3 month Male Kitten won't use Litterbox

tatonka1233

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I have a 3 month old kitten named Nutmeg. Originally he was an outside kitten that wasn't very friendly, Around September 3rd he was injured in some way and he had bruised back legs, causing him to not walk at all. You would think his spine was broke, but after 3 weeks of TLC he is now running around like a kitten should. He wasn't using the litterbox everytime he went to the bathroom, so I decided to bring his sister, Cinnamon, in from outside and see if he will kinda do what she does. She uses the litterbox like usual and I have no problems with her. But lately it has gotten worse, everytime I go to clean the litterbox or I get up there is a tiny pee puddle on the floor or I see him squat on the ground. I pick him up and put him in the litterbox, but it hasn't worked well. Its the same thing when he poops, he will poop in the litterbox sometimes and other time it will be everywhere. I tried putting dirt in the litterbox hoping that he might use it everytime not just when he wants to.
 

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Hi, welcome to TCS and bless you for taking these kittens in. I would try adding some extra litter boxes. You are right about cats learning from other cats, so I am puzzled. You may want to take him to the vet. I have seen this behavior in elderly cats, but never with kittens. I am happy he has recovered from his injury. I wonder if he got used to going where he had to when he could not walk and it has carried over? I wish you the very best and please update us on the sitatuion. Once again, it's nice to meet you and I wish you the best.
 

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You might also try using a litter box with very low sides in case he does still have fear about getting over the sides being painful. Even if the pain is gone, remembering the pain could be a problem. IF he still has leg pain, maybe low sides and a soft textured litter would help. I have used large baking sheets as litter pans for cats with injuries. Pellet litters may be hard for him. If soft litter does not work then even using shredded paper can be easier ( and more fun to a kitten) Outside kitties and ferals often like private places for a potty, have you tried using a covered litter box? They do make some with a very low edged entrance point. You may need to use an enzyme cleaner to remove the scent from the spots he has used too. Poor little guy! He is very fortunate to have you and his sister there for him! You have my great appreciation for saving those kitties. :clap2: I know many other members will be here to add help and have great suggestions. Please keep us updated.
 
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tatonka1233

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Hi, welcome to TCS and bless you for taking these kittens in. I would try adding some extra litter boxes. You are right about cats learning from other cats, so I am puzzled. You may want to take him to the vet. I have seen this behavior in elderly cats, but never with kittens. I am happy he has recovered from his injury. I wonder if he got used to going where he had to when he could not walk and it has carried over? I wish you the very best and please update us on the sitatuion. Once again, it's nice to meet you and I wish you the best.
Do you think after I get them fixed, he will do better or should I take him to the vet? I took him to the vet less than a week after it happened and they said he doesn't appear to have neurological problems and that he should be okay in no time.
 

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When you said that his potty habits can be everywhere, that could be some sort of indication. I always err on the side of caution with my furry loved ones. If you are worried, the best way to put your mind at rest is to pursue this with the vet. You can call and describe the problem or simply take him in but if he were mine, I would want him checked out before any surgery just to be on the safe side. You don’t mention if his stool is normal or how frequently he leaves little puddles. More information could be a clue. You might make some notes and observe his patterns on eating, drinking, stools and urinating to give the vet more to work with. Also, has he already been treated for worms/ parasites? Had bloodwork etc. ?
 
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tatonka1233

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Yes, I haved dewormed both kittens and they have had their shots. They have been strictly on cat food only with the occasional cat treats every once in a while. I have noticed today that he has used the litterbox and there have been no signs of peeing or pooping on the ground. At night I keep both kittens in an extra bedroom with hard floor, but they each have a bed and their own litterboxes. They share food and water. I've noticed that they will eat all their food as soon as they can. I think this is because they were outside for so long before and they had to fight for food, eat the food before another cat/animal got to it first. I just hope once I take him to the vet, he will be okay.
 

