[Dragon]

Hello - I found this web board after a search and hope someone can give me some advice.

My girlfriend and I recently got a kitten, about 5 weeks old. It is playful, seems healthy and eats from a bowl. However, despite what the previous owners said, it has NO clue what a litterbox is. It is using the corners of our apartments as its bathroom. We have tried for three days now coaxing it into the box (after play, feeding and when it wakes up - it just stares at it), placing it in the box and following it around waiting for it do to its business and then running with it to the box. It's obvious that it just doesn't know what it is for. When it is in the box, it just tried to eat the litter.

Any suggestions?

 

[Aonir]

What kind of person would sell a 5 week old kitten?! They need to be with their mother til around 10 weeks! :shock:

 

[Jeanie]

My post disappeared! Oh, well. Yes, 12 wks. would be what breeders recommend. Part of the reason for the problem is his age, and part is because he was just moved. The litter box might be too high. Use a cereal box lined in plastic, and put him in, scratching his paw in the litter. Hold him there gently when you know he has to go. And make a happy "fuss" when he goes.

In the meantime, remove all stains or wet spots with an enzyme cleaner, or the kitten will go right back. Clean up a wet accident with a paper towel and put the paper in the litter box. Kitten will get the idea if you're patient. That owner should be educated. A kitten is not ready to leave at that age, not even right after being weaned. No wonder she's having problems!

 

[Dragon]

I know the kitten is WAY to young to be away from its mother but we saw the sign posted and worried what they might do if we didn't take it once we talked to them, since they wanted it gone very soon.

The kitten came get into the box fine, we checked that. And we've been cleaning up wherever it goes outside of the box. Just today it used the box, if we dump it in over and over again. I was just wondering if there was something we missed about litter training as it seemed so clueless.

 

[faile]

maybe it doesn't like the litter?

 

[Ioana]

Have you dug with your own finger and gently with his paw the sand while you have him in the box? Try to do this several times. This is what I did with Frosty and he got the move pretty quickly. I understand you have a different situation there since your kitty was not taught properly from the beginning- I would still give it a try. And wherever he makes the doodoos must be pretty good desinfected so that he doesn't get the smell of it any more. He will try to do it in the exact same spots where he can smell it happened before.
Another option would be to put the box where he made a poop - try one of the places convenient to you. The little kittens I am taking care of started doing it in a cage they have found in the garage; After having placed a litter box in there..they did quiete well

 

[kitkat]

Definitely clean up the places where the kittie used the restroom so it doesnt come back. If you can try to place the litter area in the bathroom and keep the kitten food in there for it to eat and keep it in the bathroom after it has eaten so if it has to go, perhaps the kitten will go in the litter and know to go in there. Hopefully the kitten will know to go in the litterbox, as most cats know that is where they are supposed to go. Keep us updated on the progress! :lol: