhere.  I'm at a loss

 

[orientalslave]

Find out what sort of litter was being used where you got her from, and what shape tray.   Then change to ones like those and see if it helps.

 

[scriles]

She wasn't litter training at her last place, and it was some teenage girl, who I don't think took very good care of them unfortunately.

 

[stephanietx]

Try using dirt from the yard.  That might work.  Then, very gradually add litter.  Order the Cat Attract litter from Amazon or someplace online.

 

[p3 and the king]

Well, she is just a baby.  Like human babies, kittens have to learn and retain what they've learned.  She was too young to be adopted.  She should have stayed with mom for another month or so before going to a new home.... Why?  This is about the time mom would have shown her and taught her all of this stuff.  So to her, this is foreign.  Try not to get too upset with her and please try to be calm and positive.  She can pick up on the fact that you are upset but she has no idea why.  Is it a regular sized litter box?  Sometimes, those are too big.  So get her a smaller one.  She may feel more comfortable getting in and out of it.  Or you can use a cardboard box lid.  That works, too!  They are good for training.  Eventually she will get the hang of it and this will pass.  Just remember that she came to you too young and she didn't learn this stuff from mom because she wasn't given the time to do so.  Not her fault.  Also remember that she is a baby and her long term memory needs to develop and mature so she will have slip ups and forget once in awhile but it will work itself out.  Just try not to stress too much over it. 

 

[stephanietx]

Something else to consider, get some disposable aluminum baking dishes (9x13 size) and use those as temporary litter boxes throughout the house.  Since she's so little, she may not be able to make it to the box in the bathroom. Kittens are like little kids, when they gotta go, they gotta go NOW.

 

[scriles]

   Well Ive read that 8 weeks is not too young too adopt.  There's no guarantees that the mother will even be a good teacher with domesticated cats.  We do not scold her or send negative vibes at all.  All we do is praise her.  I tried disposable aluminum pizza pans, but she was still not too comfortable with them.   Should I be putting her in it, and holding her in it, because a girl at the pet store told me to do that but it seems like that will just scare her from ever going into it and scar her and feel shes being punished.  Shes not having accidents anywhere though.  She went twice in her bed, which was my fault for putting it back out for her to go a second time in it, and I have newspapers all around my toilet where the litter box is in the bathroom, and shes going on the newspapers.  Shes actually a really smart, and problem free kitten, its just the fact that shes afraid of her litter box.  Maybe Ill go about what we've been doing and maybe Ill get luck, but if not in a couple days Ill order that Kitten attract litter.  Could I also instead just buy some katnip and sprinkle some of that int the mixture?

 

[p3 and the king]

I am sorry to upset you.  I wasn't trying to.  But 8 weeks is too young for a cat.  They learn crucial behavior skills.  Breeders do not allow kittens to be placed that early.  Kittens are not puppies.  The problems you are experiencing are the direct result of it.  I am sorry.  She just needs time.  In a few weeks, this will be behind her and she will be getting the hang of it.  A lot of people put a bm in the box after they've gone on the floor and them put them in the box with it so they can smell and see it and generally it clicks but her long term memory is still developing so she will have times where she needs to be reminded a lot. And generally kittens do not respond to catnip.  They don't really start responding to it until around 4 months old or older and some never do.  So it won't help much.

 

[scriles]

Oh I'm not upset at all .   I understand what your saying, but nothing we cn do about that now, but try and help her.  Other then litter box use shes such a well behaved kitten though.  I guess we just need to stay patient and encouraging, and Im sure she'll learn in the next few weeks.  Thanks for all your help

 

[scriles]

I just added a pizza pan with litter on the other side of the toilet where her other litter box is.  I'm hoping that maybe this will encourage her to use the lower one since its in the area where shes only been going to the bathroom.  Ill keep you posted.  Also the litter I have now has a sort of mint smell to is and its fine like sand.  Do cats have a preffered scent or are all cats different? 

 

[p3 and the king]

I went through the same thing when King Arthur and Morgan La Fay were that age.  I thought it would drive me mad.  Nothing anyone suggested worked, either.  But, once they did finally figure it out (thanks to their mom and my girls) they would go in the cardboard box lids I mentioned because the other litterboxes were too big to climb into. 

 

[p3 and the king]

Do you maybe have another cat?  An older one?  A lot of times kittens will mimic them and learn from them.  But, a lot of people also suggest lightly scratching the litter with her paw so she can see what you want her to do.  Don't be wierded out when she starts playing in it or sleeping in it, either... Thats next if she hasn't already!!! 

 

[nerdrock]

I haven't read all of the posts but I thought I'd chime in since I was in a similar position less than a week ago with a kitten that was left at the back door of my work. 

He is somewhere between 6-8 weeks old, although most here believe he's close to 8 weeks. I don't think he had been litter trained, he smelled like pee and didn't really know what to do when I put him in there. I locked him in my bathroom with a makeshift litterbox (top of a pizza box with a garbage bag in it to make it waterproof and Swheat Scoop litter inside). He didn't go at all for about 12-24 hours. Then he pooped in it, but also behind the toilet, and peed on a dog bed. I got a box that had higher sides and was more narrow, then cut a long, wide U shape in it so he could get in and out easily. I put another garbage bag in it and put some more litter and his old litter in there so it was nice and deep. He seemed to like that more and hasn't gone outside of it since maybe Tuesday. I think what got him to really like it was playing with the bag (he doesn't chew it but loves to poke his claws through it), then he had to go and it kind of clicked. He has to grow a little bit before he'll move to the regular box I have (Omega Paw rolling box) but this seems to work pretty well. 

 

[scriles]

No I don't have another cat.  It does seem like were making very tiny tiny amounts of progress.  I really appreciate the help, and Ill keep you all updated.  If I have any more questions I know where to come now

 

[stephanietx]

Have you tried a covered box?  Maybe you can get a 2nd litter box (you should have 2 anyway) and put an upside down box with a hole cut out so she can get in/out over one of them.  Maybe the intrigue of the dark place will help her.

I think just picking her up and placing her in the box regularly would work.  I've never had to potty train a kitten before! 

Also, you might want to post in the kitten forum for help.