My kitten will not poop in litter box I'm ready to give her away

[florcitabonita]

My 9 week old kitten will not use the litter box. I find myself yelling at her more than I pet her. What am I doing wrong? Someone please help!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I know it is soooo hard not to yell, but it will really only make things worse with her. She could become afraid of you. Did you adopt her from a rescue? Do you know what type litter/litter box they were using? Not knowing any of the specifics, I've included a link below to a TCS article about training kittens to use a litter box. Hopefully, there are some tips in it that you haven't tried yet.
How To Train Kittens To Use The Litter Box – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Willowy]

Don't yell at her; you'll ruin her trust in you. She's a baby and it always takes babies some time to get the hang of potty training.

After naps and mealtimes, take her to the litterbox and scratch around in it, try to entice her to use it. If she does, make sure to tell her how great she is, but be careful not to be too enthusiastic (like you would with, say, a Lab puppy) because it might scare her. Also keep an eye on her while she's playing and take her to the litterbox if she looks like she has to go (sniffing or scratching the floor, etc.). When you're not home or can't watch her, confine her in a small room with her litterbox (and food and water and a bed of course) so she doesn't have any choice but to use the box. Bathrooms are good for this, or maybe a laundry room if it's safe enough.

You can also get Kitten Attract litter or litter additive, if you go to their website they'll have a store locator so you can look up where to buy it in your area.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Additionally, some cats simply want a separate box to poop in from the box they pee in. Who knows why, but its true. If all the things from above don't work, try getting her a second box. type of litter is important too. No perfumy litter, and for kittens, it needs to be NON-clumping, at least until they are 4 months old.

 

[Cat McCannon]

Make sure the box is easy for her to get in & out of. If you're using a liner, get rid of it. If the box is kept in a corner, you might have to bring it out into a more open space for awhile. If the box has a top, remove it.

Try a softer litter. I recently bought a bag of Sustainably Yours which is made from dried corn & something else. It's very soft and easy on the sensitive feet of kitties.

 

[StefanZ]

Want just to add, re the Kitten Attract litter. I suppose its quite costly. If so, you dont need to fill the whole box with it, it should suffice to have just the surface layer.

 

[Willowy]

I suppose its quite costly.

Not terribly expensive. Although it is clumping litter, you'd think Dr Elsey would know better :/.
Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Kitten Attract Litter - Clumping, Multi-Cat Strength | cat Litter | PetSmart

But the attractant additive can be used with any litter:
Dr. Elsey's Ultra Litter Attractant | cat Litter | PetSmart

And apparently other brands have gotten in on the business because there are other options now:
Worlds Best Cat Litter ™ Advanced Picky Cat Litter - Clumping | cat Litter | PetSmart

Naturally Fresh Quick Clumping Herbal Attraction Cat Litter - Natural | cat Litter | PetSmart

ExquisiCat Clumping Clay Premium Cat Litter - Fragrance Free, 10-Day Odor Control, Multi-Cat | cat Litter | PetSmart