8 wk old kitten with litter box issues

[FosterMom47]

My husband and i have been fostering kittens for over a year now and have had kittens with litter box issues, but not like this. We received 2 kittens that are sisters around a week ago. The one is Pepper and we aren't really having any litter box issues with her, but her sister Penelope.....she has been having issues since we got her. The vet checked her and she does not have a UTI. We have 6 cats of our own and now the 2 fosters. Our own cats do not have issues with the fosters. In fact one bathes them and another plays and teaches them how to climb and play. We have 12 litter boxes of various sizes in our home. We even use a lasagna pan for little ones who are too small to get into the bigger ones. We have pee pads down around them to catch litter and just in case they miss. Litter boxes are cleaned out a couple times a day. The same litter is used in all of them except for the 2 automatic litter boxes. Penelope will not go in any of them. We put her in them multiple times a day. Move her paws to simulate covering it up. She instead jumps in the bathtub to go. We follow her around and when we see that she is looking for a place to go, we put her in a litter box. She just jumps out and keeps searching. So the game continues. Just not sure what else we can do. We are willing to try other litters, but don't want to have 10 different types of litter either....Does anyone have any suggestions or litter recommendations?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome to TCS!

Does Penelope ALWAYS use the bathtub without fail? Does it have a mat inside it that she uses, or just the plain porcelain that most tubs are made of? Does she use the tub end where the drain is?

Assuming she doesn't go anywhere else, and is not using a mat, I'd start by placing a tray of similar texture to the tub bottom on one end of the tub. See if she uses it instead. If she does, then place a second try in the other half of the tub, but add a puppy pee pad inside of it and see what she does. Variations of this can be tested with placing soaked up urine in a paper towel and/or poop from the tub into the tray, and/or keeping one tray pristine clean and let the other collect some of her scent. Following this process, you can move on to adding a thin layer of non-clumping litter to a tray.

If she uses the bathtub mat, then a tray with a mat can be the starting point, with the idea in mind that once she is using that tray, you can eventually add a little bit of non-clumping litter to it, over the mat, increasing the amount over time. If she uses the drain area, then start by covering it up and see what she does.

Another tactic is to take her to a litter box her sister uses - when her sister is using it - and place her inside right after her sister goes.

All of this is not going to be as effective if she is peeing/pooping other places besides the tub. At that point, she probably will need to be confined to the bathroom with the tub she uses and work with the options above in that small area.

I am sure others will come along with ideas for you to try. But to me, it seems that experimenting with all kinds of options, initially revolving around that bathtub, will enable you to find something that 'clicks' with her which you can then expand on over time until you can gradually migrate her to using a 'regular' litter box with 'regular' litter.

 

[fionasmom]

Will she use a litter box with pee pad in it, but no litter?

 

[FosterMom47]

Hi and welcome to TCS!

Does Penelope ALWAYS use the bathtub without fail? Does it have a mat inside it that she uses, or just the plain porcelain that most tubs are made of? Does she use the tub end where the drain is?

Assuming she doesn't go anywhere else, and is not using a mat, I'd start by placing a tray of similar texture to the tub bottom on one end of the tub. See if she uses it instead. If she does, then place a second try in the other half of the tub, but add a puppy pee pad inside of it and see what she does. Variations of this can be tested with placing soaked up urine in a paper towel and/or poop from the tub into the tray, and/or keeping one tray pristine clean and let the other collect some of her scent. Following this process, you can move on to adding a thin layer of non-clumping litter to a tray.

If she uses the bathtub mat, then a tray with a mat can be the starting point, with the idea in mind that once she is using that tray, you can eventually add a little bit of non-clumping litter to it, over the mat, increasing the amount over time. If she uses the drain area, then start by covering it up and see what she does.

Another tactic is to take her to a litter box her sister uses - when her sister is using it - and place her inside right after her sister goes.

All of this is not going to be as effective if she is peeing/pooping other places besides the tub. At that point, she probably will need to be confined to the bathroom with the tub she uses and work with the options above in that small area.

I am sure others will come along with ideas for you to try. But to me, it seems that experimenting with all kinds of options, initially revolving around that bathtub, will enable you to find something that 'clicks' with her which you can then expand on over time until you can gradually migrate her to using a 'regular' litter box with 'regular' litter.

The bathtub she uses does not have a mat in it and she goes to the opposite end of the drain. She poops in another room on the floor. I have taken to collecting her urine in a syringe and depositing it into a small litter box in the bathroom. I am also collecting her poop and putting it into the same litter box. I was hoping that if she smelled her own scent in that box, then she would be more willing to use it. So far this is not the case. Thanks for the helpful tips though!

 

[FosterMom47]

Will she use a litter box with pee pad in it, but no litter?

I am willing to try that....

 

[fionasmom]

Only suggested because I have worked with rehomed ferals who lived only on concrete and never used dirt, so were adverse to litter but not a hard surface.