Please Help! I’m At My Wits End!

[Doofpie]

My cat name is Spooky and she is 6 months old, I had her since she was born (I took in the mom in when she was pregnant). The mom cat only gave birth to one child which I found surprising.
Disclaimer: I made sure there were no more babies inside of her. I also made sure to check for deceased/eaten kittens. Everything was fine, she just gave birth to only one kitten.
Just like I’ve done with other kittens in the past, I taught them how to use the litter box. Spooky is the only one I can’t potty train. For the past months, she’s been peeing and pooping outside the box. It’s getting to the point where she is ruining my furniture, floor tiles and clothes. The only time she would use the litter box is when I put her inside the box and stand there to make sure she doesn’t get come out. I’ve tried locking her in the bathroom with the litter box and instead she pees and poops in my tub. I keep the box clean and I’ve tried different types of litters. I even tried different boxes! I have 3 total and nothing is stopping her from doing it. I had to throw away some of my clothes and my son’s clothes because she will scavenge for clothing material in my closet or the dirty bin to cover up her tracks. I have to throw out my black couch that didn’t last a year because she’s pooped and peed on it too many times. At this point, the maintenance is not even worth. I also have to replace some of the tiles on the floor and wooden cabinets. I went to get her checked out & was told everything is fine and she’s doing this because she’s young. However, I disagree. I’m wondering if her behavior has something to do with the parents being brother and sister? I was told the father is the mother’s brother. Maybe she’s mentally declined? I don’t know, but sorry if I’m coming off mean. I’m just entirely frustrated. She has used the box maybe 3-4 times since she’s been here.

 

[danteshuman]

My first question is has she seen a vet? A UTI in her past could have caused a negative association. Also if she was declawed the litter could cause her pain after the surgery or damage to her paws that could cause her pain using the litter. Either way my first thought is a trip to the vet and some cat attract litter.

 

[danteshuman]

How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Was Spooky bottle fed? Or was she able to stay with the mother cat? Are their other cats / pets in your home?

 

[Doofpie]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Was Spooky bottle fed? Or was she able to stay with the mother cat? Are their other cats / pets in your home?

She was breast fed by the mother. I haven’t done anything what was mentioned above (declawing). Also, I stated that I went to get her checked out by the vet and I was told she’s fine. The vet said her behavior could be linked to her age. However, I don’t agree with that statement. I do have two other adult female cats (they are sisters) that I adopted 4 years ago as kittens. They all get along well. In total, I have 4 cats (the mom, spooky and the two sisters) They are all female.

 

[Doofpie]

My first question is has she seen a vet? A UTI in her past could have caused a negative association. Also if she was declawed the litter could cause her pain after the surgery or damage to her paws that could cause her pain using the litter. Either way my first thought is a trip to the vet and some cat attract litter.

Yes, she has seen a vet. They said she’s healthy and told me her behavior could be linked to her age. She’s still “developing” I guess, but I don’t agree with that statement. Also, I would never declaw my pets. That would never be an option l.

 

[danteshuman]

Sometimes people adopt previously de-clawed cats. I agree with you about declawing. I was trying to get more back ground information.

With all those cats I assume you have 5?6? Or so litter boxes? I keep hearing how female cats don't get along well. I'm wondering if that is an issue. Litter box issues are detective cases. I'm sure you will solve what her issue with the litter box is, it just takes time.

 

[Doofpie]

Sometimes people adopt previously de-clawed cats. I agree with you about declawing. I was trying to get more back ground information.

With all those cats I assume you have 5?6? Or so litter boxes? I keep hearing how female cats don't get along well. I'm wondering if that is an issue. Litter box issues are detective cases. I'm sure you will solve what her issue with the litter box is, it just takes time.

Oh okay sorry for the misunderstanding, I was worried that you thought I declawed her. I had her since she was a newborn. She’s 6 months old now and still haven’t learned to use the litter box. 10 minutes ago, I seen she had pooped again on my couch. I have 4 cats total and 3 litter boxes. My two female sibling cats I had for 4 years now and no problem. If the situation doesn’t get better, I’m going to give her a new home. I haven’t had company over like I usually do because of this situation.

 

[rubysmama]

I'm so sorry you're dealing with Spooky's litter box avoidance issues. This might not solve her problem, but the "recommended" number of litter boxes is 1 per cat, plus 1. So you could try adding at least another litter box.
How Many Litterboxes Should You Have?

