New Kitten Poops and Pees outside of the Litterbox

[otavio galileu]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the forum. I decided to register so that I can solve some doubts about my cats!

I have a 2 year old Russian Blue and I recently adopted an abandoned kitten. In his first weeks, since he was basically feral, he didn't want anyone near him, but would do his business in the litterbox normally, as long as he was alone.

With time he warmed up to me and my friends, and now is very sweet and docile.

But sometimes (usually once a week) he will poop or pee outside of the box. Once he peed in my pillow, other time in my bed and today he pooped in the shower.

I don't have a second litterbox yet, since I wanted a specific one with a filter, because I live in an apartment, and it was unavailable at the stores, so I had to place an order. Its supposed to arrive this week.

Initially I thought this was the problem, but he seems to poop and pee in the box normally, even though he has to share it. He only does it outside sporadically.

I've already taken him to the vet, and everything seems to be fine! What could be causing this? Perhaps with the new box he might stop, but I just don't get how he only decides to evacuate ouside sometimes and not all the time, if the box is the problem.

If anyone has any suggestion or can help I appreciate it!

 

[callista]

Hm, well, you have a resident cat and a new kitten who has an anxious temperament... There's a common problem that often happens in that situation.

The resident cat will casually sit in front of the litter box. This intimidates the new cat so that it can't get to the box, and has to find another place to do its business. Whether the resident cat is doing it on purpose or not is anybody's guess. Some cats are certainly smart enough to "guard" a litter box this way.

The solution is to place boxes around the space so that the cats can always get to a box, no matter where the other cat happens to be sitting.

Since you're waiting a week for your new litter box to arrive, maybe you could just buy one of those cheap plastic ones for the interim. The more often a cat misses a box, the more likely he is to do it again.

 

[catwhisperer1]

Young kittens, like young children, sometimes wait until the very last minute to go relieve themselves and then they don't quite make it in time because they didn't allow themselves enough time to get to the litter pan.  A kitten can also get confused and not quite remember how to get to the litter pan.  With young kittens it often helps to put a litter pan in more than one room in the house.  I use inexpensive plastic dishpans for this purpose. 

Young kittens often will get anxious frantically trying to dig a hole just right while at the same time, trying to control their bowels until they get the hole dug.   Adult cats are often just the opposite, go in, dig a bit of a hole, plop in the poop and walk away without covering it.  I have cats who do this and I have another cat who will go in after a cat who does this and with a look of utter disgust on his face, he will thoroughly cover up the other cat's deposit.