Getting A Semi Wild Cat To Toilet

[Mummacat123]

Hi there.
I have had a semi wild mother and her two kittens since kittens were 4 days old. Mumma cat was initially very hard to get to eat or drink or toilet.

This all resolved after a vet home visit and calmex. Mumma has never liked weeing in this room, she was using sheets or carpet samples which I'd biff but now she's stopped weeing. She still poos on the carpet samples which I clean and then regularly throw out and replace.

I can handle that as this is temporary until I can wean kittens and spay mum and release her on my property where I will continue to care for her.

I have 4 litter boxes and some have dirt in and others litter but she won't use them. I can't remember when she last did wees but it's been a number of days.

Her welfare is coming into question again and while I could get her desexed and release now the kittens can not eat on their own so it's not ideal for them to be bottle fed.

How do I get mum to pee? Ive attached a vid of her...as you can see she does enjoy affection but she also growls all the time and gets hissy if I do something different like go round the other side of the cardboard box than she's used to me coming from.

Today during a pat she had her worst moment yet, somehow freaked out and went for my face. I had to go to smack her away to protect my face as my reflexes were quick enough (my hand only brushed her and didnt make contact as she retreated) .

I am trying to attach a video but it may not work as may have trouble uploading

 

[Mummacat123]

Yup having great difficulty getting the vid off my phone

 

[Mummacat123]

The kittens must be 5 weeks old now though they are tiny but healthy and spirited. I have added some milk for mum (last of kitten formula I had) which one kitten tried today a little bit. I'd like them eating solids as fast as they can so any preferred foods to try?

I did find out mum had these babies straight after another litter of only 1 kitten that survived...mums so skinny that Il be glad when she's getting to keep all the nourishment herself

 

[epona]

Have you tried using sand instead of litter? Cats who haven't grown up with litter often take to sand better when they have to be confined indoors for any reason. Make sure to get the pale kind of sand that is used in childrens' sandpits, rather than the darker coloured builders' sand which can leave stains on things.

 

[Mummacat123]

If I grabbed a bucket from the beach to try would this suffice? It looks the similar grey as sand pits around here. Haven't tried sand. Mum had been pooing under a car port that was quite stony prior to being trapped.

 

[epona]

If I grabbed a bucket from the beach to try would this suffice? It looks the similar grey as sand pits around here. Haven't tried sand. Mum had been pooing under a car port that was quite stony prior to being trapped.

I haven't given much thought to that and don't know for sure, but off the top of my head I would worry about pollution, oil, discarded needles, glass, other sharp objects in it that could potentially cause harm (I may be over-cautious though).

Sand packaged as for use in play areas for children is safe and sterile, so I would stick with that personally.

 

[Elfilou]

Is it possible to give her access to the room or hallway attached to the room she is in? Perhaps a litterbox with the sand would do better there. Maybe she wants to keep her scent away from the kittens (outside it would make sense to not want to pee near kittens, other cats could recognise and find her or something?)

Thanks for taking her in and getting her spayed. She might not fully realize it, but you're her best friend. I hope you will get the chance to enhance your bond with her once you release her as your outside cat!

 

[CatsUnderfoot2]

When I am caring for an outdoor cat that won't use a indoor litter box, I usually take the biggest box I can find and fill it with a mixture of dirt and litter, and then cover that with grass and leaves, trying to make a little inside yard. This has always worked for me.

 

[Mummacat123]

I was at the vets today and put her back on calmex, are trying the new royal canin calm, and did have some urinary tract wet sachets at work though the kittens have taken a liking to this, first thing they have tried eating. Must be tastier than wet kitten

I discovered to my horror that despite that I've been patting the carpet samples which were dry to touch one was actually soaked through the carpet. The mystery of where the cat pee went. You would think I would of smelt it but for some reason I've always had next to no smell in my nose.

I put some sand from the garden centre, it's quite gravel-like but suprise tonight there is a wee in it!

