Help! My 7 Week Old Kitten Wont Use The Litter Box

[celly]

Hi everyone, I am looking for some advice or some information on what is going on with my 7 week old kitten! (will be 8 weeks March 8th 2018)
I adopted 2 little kittens, brother and sister and the brother will NOT use the litter box no matter what I try! I have tried two litter boxes, now trying three. I have tried using two different types of litter. I am even using the exact same litter and litter box that the breeder had. The breeder told me the little boy was the first one to use the litter box at her house and I just cant seem to get him to use it at our house. When I catch him about to pee or poo I will quickly run him to the litter box and he will finish doing his business in the box but that knowledge doesnt seem to stick for him and he will not cover his poo with the sand like most cats do. His sister is doing great, we have no problems with her. Someone please help!! We love our little boy but I am not sure what else to do??

 

[kittens mom]

I used heavy duty cake pans , the oblong ones , from the dollar store during potty training. 7 weeks is still very young so don't lose hope. Mine were in an extra large dog cage or corralled with several small litter boxes available to them during this time.
Put your baby, and it is a baby, in the litter pan, hold the front paws and show them how to dig. Most breeders do NOT let a kitten come home until at least 12 weeks. You may need to put a piece of poo in so it smells like them.
Sadly kittens removed this early will sometimes need help in learning where to eliminate properly. By removing them from the mother and other siblings they lost the ability to imitate mom.
Also kits this age cannot hold it and need multiple litter boxes within easy reach.

 

[celly]

I used heavy duty cake pans , the oblong ones , from the dollar store during potty training. 7 weeks is still very young so don't lose hope. Mine were in an extra large dog cage or corralled with several small litter boxes available to them during this time.
Put your baby, and it is a baby, in the litter pan, hold the front paws and show them how to dig. Most breeders do NOT let a kitten come home until at least 12 weeks. You may need to put a piece of poo in so it smells like them.
Sadly kittens removed this early will sometimes need help in learning where to eliminate properly. By removing them from the mother and other siblings they lost the ability to imitate mom.
Also kits this age cannot hold it and need multiple litter boxes within easy reach.

Thank you! I live in an apartment so my place is relatively small so the litter boxes are never far from them. How long did it take you to potty train? I am just surprised because the breeder said he was going at her house! Thank you for your help

 

[talkingpeanut]

What kind of breeder was this? 7 weeks is very young to leave.

 

[kittens mom]

At six weeks they're barely working their own poo boxes. Just be persistent he may not have total control over his bathroom habits yet. Never scold or get mad using the litterbox is a natural behavior that we encourage them to do as babies to set good adult habits. Again good breeders do not part with 7 week old kittens. They were far to young to be taken from their momma unless there was a medical reason. You have a baby in the house with all the things that go with it. He'll be a toddler before you know it.

 

[jen]

Gosh I can't believe that breeder sold them so young, how irresponsible! They are babies. If they have run of the house they aren't going to get to the box in time. They need a small space with everything in it until they are a little older.

 

[bklyn]

There's so many reasons why cats may stop using their litter box, it's hard to say. It could be medical, like a UTI, in which case he would need to see a vet.

One possibility is that it's separation anxiety, which is a common cause of litter box aversion, especially in kittens that were separated from mom too early. There are diffusers that release pheromones to calm the kitten, and can be really effective in stopping accidents from happening. Comfort Zone makes one.

It could be that he's also developed a preference for peeing on materials other than litter. You could experiment with different types of litter, like Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract (now that he's 8 weeks) which is designed for this problem, or a pellet litter. I have had two cats in the past hate their litter box, but have a strong preference for peeing on plastic. I would put out a litter box that was just a liner in the box, and they'd use it every time.

Agreed with above posters that at 7 weeks old, he still may just be learning. Observe his behavior carefully, see if he's showing preference for particular areas/materials, and try making small adjustments to see how he does.