Lots Of Issues... Need Help!!!

[Catmom24]

I am currently fostering a special needs kitten. Her name is Rhonda, and she is a 14 week old black manx who came to me about a month ago. We are currently having MANY issues with her that I am frankly not sure how to handle. Rhonda's "special needs" because she was born without a tail, and she has a spinal condition that causes her to be urinary incontinent. It is mostly when she sleeps, but she also dribbles when she's stressed or playing roughly. She came to me with her brother, who was healthy. He was just adopted out yesterday. Rhonda also has issues realizing where is appropriate to go to the bathroom. This is from two issues, I believe. 1. She goes in her sleep sometimes, so that area then smells like pee even if I clean it thoroughly. 2. She came from a home with way too many cats and I believe she learned some bad habits. She recently peed on my bed when left alone for about 5 minutes. Her original owner also told me she had issues peeing on her bed. She pees on blankets or anything soft whenever she gets the chance. She is also now VERY stressed because her brother is gone, so she yowls and screams for me to come get her when she's alone for any length of time.

Here are some of the things I need help with, if anyone has any info or suggestions:

1. How do I deal with her inappropriate elimination on soft items, including my bed? She is currently quarantined in the kitten room, which I have set up for her. She has two litter boxes in there with kitten training litter in them (the kind with attratant in it). I spot clean them daily and fully clean them out every week to two weeks depending on how they look.
2. Can anyone suggest how to let her have some free time around my house without ruining my carpet and furniture? I rent and I can't have her peeing everywhere but she needs more time out of her kitten room. I have talked to a vet about diapers, but she's so small, I'm not even sure how to fit her with one. I am also worried about UTI's if she has it on too long. I already bathe her a few times a week to keep her clean, so I would be able to bathe her after her time in a diaper.
3. How can I help her be less stressed? I provided her with a cat tree, window perches, lots of interactive toys. Between me and my husband, she also gets lots of love and attention. But today has been an exceptionally bad day now that her brother is gone. She can have some free time around the house but it is typically brief now that we have to watch her the entire time.

Please help! I am trying to find her a home. But with her special needs issues and now her behavioral issues, I am afraid she's becoming unadoptable.

 

[ArtNJ]

No idea if this guidance will help, but its not unusual for a kitten without any medical issue to pee on the bed or on clothes left lying around. Reason being, they are soft and can be kneaded to simulate burying waste. The solution is to keep the kitten off the bed, or at least put the comforter away during the day and keep the sheets tight, and eliminate other temptations like clothing left lying around. Usually if the temptation is removed for a few weeks while the kitten is consistently using the box, you can then relax the restrictions.

Othing things: make sure you are using an enzyme cleaner, and add a lot of boxes so the kitten never has to go too far. Make sure the boxes don't have high sides.

You can also consider "boot camp" which is to temporarily confine the kitten in a bathroom with a litterbox, food and a basket or carrier to hang out in. A bit more drastic and there is no guaranty it will help, but it might.

 

[FeebysOwner]

So sorry for poor Rhonda ! How about using puppy pee pads on top of some of the more soft spots she tends to want to hang out and/or sleep on? And, also put them inside her litter box - over the litter. Maybe the softness of them would encourage her to use the litter box? If so, once she starts using it more frequently, remove the puppy pads from the other locations. Of course, if she has a particular spot where she sleeps, the puppy pads could be used there indefinitely, because of her incontinence issue at night.

I will tell you that carpet - and many cloth-based furniture - can be successfully treated with a product called "The Equalizer" - and, it doesn't require saturating the area, like so many other products do (Nature's Miracle comes to mind). I have used it for years. It can be purchased on Amazon - read up on it to see what you think. It really does what they claim it will do.

 

[Furballsmom]

1. She goes in her sleep sometimes, so that area then smells like pee even if I clean it thoroughly

Hi! Along with the great advice you've already gotten, see if you can get pee pads that are really absorbent so that the pee is wicked down into interior layers, that might help when she goes during her sleep. I found some that were washable/reusable, and they work well to keep cleanup easier.

Also, try a ticking clock, it mimics a heartbeat and can help young ones that don't have mama or siblings to snuggle with.

You could try, when it looks like she's about to take a nap, a sock partly filled with dry rice and very gently heated in a microwave. Test it all around on the back of your hand to ensure it's not too hot and doesn't have hot spots. Maybe it'll help her to miss her brother a little less.

Music also might help, try MusicForCats . com or kusc . org