Spooky is way too young to have a constant litter box avoidance issue, and because of it, she'd be hard to rehome. I don't think the vet is right that Spooky's problem is her young age. The occasional accident, maybe. But not all the time.

One thing I mention when cats are particularly hard to litter box train is litter box crate training. I have no experience with it. But have seen it mentioned occasionally, so it's something you might want to read up on.

Here's a link about it:
http://www.ourcompanions.org/pdf/OC Crate Training for Your Cat.pdf.

And a thread by a TCS member who tried crate training.
About To Start Crate Training For My Extremely Litter Box Averse Cat

 

[vyger]

Cats can have mental issues, learning disabilities and even a form of down's syndrome (that last one I just looked up and though it is rare it can happen apparently as it is a genetic mistake). I think most of them go unnoticed because cats don't get evaluated like children do. I know I have several that are definitely smarter than the others. For instance: if you give a cat an emptied can of something like cream of mushroom soup they will lick the inside down as far as they can reach. They may even try and stick their head into it to reach further. But once they can't reach to the bottom they give up. However I have 2 cats who have figured out how to clean the bottom of the can. They reach in with their paw and wipe the can and lick it off the paw. Simple to us but genius for them. None of my other cats can figure out how to do that. They watch and sometimes will even try to steal a lick but presented with the can they are at a loss to try it themselves. These 2 do other things as well that show they have a little more in the problem solving department. So your cat could have a learning disability when it comes to litter boxes. The only option might be to make it an outside cat.
It is also possible that it was ambushed by one of the others while trying to use a box and now has fear issues (PTSD) with using a litter box.
While inbreeding can be a cause of problems it is not the only cause of mental issues.

 

[danteshuman]

Using a litter box is institutional for cats. So I doubt she doesn't know how. Which means there is a reason she is avoiding it.
Some cats get bullied out of the litter box by other cats or dogs. Sometimes there are not enough boxes. Sometimes a UTI plays a role or parasites. Sometimes feral cats outside freak your cat out. Sometimes prozac is needed.

 

[Doofpie]

I'm so sorry you're dealing with Spooky's litter box avoidance issues. This might not solve her problem, but the "recommended" number of litter boxes is 1 per cat, plus 1. So you could try adding at least another litter box.
How Many Litterboxes Should You Have?

Spooky is way too young to have a constant litter box avoidance issue, and because of it, she'd be hard to rehome. I don't think the vet is right that Spooky's problem is her young age. The occasional accident, maybe. But not all the time.

One thing I mention when cats are particularly hard to litter box train is litter box crate training. I have no experience with it. But have seen it mentioned occasionally, so it's something you might want to read up on.

Here's a link about it:
http://www.ourcompanions.org/pdf/OC Crate Training for Your Cat.pdf.

And a thread by a TCS member who tried crate training.
About To Start Crate Training For My Extremely Litter Box Averse Cat

Thank you for this. I will definitely look into trying this technique. I don’t have cage, only a catbag. I will invest in a cage and hopefully this helps out my issue.

 

[Doofpie]

Cats can have mental issues, learning disabilities and even a form of down's syndrome (that last one I just looked up and though it is rare it can happen apparently as it is a genetic mistake). I think most of them go unnoticed because cats don't get evaluated like children do. I know I have several that are definitely smarter than the others. For instance: if you give a cat an emptied can of something like cream of mushroom soup they will lick the inside down as far as they can reach. They may even try and stick their head into it to reach further. But once they can't reach to the bottom they give up. However I have 2 cats who have figured out how to clean the bottom of the can. They reach in with their paw and wipe the can and lick it off the paw. Simple to us but genius for them. None of my other cats can figure out how to do that. They watch and sometimes will even try to steal a lick but presented with the can they are at a loss to try it themselves. These 2 do other things as well that show they have a little more in the problem solving department. So your cat could have a learning disability when it comes to litter boxes. The only option might be to make it an outside cat.
It is also possible that it was ambushed by one of the others while trying to use a box and now has fear issues (PTSD) with using a litter box.
While inbreeding can be a cause of problems it is not the only cause of mental issues.

