- Joined
- Oct 5, 2015
- Messages
- 11
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Hey,
So out of ideas on how to deal with this. I adopted 2 kittens back in May (Hastpurr and Yibb-ten). At first there were no problems. During the first night I made sure to place both kittens in the litterbox, and they were going in them problem. I have 2 litterboxes, both filled with wood pellets that I've been using since I adopted both kittens. 1 Litterbox is kept under a table that Hastpurr prefers, the other in the corner of the room which Yibb-ten seems to prefer (though I've seen both kittens use the other boxes to). I don't have anything loud near the boxes and I haven't observed either kitten interfering with the others bathroom habits. Their food is kept a good distance away from the litterboxes (and the couch is also a good ways away from their litter boxes).
In July though I went camping with some friends, so my sister stayed at my apartment to do some cat sitting. When I came back home the first thing Yibb-ten did was poop on the couch. Now when I was gone my sister cleaned the litterbox, but she didn't refill it and it was running on the low side. I figure that and the excitement of me coming back is what triggered her, so I cleaned it (naturals miracle) and thought nothing of it. The only other time I've seen either kitten not use the litterbox was when I took them to the vet (both went in their cat carriers as soon as I put them in the car )
for a few months there were no repeat instances. Then in September I went away for a weekend and again got my sister to cat sit. This time I made sure to scrub both litter boxes before hand and made sure they were filled with fresh litter. When I was gone though apparently Yibb-ten went on the couch and did it again after my sister left and before I came home. During that week she started to prefer going on the couch instead of the box. I noticed she would go to the litterbox and paw around in it, then usually head to the couch and start trying to go there (when I saw her do this I would pick her up and put her in the litterbox and she would use it). Luckily she only poops on the couch, has yet to pee on it.
I figured at that point maybe the box was just dirty. I clean the litterbox either every night, or as soon as I notice 1 of the kittens has pooped in the box. I also try to fully scrub them at least monthly. Seeing this though I tried changing all the litter from one of the boxes and scrubbing it (I just use hot water and a little vinegar for cleaning). Still the next morning she had used the couch instead of the box.
I tried covering the area with pillows since she only goes on the couch itself and not any of the pillows. She throw the pillow off the couch to poop in the same spot. I called the vet, but they thought it was probably just stress from my sister looking after the kittens and now she has associated the couch with her litter spot.
So I figured would try and change that dynamic. I started feeding them on the couch where Yibb-ten was going. At first Yibb-ten complained about the new place of feeding, but her sister didn't have any problems and when Hastpurr started to eat her food, she started eating to. I also started rewarding them when I noticed them go into the litterbox (or if I came home and they had used the litterbox when I was out). Again for like 1.5 weeks there weren't any issues, but yesterday she pooped right beside her food dish and refused to eat in that area :S
Hastpurr has never gone out of the box to my knowledge, it's always Yibb-ten (though most of the time it is when I'm out so can't say with 100% certainty).
I don't think it is because the boxes are dirty, as she did it right after I scrubbed the boxes
I don't think she is marking territory as both kittens have also popped in their cat carriers when I took them to the vet. I normally leave both carriers out though which they play and sleep in and outside of the vet visits neither kitten has pooped again in the carrier.
I haven't been away since that weekend at the start of Sept so I don't think it would still be stress.
Any ideas?
So out of ideas on how to deal with this. I adopted 2 kittens back in May (Hastpurr and Yibb-ten). At first there were no problems. During the first night I made sure to place both kittens in the litterbox, and they were going in them problem. I have 2 litterboxes, both filled with wood pellets that I've been using since I adopted both kittens. 1 Litterbox is kept under a table that Hastpurr prefers, the other in the corner of the room which Yibb-ten seems to prefer (though I've seen both kittens use the other boxes to). I don't have anything loud near the boxes and I haven't observed either kitten interfering with the others bathroom habits. Their food is kept a good distance away from the litterboxes (and the couch is also a good ways away from their litter boxes).
In July though I went camping with some friends, so my sister stayed at my apartment to do some cat sitting. When I came back home the first thing Yibb-ten did was poop on the couch. Now when I was gone my sister cleaned the litterbox, but she didn't refill it and it was running on the low side. I figure that and the excitement of me coming back is what triggered her, so I cleaned it (naturals miracle) and thought nothing of it. The only other time I've seen either kitten not use the litterbox was when I took them to the vet (both went in their cat carriers as soon as I put them in the car )
for a few months there were no repeat instances. Then in September I went away for a weekend and again got my sister to cat sit. This time I made sure to scrub both litter boxes before hand and made sure they were filled with fresh litter. When I was gone though apparently Yibb-ten went on the couch and did it again after my sister left and before I came home. During that week she started to prefer going on the couch instead of the box. I noticed she would go to the litterbox and paw around in it, then usually head to the couch and start trying to go there (when I saw her do this I would pick her up and put her in the litterbox and she would use it). Luckily she only poops on the couch, has yet to pee on it.
I figured at that point maybe the box was just dirty. I clean the litterbox either every night, or as soon as I notice 1 of the kittens has pooped in the box. I also try to fully scrub them at least monthly. Seeing this though I tried changing all the litter from one of the boxes and scrubbing it (I just use hot water and a little vinegar for cleaning). Still the next morning she had used the couch instead of the box.
I tried covering the area with pillows since she only goes on the couch itself and not any of the pillows. She throw the pillow off the couch to poop in the same spot. I called the vet, but they thought it was probably just stress from my sister looking after the kittens and now she has associated the couch with her litter spot.
So I figured would try and change that dynamic. I started feeding them on the couch where Yibb-ten was going. At first Yibb-ten complained about the new place of feeding, but her sister didn't have any problems and when Hastpurr started to eat her food, she started eating to. I also started rewarding them when I noticed them go into the litterbox (or if I came home and they had used the litterbox when I was out). Again for like 1.5 weeks there weren't any issues, but yesterday she pooped right beside her food dish and refused to eat in that area :S
Hastpurr has never gone out of the box to my knowledge, it's always Yibb-ten (though most of the time it is when I'm out so can't say with 100% certainty).
I don't think it is because the boxes are dirty, as she did it right after I scrubbed the boxes
I don't think she is marking territory as both kittens have also popped in their cat carriers when I took them to the vet. I normally leave both carriers out though which they play and sleep in and outside of the vet visits neither kitten has pooped again in the carrier.
I haven't been away since that weekend at the start of Sept so I don't think it would still be stress.
Any ideas?