Issues With Foster Kitten

[maichelle1996]

Two weeks ago I got three foster kittens that were pulled from a hoarder. Two kittens now weigh 2 pounds and are eating great. One kittens only now weighs 1 pound 6 oz. In the two weeks I’ve had him he only gained 3oz. He looks healthy except he’s thinner than the other two. No URI or fleas. He runs around and plays with the other kittens and “acts” hunger by crying and trying to nurse on my hair/skin. He will come running to the food dish and take a few licks but then seems Uninterested and walks around crying like looking for something else. I’ve tried different types of wet food and warmed it up in the Microwave and added KMR. I’ve tried baby food(which he seems to like the best) and even just plan KMR in a dish. The only way to get food in him is to put it on my fingers and let him eat it off of them. He’s been to the vet and he is not gaining weight like he should but they could not find a reason why. They checked his mouth and everything looked good. Besides what I mentioned above is there any other tricks I can try to get him to eat? Also what could be the problem? Any advice is greatly Appreciated.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Keep finger feeding him, --do you have kitten glop?
Kitten-Rescue.com

Seems odd but would he eat from something he can suckle, like the corner of a clean makeup sponge?

 

[denice]

Maybe he still wants to nurse. Maybe get a bottle and give him the KMR that way along with a gruel with the KMR mixed with wet food in a dish. He may just be taking longer to wean then the others.

 

[maichelle1996]

I’ve had this kitten for two weeks along with two others that came from the same horder. May or may not be from same litter. Her place was a pig Stye and the animals were peeing/pooping all over. The other two kittens that came with him are using the litter box great but he is peeing and pooping outside the box. I have the kittens in a large dog playpen so they are in a small area which I was told would help with litter training. He just peees or poops next to the litter box. When I let them out to run around I have to watch him 24/7 or he will pee/poop on the furniture or the dog bed. If i “catch” him I scoop him up and put him in the nearest litter box and he will stay in and do his business fine. The problem is I can’t watch him all day waiting for him to act like he needs to pee/poop to put him in the litter box. He does not pee or poop more than the other kittens. This is the same kitten that I posted about that is not eating or gaining weight as much as the others. He has been to the vet and besides not gaining weight like he should the vet said he looks fine. Does anyone have any tricks or Suggestions on how I can get him litter trained? He only weighs one pound 6oz and the vet is guessing he is about 7 weeks. Maybe less maybe more as it’s hard to tell because he’s not growing like he should. The other kittens that came with him are over 2 pounds

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I don't know if anything in this TCS article will help, but you might want to take a look just in case.

How To Train Kittens To Use The Litter Box

Were you able to try some of the food suggestions given to you in the previous post about getting this little one to eat more, such as the KMR? (There is also a link about how to get a kitten to eat on their own within the above article.)

 

[She's a witch]

How many litter boxes are available to him? There should be plenty, potentially with different kinds of litter. Do they have a high edges that make it difficult for him to get in?
Poor thing, I hope he’ll be ok! Good luck with all of them

 

[maichelle1996]

The litter box is made for kittens so the sides are really low. I’m only using non Clumping clay litter due to his young age. Don’t want to use any clumping litter in case he eats it. I only have one litter box in the play pen but that’s all there is space for. When I let them out to exercise there is two litter boxes in a bedroom size room and they are in Opposite sides of the room. He seems to like to pee/poop on the couch and dog bed for some reason

 

[war&wisdom]

It sounds like he's a little delayed, since he's not eating or using the litter box properly. He should be gaining weight pretty quickly at his age. Could you bring him to a different vet for a second opinion?

 

[GoldyCat]

7 weeks is still a little young to be fully litter box trained. Give him a little more time, and make sure he sees other kitties using the litter box. Kittens learn a lot from their elders.

 

[maichelle1996]

This is about the kitten I posted about last week that was not eating or gaining weight. Well he’s eating better thank god but NOT catching on to this litter box training like his siblings. Again he and his siblings came from a Hoarding situation where they were just peeing and pooping all over the house. The other two kittens that came with him are doing great with the litter box. We are guessing he is anywhere from 7 to 9 weeks as he is so tiny from not eating. Now I’ve heard of adult Ferals who lived outside their whole life not being good about litter box use but never a kitten. I’ve fostered kittens before and yes they will have accidents but he has accidents 90 percent of the time and it’s been three weeks. I have kitten size litter boxes and keep him and his siblings in a large dog playpen to keep the area small. When I let him out of the cage to exercise I Literally have to watch him Constantly and be ready to scoop them up and put it in the litter box when he starts to pee or poop. I took my eyes off him for 5 minutes and he pooped on my leather couch. In two weeks he is going to his new home and I’m fearful he will still be having issues. Has anyone heard of a kitten that could not be litter boxed trained? Could he just be slow since he had issues with the eating? I’m so afraid he’s never going to get it

 

[JoyM]

I did have 2 fosters that had litter box issues when they were that age. They specifically went under the couch and on one spot in the corner of the living room.
I cleaned all their “accidents” with an enzymatic cleaner than truly breaks down the urine and feces. Then I blocked off around the base of the couch so they couldn’t go there and put a litter box in the corner where they had also been going. I had been allowing them to be out of their play-pen but this caused me to put them in the play-pen any time I couldn’t watch them closely and I stopped lining it with baby blankets. I just put one folded just big enough for their bed to keep them from getting confused (carpet and bedding is easily confused with a good place to potty).
He might have had some GI problems. As they wean, they can experience stomach upset that can cause issues with weight gain AND toileting problems. If every time he used the litter box he also had stomach pains, he would associate the box with that pain and start avoiding it. You also might want to try other types of litter because some cats dislike certain types of litter. Also check his paws for any sign of problems or tenderness. Declawed cats frequently avoid litter boxes because of paw pain.
Place litter boxes in a corner because cats tend to do their business in corners for some reason. They also tend to have bowel movements 45min or so after eating (not every time) so you may try stimulating him to go (light circular movements around his bottom with a soft tissue or baby wipe) with him standing in the litter box around 30min to an hour after feedings. This will help him associate the urge to go with standing in the litter box.
Just like human babies, it takes time, there will be accidents, and each kitten is different. I had two siblings where one immediately understood and went straight to the litter box every time and the other took weeks to get it figured out.
If you catch him going outside the box, be careful not to scare him or scold him. Just gently scoop him and place him in the litter box and praise and pet him. You don’t want him to be afraid of going to the bathroom and feel the need to “hide it” from you. I have moved the litter around with their paws so they can experience how it feels and hopefully spark the instinct to scratch at the litter.