- Joined
- May 24, 2019
- Messages
- 14
- Purraise
- 23
Hi everyone,
I got a 12 week old (now 13 week old) Ragamuffin from a reputable breeder 5 days ago. I kept him shut in my room for the first day. This resulted in 2 pee spots on my bed and a diarrhea explosion on my mattress (I was very tired after a night of meowing and forgot to replace my bedding when I stripped it for laundering, so it went right on that mattress). I moved him to the bathroom, where he still is 4 days later. He’s getting more curious and wants to explore the house, but we can only take him out if we’re going to watch him like a hawk because he is on a mission to pee and poo on anything but a litter box. It’s getting exhausting for everyone because he wants to be out exploring and we want his company, but I’m not willing to let him go potty all over my home.
Specifics:
I was using a corner litterbox with the cover removed and unscented World’s Best Cat Litter, and he refused to use it. Before and after moving him to the bathroom I did the usual—placing him in the box after meals or when he was sniffing around and praising/petting, never getting upset at accidents, moving poop into the box.
When he still opted to pee on the bathroom floor instead of use the box I got a disposable litter box with the clay litter that comes with it and put that in the bathroom, too. (Two boxes to choose from)
I put the cover on the cover box.
I contacted the breeder and bought the same kind of litter she uses and replaced the World’s Best litter with it.
I then replaced the clay litter.
I rushed him to the vet after 2 days of no pee or poo and they confirmed that he is, in fact, quite healthy, has no worms, and must be peeing *somewhere* since he’s eating and drinking like there’s no tomorrow and his bladder wasn’t full. However he was FULL of poo (but not constipated) because he just refuses to go. I gave him some wet food and, lo and behold, another poo-splosion happened that night. He peed in the disposable litter pan and pooped *around* the outside of the corner litter box. I thought he’d at least turned a corner with peeing in the box! (He hadn’t).
That one pee was the only time in 5 days he’s used a litter box in my home, and it was at the very very edge of the box like he hated to get his paws in the litter. Every other time he’s peed on the floor.
He’s obviously uncomfortable and holding it as long as possible, because he woke me up this morning meowing loudly from the bathroom, then rushed from the bathroom into my bedroom, jumped into my laundry basket with folded clothes in it and squatted. I scooped him up gently and put him in the litter box he *has* peed in and petted and praised him. He ran out of the box, into my room, and jumped back into the laundry basket. I gently picked him up, grabbed the litter box, and stuck it in the laundry basket on top of my clothes (I’m getting desperate). He tried to find enough space *around* it to squat. I kept putting him in the box and petting and baby talking him, so (with very annoyed sideways ears) he jumped out of the laundry basket, ran into his crinkly play tubes, and hurried and peed a giant puddle as I peeked in after him and muttered “You better not be peeing in your play tunnel”. *face palm*
This morning when I left for work he was obviously sniffing around and looking for a place to poop, and looking at me and meowing pitifully. I just want him to be able to go to the bathroom in a predictable, comfy spot. Does he just hate the texture of litter? His breeder says he didn’t have a problem in her home, but also that he grew up under her guest bed and didn’t get as much socialization as she usually would do. He’s very sweet and social, follows us around, is starting to respond to his name, and jumps in my lap and climbs up on my shoulder where he flops over it and purrs in my ear. So, he’s not hiding or fearful. He doesn’t mind deep boxes (like a laundry basket) or no boxes (like the floor). He doesn’t need cover, but also seems okay with it. I don’t have any other cats for him to compete against or be fearful of. He doesn’t seem to be marking because he really seems to hold it as long as possible (plus he’s too young for that I assume) and he’s not sick.
I wonder if he developed a bad habit of relieving himself on cloth in his previous home? Or if he’s just still adjusting to being an only kitten in a new world? I’m not sure, but it’s so frustrating for all of us! Any suggestions would be helpful.
I got a 12 week old (now 13 week old) Ragamuffin from a reputable breeder 5 days ago. I kept him shut in my room for the first day. This resulted in 2 pee spots on my bed and a diarrhea explosion on my mattress (I was very tired after a night of meowing and forgot to replace my bedding when I stripped it for laundering, so it went right on that mattress). I moved him to the bathroom, where he still is 4 days later. He’s getting more curious and wants to explore the house, but we can only take him out if we’re going to watch him like a hawk because he is on a mission to pee and poo on anything but a litter box. It’s getting exhausting for everyone because he wants to be out exploring and we want his company, but I’m not willing to let him go potty all over my home.