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Cats that have had to eat when food was available often scarf every crumb. That’s very normal and they may relax on that as they realize that food comes regularly. It won’t just vanish.
It’s good that he got all his preliminary vet stuff done. :clap2: That eliminates some possible irritants. Parasites can be very uncomfortable.
Yay that he used the box today! Sometimes male cats are a bit more about marking the area with their scent so it is possible that he may improve after neutering. Maybe that’s all there is to this. Sometimes the answers are the simple things.
 

Dianne's Maine Coons

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It sounds as if you have done everything right.
A rule of thumb is one litter box for each cat and one spare (so 2 cats = 3 litter boxes) This stops any unwanted puddles etc. outside of the litter box.
You have done an amazing thing taking in those beautiful kittens. I'm sure with lots of love and patience they will both thrive and become great companions for you.
 
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tatonka1233

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Cats that have had to eat when food was available often scarf every crumb. That’s very normal and they may relax on that as they realize that food comes regularly. It won’t just vanish.
It’s good that he got all his preliminary vet stuff done. :clap2: That eliminates some possible irritants. Parasites can be very uncomfortable.
Yay that he used the box today! Sometimes male cats are a bit more about marking the area with their scent so it is possible that he may improve after neutering. Maybe that’s all there is to this. Sometimes the answers are the simple things.
Yes I am hoping once I am able to get him fixed, that may help with the problem. I've noticed that when he does use the litterbox when he pees as he gets closer to being down he will raise his butt up. So I think he started to mark his territory a little more, which I completely understand because he is a male. Today we had no accidents anywhere! I don't want to get my hopes up just incase he has another accident.
 
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tatonka1233

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It sounds as if you have done everything right.
A rule of thumb is one litter box for each cat and one spare (so 2 cats = 3 litter boxes) This stops any unwanted puddles etc. outside of the litter box.
You have done an amazing thing taking in those beautiful kittens. I'm sure with lots of love and patience they will both thrive and become great companions for you.
Yes. I just want to give them a better quality of life, and let them know that I will take care of them and I would do anything for them.
 

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It does sound like he may be starting to want to spray to mark things. Also, since he is fairly new to being inside, some of this may simply be anxiety. You could try a Feliway diffuser near the box. Sometimes this helps and sometimes it doesn’t. Every cat is different. If he is now using the box as a rule, then, problem solved! Yay! If he does start to spray before neutering, you might want to put up protective cardboard walls behind the box. Covered in plastic, this can keep the spray from going further. Please do keep watching him and keep us updated. Thank goodness you saved those little ones! :goldstar:
 
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tatonka1233

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I have another cat in the house, Duracell, she has been with me since birth and she is not a fan yet of the kittens. So she is separated from them to prevent any fights that she may pick with them. But her litterbox has a cardboard piece around hers from when we had male cats in the house. I will switch the board out and then hopefully there won't be a big mess. Thank you so much for your helpful advice over the past few days! I wished I would have found this site sooner. I will update you guys on Nutmeg's journey and on Cinnamon's journey as well. 😃
 
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cataholic07

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Cats are interesting creatures. My one boy has elevator butt (meaning he starts peeing squatted then moves upwards) with the high sided litterbox if its placed in the dining room. If its placed in the main litterbox room zero issues. If theres a low sided one in the dining room also no issues. 🤷‍♀️ Why idk.. maybe cause its just one litterbox verses two in the room so feels the need to ensure his pee is well saturated. Hes not the top cat and doesnt have the most confidence sadly.
 
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tatonka1233

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Cats are interesting creatures. My one boy has elevator butt (meaning he starts peeing squatted then moves upwards) with the high sided litterbox if its placed in the dining room. If its placed in the main litterbox room zero issues. If theres a low sided one in the dining room also no issues. 🤷‍♀️ Why idk.. maybe cause its just one litterbox verses two in the room so feels the need to ensure his pee is well saturated. Hes not the top cat and doesnt have the most confidence sadly.
I think Nutmeg's first encounter with Duracell was probably scary because she hissed at him every time he went near her.But they are kept separated from each other, so I have no clue why he is doing that.
 
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