15 week old kitten urinating outside litter tray

[Mings80]

Hello. I've been searching the Internet for a forum to help me! I've got a 15 week old kitten following the death of my beloved 20 year old cat. We've had her for 3 weeks. She's lovely - affectionate, playful, loving - apart from her toileting. We have two litter trays, one covered and one not. I change the litter regularly and use the same litter she had in her old home. She will poo in her tray and wee in there sometimes but not all the time. At night, she pees next to it and we've discovered that she's been peeing behind the sofa during the day. What can I do? Its so odd as she will pee in the tray sometimes. Any help or advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, Welcome! All my condolences to you

She's a baby and doesn't quite have it all down yet. Try adding a couple more trays for her including a low sided one maybe, and there's a litter called Kitten Attract that might help her (I think I saw that Petco has it on sale just now).

Also, an enzymatic cleaner will help stopping her from repeating that, and you might even block it off for a while. Thinking of her going behind the sofa, would she like an enclosed litterbox better?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. So no issues with using the litter box in her 'old home'? What kind of box(es) did they have, and are they different from yours?

Peeing in the tray sometimes, but not all the time, almost suggests she wants one box for pooping and another for peeing. So, two boxes close together might be your answer. It is also possible that she just wants a clean box every time. There are cats that do that as well.
The Litterbox: What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know - TheCatSite

 

[Alldara]

To know if FeebysOwner is right (in your case), I'd try the two boxes, but clean less. It may be that you cleaning it too much is causing confusion. She was likely going in the same box as all her siblings, but if you're cleaning up too fast, she may have some confusion.

Do you know if her last home was using the same litter for the kittens as for any adult cats in the home? Magnus's foster mum was using Yesterday's News for the kittens but wheat litter for the adults. She sent us a bit of Yesterday's News to be safe, but let us know he would use the adult litter during the day. We put out one of each and he never used the Yesterday's News she sent us.

 

[Mings80]

Thanks all. She has two boxes next yo each other, one has a hood and one doesn't. There were 4 other cats in her old home and two dogs so I wonder whether she even learnt how to use a tray. I'm in the UK - we use Catsan litter which is what she had before. I've ordered an enzymatic cleaner so will try that. Thank you for your advice. I really appreciate it. X

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Condolences on the loss of your beloved cat. Twenty years is a long time, but it's still never easy losing them. RIP dear kitty.

Congrats, though, on the new kitten. I hope she helps fill the empty hole in your heart.

About her litter box issue, you mention only having her for 3 weeks, and also that she came from a home with multiple pets. So it certainly is possible she never fully learned litter box habits.

Here's a TCS article that might be helpful:
How To Train Kittens To Use The Litter Box - TheCatSite

One other thing, has she been to the vet for a checkup since you adopted her. Though it's unlikely, she could have a UTI, which can cause litter box avoidance issues. So if she hasn't been to the vet yet, that might be a good idea.

Litterbox Problems? Here's Why You Should Call Your Vet - TheCatSite

 

[drustone]

you should try adding more litter boxes or cleaning the litter more often