Very interesting how our pets can share the same problems humans face. Unfortunely, I can’t make her an outside cat because I live in a busy city. She could get hurt by oncoming traffic.
You mentioned PTSD, while that could be a factor, but I highly doubt because the female sisters get along with her. They sometimes play with each other too.
You have smart furbabies! I think my issue is that I can compare Spooky to the others. While we all have our unique personalities, animals do too quite often. Thank you for your reply

 

[Doofpie]

Using a litter box is institutional for cats. So I doubt she doesn't know how. Which means there is a reason she is avoiding it.
Some cats get bullied out of the litter box by other cats or dogs. Sometimes there are not enough boxes. Sometimes a UTI plays a role or parasites. Sometimes feral cats outside freak your cat out. Sometimes prozac is needed.

I do monitor her behavior with the other cats, it seems they get along well because they often run around (especially at night) and play. Spooky hasn’t been around feral cats because I live in a big city. She’s not able to go outside due to the possibly of her getting stolen, lost or injured from incoming traffic. I’m confused about why she is avoiding it but I’m willing to try the crate training which was mentioned above, thank you for being helpful

 

[Doofpie]

Now I’m wondering if her behavior could be linked to my child? I do have a 3 year old boy who sometimes try to play with the cats by chasing them around. Spooky runs away from him a lot. It seems she becomes afraid when he’s around. He doesn’t try to hurt them though. I think this could be my issue, but during the times when my son isn’t because he’s at daycare or visiting family, why does Spooky continue to exhibit the behavior? Am I too late?

 

[danteshuman]

Stress? Can you give her 2 litter boxes in a room your son is not allowed in? It would be worth a try. Little kids stress cats out. My boys hide when the car pulls up carrying my niece & nephew. Since my room is a safe kid free zone (always has been) they are fine. Though they seem to prefer the door closed when they come over. Mind you I have a curtain over my door. I'm slowly working on getting them to be braver when the kids are asleep (the cats are 11 & 12 years old.) So I would try giving her a room to herself & 2 litter boxes (one by the bed) I would also not allow your boy in there (I know that is hard.) Once that is established as her room you can leave the door open so the other cats can be in the safe room.

If it works it is your son stressing her out. Little kids can be awful to cats. I used to chase them down, dress them in doll clothes & when I was 3 I carried around our cat Felix under his arms with his legs dangling.

 

[rubysmama]

Here's a couple TCS articles on stress, in case they might be helpful:

Potential Stressors In Cats - The Ultimate Checklist
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

 

[Doofpie]

Thank you, I will try to find a way to get her alone and hopefully that’ll work. I have a one bedroom apartment & my son sleeps in the bed with me (he has a hard time sleeping alone) So maybe Me and my son can try sleeping in the living for 5-7 days while Spooky keeps my bedroom. She often stays inside my bottom cabinets in my kitchen. It is large enough for an 8-year old child to lay down in. That’s where she was birthed. I removed one of the cabinet doors and put a small curtain there to make it a “hide-out” or lounge. The only one that goes in there is Spooky and her mom. The only thing I disliked about the cabinet situatin is I did have a small litter box in there because that’s where she stays most times, instead she kept pooping and peeing elsewhere. I would of thought she’ll be comfortable in there since it’s dim & that’s where she was born. The fact that she has pooped and peed so much has ruined the floor boards. This is Spooky below inside the cabinet.

 

[Doofpie]

Inside the hideout, there are mini shelves, so the mom and Spooky have their own personal shelf with food and water. Spooky likes to sleep on the top shelf or the floor boards. The mom goes in there occasionally. There’s also a small litter box in there too. I wish I had a picture of how it looked before the boards were ruined, but I don’t. I do have a gate for the kitchen to keep my son out so he can’t sneak in the kitchen and get into trouble. So when my son does chase her, she jumps over the gate & she goes into her home.

 

[Doofpie]

Maybe it’s her mom she doesn’t like? Either way, I’m going to remove her from the hideout and see if that changes . She shares it with her mom, but maybe she wants her own space. To give you a general idea of where the boxes are located, there’s a large one in my room with a cover ontop that the sisters share (they like to sleep in my room). Then there’s a medium size one in the bathroom without a cover and there’s a small one in the hideout without a cover also. So technically, the mom and daughter do have their own litter boxes since the sisters share a large one in my room. But there’s so many possibilities and ideas you guys have given me & I will definitely work out my options. I feel a lot better now compared to before.