Help with Cat Litter Training, Please

DavidDeeson

We got an eight week long hair tabby a month ago. Sometimes uses the litter tray. Most of the time doesn't. Going spare, smile. Any suggestions, please? Very many thanks, David

98jdougl

Have you tried soaking up some of the wee with kitty litter and putting it in the litter tray? This usually works as cats use smell to help figure out hwere the tray is. Try and neutralise odours when it has gone out of the box.

If you can tell when the cat wants to go move it to the litter tray.

attentionseeker1

Keep putting it in the tray all the time- after meals, playtime, sleeping etc as that will help.

We also soaked up some of the wee when our kitten had an accident and rubbed it on the tray so it understood where to go.

Make sure the tray is very nearby- for the first few weeks, we had to move the littertray if the kitten was ever in a different room- e.g. the kitten slept in our bedroom and we had to have the tray in there too ( I know it's revolting!)

Finally check the type of litter you are using- if poss use the same one as the breeder. The breeder should have started house training the kittens already before yours came to you, so they should be familiar with a litter tray.

If it has a preferred area to go, then put the tray in that area

Petal_3

Hi all

We have a 4 month old kitten - had him for nearly 2 weeks now. He has been "loose" ever since we got him home and using the tray as and when he feels like it! He's been to the vets - no probs found but they suggested he was worrmed again which we did at the weekend. At various times he has poo'd or wee'd just about everywhere in the lounge whereas he used the litter tray perfectly all weekend - the first time since we've had him?? We noticed that he wee'd in the tray and then ran off some place for a poo so we thought maybe he doesn't want to do both in the same tray (we read that was possible somewhere). We have two trays which are kept really clean. The vet said that next step if he is still loose is to test a sample for parasites. I'm so frustrated with the litter tray thing. I just don't understand why he uses it happily sometimes and not others?? Tonight we came home and looked in the usual spots for poo....didn't fnd any...until my son stepped in a pile on the rug in his socks....whilst I was clearing that up the kitten went and wee'd next to the TV!:mad: I cried!!

I have had cats for years and never had any problems like this. I should add that we have an adult cat and they are getting along fine...playing etc. I also have a Feliway plug in to see if that will help - nothing yet....

Help! Please? Anyone.....

picklepick

Poor you. i can understand how you must be feeling.

Firstly, how are you cleaning up his mistakes? You need to use something that will stop the area from smelling. As long as he can smell poo or wee, he will keep thinking that its the place where he should go. And just because you cant smell it, doesnt mean that he cant. Use biological washing powder, diluted with water. Leave to work for a few minutes before rinsing away. Also try leaving some of his wee in his tray for a while so he can smell where it is.

Hace you tried popping him in his tray every now and then just to show him where it is and in case he needs to go?

Secondly, does your adult cat use the litter trays also? If she does, you need one tray for each cat you have plus one. So thats three trays in total.

Thirdly, if none of these things works i'd keep on at the vets to test for an underlying problem!!

Petal_3

Hi there

Thanks for taking the time to reply I am using bio washing powder to wash everything. The adult cat has used the tray a couple of times - the kitten has just been put in the tray having shown signs of wanting to go and poo'd. 5 mins before that he went and wee'd by the side of the tv again after cleaning it with bio! I wondered whether he didn't want to "dirty" the tray with loose poo? That doesn't explain the weeing thing though

I tried him on plain cooked chicken, rice and fish to see if he would firm up. We managed a Mr Whippy - but that was it! Back to the vets I think!

He really is very cute....but I can't say I'm feeling the love right now!:rolleyes:

puddy

i really empathise, my cat is ill at the moment with diabetes, she is unstable and we are trying stablise her, but in the meantime she is drinking and weeing for england and on occasion decides that she doesnt want to use the tray but the floor instead.

im sitting here with a migraine coming on because theres so much smell i cant keep up with the cleaning and when its not that, its empying the trays in the usual way, i feel like im constantly clearing up poo and wee, so depressing

Petal_3

I had a diabetic cat too! He had diabetes for about 6 yrs - insulin injections twice a day. Glucose curves every 2 hours over a 24 hour period every now and then so that I could get results to the vet. I feel for you too!

Petal_3

I read somewhere that Hills Feline w/d might be good to firm up his stools and usually gets quick results. My adult cat is on this for other reasons (has been most of his life) - I'm trying to find out whether it is also suitable for a kitten. Anyone know?

puddy

well mine is on the w/d for her diabetes, it HAS NOT firmed up her stools by any means, hence my depression!!

both mine used to be on iams and they had low odour firm small stools. now their poop looks like a christmas log

Petal_3

How frustrating is this? There must be a simple solution.....surely??

My 7 yr old son has been "comforting" me all night with kisses and he's put his Madagascar DVD on "for me"...lol Even HE is saying that we should take the kitten back!