Specifics:
I was using a corner litterbox with the cover removed and unscented World’s Best Cat Litter, and he refused to use it. Before and after moving him to the bathroom I did the usual—placing him in the box after meals or when he was sniffing around and praising/petting, never getting upset at accidents, moving poop into the box.
When he still opted to pee on the bathroom floor instead of use the box I got a disposable litter box with the clay litter that comes with it and put that in the bathroom, too. (Two boxes to choose from)
I put the cover on the cover box.
I contacted the breeder and bought the same kind of litter she uses and replaced the World’s Best litter with it.
I then replaced the clay litter.
I rushed him to the vet after 2 days of no pee or poo and they confirmed that he is, in fact, quite healthy, has no worms, and must be peeing *somewhere* since he’s eating and drinking like there’s no tomorrow and his bladder wasn’t full. However he was FULL of poo (but not constipated) because he just refuses to go. I gave him some wet food and, lo and behold, another poo-splosion happened that night. He peed in the disposable litter pan and pooped *around* the outside of the corner litter box. I thought he’d at least turned a corner with peeing in the box! (He hadn’t).
That one pee was the only time in 5 days he’s used a litter box in my home, and it was at the very very edge of the box like he hated to get his paws in the litter. Every other time he’s peed on the floor.
He’s obviously uncomfortable and holding it as long as possible, because he woke me up this morning meowing loudly from the bathroom, then rushed from the bathroom into my bedroom, jumped into my laundry basket with folded clothes in it and squatted. I scooped him up gently and put him in the litter box he *has* peed in and petted and praised him. He ran out of the box, into my room, and jumped back into the laundry basket. I gently picked him up, grabbed the litter box, and stuck it in the laundry basket on top of my clothes (I’m getting desperate). He tried to find enough space *around* it to squat. I kept putting him in the box and petting and baby talking him, so (with very annoyed sideways ears) he jumped out of the laundry basket, ran into his crinkly play tubes, and hurried and peed a giant puddle as I peeked in after him and muttered “You better not be peeing in your play tunnel”. *face palm*
This morning when I left for work he was obviously sniffing around and looking for a place to poop, and looking at me and meowing pitifully. I just want him to be able to go to the bathroom in a predictable, comfy spot. Does he just hate the texture of litter? His breeder says he didn’t have a problem in her home, but also that he grew up under her guest bed and didn’t get as much socialization as she usually would do. He’s very sweet and social, follows us around, is starting to respond to his name, and jumps in my lap and climbs up on my shoulder where he flops over it and purrs in my ear. So, he’s not hiding or fearful. He doesn’t mind deep boxes (like a laundry basket) or no boxes (like the floor). He doesn’t need cover, but also seems okay with it. I don’t have any other cats for him to compete against or be fearful of. He doesn’t seem to be marking because he really seems to hold it as long as possible (plus he’s too young for that I assume) and he’s not sick.
I wonder if he developed a bad habit of relieving himself on cloth in his previous home? Or if he’s just still adjusting to being an only kitten in a new world? I’m not sure, but it’s so frustrating for all of us! Any suggestions would be helpful.
I also used it on Banana's cushions that he tracked poo onto, so now I need to eliminate the perfume from those so it doesn't knock his poor sensitive nose for a loop. Yikes. 
This was fine for the first few days after we got him, but it's been a week and he wants to be free! 
Then I'll just need to do a nightly sweep with the black light to make sure he's not doing secret pees when he's in there alone. I can't have him keep me awake all night with his meowing, though, so he may need to spend nights in the bathroom until he can settle at night. I also don't know if I can stand sleeping under a shower curtain tbh. I thought of buying a large covered play pen to keep in my room, but 1. I'm out of money, 2. That's not going to stop him from meowing and keeping me up and night, 3. I don't know that having me in the same room but inaccessible to him is really going to be much better for him psychologically than having me in a different room. But if it would be, I'd be willing to figure out how to beg, borrow, or steal a cat play pen for him to sleep in at night. 