I was always planning on redoing the floor in the spare room so meantime I cut the carpet and underlay off in that corner as Il never get completely rid of cat pee smell there. Bugger but as I say I do plan to change in future and it's the foster room so so be it. I have put thicker layers in other areas now incase she misses again...fingers crossed. Will try other suggestion should things change

 

[Mummacat123]

Well the sand didn't work. I thought she peed in it once but that could of been one of the kittens. The kittens were copying mother's bad habits so I have put a play pen around them (much to mum's horror) and now the kittens are toileting correctly. Mum still jumps the play pen and goes in her litter area. Mum's toilet habits are a real problem, she has wrecked my carpet, good thing I have grown so fond of her. One more week and then I am going to wean the kittens and then get mum desexed. I would of rather kept Mum inside longer with her kitten that I am keeping as I won't want that one to be outside unsupervised until older.

I also wanted to try moving them to my bedroom to see if I could get to the point where mother cat thought sleeping on my bed was the best place to be and then I could shut the hallway door (therefore splitting the house from the area my dogs sleep in who are cat friendly but I'm sure mother cat would not be impressed!) ... as if I got her comfortable here and then just during the weekend left the bedroom door open and the front door open (need to get a cat door!) then she could work out to go outside when she's ready.

I will try think of what I could buy for a bigger litter tray since the four I have clearly doesn't work for the mumma. A bigger box is about the only thing left I haven't tried.

 

[Mummacat123]

Also for the vets I'm thinking the best option is to put mumma into the smallest size dog crate you can buy (loan from work) so that hopefully they can sedate her this way and then when she's had her operation they could put her back into it before she wakes up. It's going to be very stressful for her. I will pick her up at the earliest time they will allow it.

She is going to go insane when I put her into a cage and I honestly don't know if il manage it...otherwise I have the trap but she's pretty smart and not going to walk into a trap easily either I don't think. Last time I got her in a trap by using her 4 day old kittens as bait as food wasn't working. Maybe I should set the trap the night before on the chance she does go in it? incase I do have trouble getting her in

Last time I tried to put her in a crate went terribly. I couldn't get her out of the trap and into the crate quick enough to get the door shut and she went crazy, smacking into the windows, etc... then I scruffed her with a glove on and nearly carried her to the crate but realized my grasp was slipping due to the glove. So I took the glove off and just risked it and she ended up scratching me with her back leg when she realized where she was heading and I had to release her. so she's just had the room still the start.

 

[Mummacat123]

this is my newest attempt. It's a litter which is a sandy-like texture plus pussy do (wood pellets) as the bag didn't fill it enough plus leaves and grass wish me luck? Suggestions welcome

 

[Mummacat123]

 

[Mummacat123]

 

[Mummacat123]

just because they are such a cute family

 

[Furballsmom]

They are a VERY cute family - thanks so much for the pictures!!

 

[Furballsmom]

I also meant to say, my hat's off to you working with such a feline as the mumma you have on your hands - wow!! I don't have any better suggestions regarding the litter and litter boxes, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!!

 

[Furballsmom]

A thought, how big is the trap? If you can set it overnight and shes in, can you just leave her in it and take her that way?
Is there any chance the home visit vet, or someone, would be able to help you with this? I hate the idea of you getting ripped to shreds while trying to do a good thing!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - me again LOL, what about Fancy Feast kitten food? Where are you located - ie; do you have access to this?
Also, Earthborn is a safe food according to reviews.com, there's Merrick Backcountry and Chicken Soup for The Soul kitten foods, or you could go with All Life Stages foods. A couple of other brands, although they may only have adult cat food, is Addiction, Blackwood, Fromm, Lotus, Now Fresh and Redbarn.
If you can, provide them with a variety, for example so that some of the not so great ingredients in Fancy Feast would be 'offset' by a couple feedings of Earthborn, etc.
Also, I've read in other thread discussions that a cleaner called nature's miracle works regarding eliminating that cat urine smell.
Here's a short little article, in case there's anything that might help;
How To Remove Cat Urine Odor From Your Home

 

[Mummacat123]

Yes i can carry her in the trap if she goes in it
I am in New Zealand. That's fancy feast kitten that the kittens are eating in that photo!
Haven't heard a lot of the brands you've mentioned so think a lot of that is american
Happy to see the kittens both eating today too, guess they are getting used to food now.