Litter-training Kittens: Issues.

[OmenOnyx]

Hi,
My boyfriend and I have recently gotten two kittens; a boy- Omen, and a girl- Onyx.

They were given to us by a couple who my boyfriend did some work for. We're not entirely sure of their age, but they are over a month old, perhaps closer to two months old.

Firstly, are they too young to be taken from their mother? We were told they could be taken at eight weeks old, but most of our family and friends immediately tell us they are too young to be away from her.

We were told they were litter-trained, but that doesn't seem to be true. We brought them home on October 26th, so a week now.

While I expected some accidents, it seems to be a common thing for them to pee on our living room floor, there's also been some incidents of pooping on the floor, as well.

We were given the litter box they had been using and bought the same brand of litter. We've also fed them the same food.

The first incident, the litter box was right next to them, but they peed and pooped on the floor.

We keep their litter box cleaned regularly and we place them in their litter box. However, they still continued to use outside of their litter box.

I searched for solutions on the internet and one suggestion was a closed off area with their litter box. We made a large play area for them with their litter box and their bed.

The male seemed much more inclined to use the litter box, but the female still ignored it.

However, both still continue to pee and poop on the floor. I have no idea what to do. I don't know how to correct this behaviour and unfortunately, if it continues we won't be able to keep them as we are renting.

Any suggestions you all have will be more than appreciated!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. These days the recommendation is to keep kittens with their mom and siblings till at least 12 weeks, so they have time to learn cat etiquette. But, of course, that isn't always possible. But when kittens are adopted out too young, it becomes their human parents job to teach them manners. Since you have 2, they will learn some from each other. Here's a link, though, that might be helpful: Teach your kitten how to play nice

About litter box training, here's the TCS article How To Train Kittens To Use The Litter Box

Also How Old Is My Kitten? and Kitten Development Stages - Illustrated Guide that might help you determine their age.

Here are a few more articles that may be helpful:
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips
The Essentials Of Kitten Nutrition

Good luck with them. Post pics of them, if you can.
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post

 

[OmenOnyx]

Thank you, so much!

Omen.

Onyx.

 

[rubysmama]

Awww... they're adorable.

Oh... since you have a boy and girl, maybe start putting away pennies to get Omen neutered and Onyx spayed in a few months, as females can go into heat and get pregnant sometimes as early as 5 months. Here's more reading material for you.

Why You Should Spay And Neuter Your Cats
When To Spay Or Neuter A Cat?
Spaying And Neutering - What To Ask Before The Surgery
Spaying And Neutering - What To Look For After Surgery
How Much Does It Cost To Get A Cat Fixed

 

[catsknowme]

First off, welcome to TCS!
I would put down flattened cardboard topped with puppy pads (or humans' bed pads which are larger and can often be found cheap at thrift stores or donated by families of disabled people) covering an area larger than the litter box and soiled area. It could be that previous tenants had pets who soiled that spot & if it was done by a dog, the area will be much larger than if a cat did it (and felines can smell the old spot, even after cleaning and painting with Kilz or recarpeting).
Next, I would consider other common obstacles to litter box use. Is the box low-sided enough? Just like toddlers, kittens are so involved in playing & exploring that they tend to hold it till the last minute.
Also to be considered is the litter which needs to be unscented/fragrance free to avoid irritation of kittens' ultra sensitive nasal tissues.
Your kittens are indeed very young and their sphincters may be still developing. It could also help to "borrow" some poop from another cat and bury it in their box. Many cats prefer 2 boxes, 1 for pee and 1 for poo; the ammonia in urine will make the poop smell more & their instincts are to keep odors down so they aren't discovered by predators.
And bless you for taking in those 2 cuties- they are adorable