Gracie, trials and tribulations of last child

[trudy1]

So we pulled into Chick-fil-A and just about to park and my daughter yells “it’s a baby”. There against the curb was a tuxedo kitten, eyes matted shut and about 9 ounces! Yes, she’s ours now! Along with our six other rescues she was added to the family. But here’s the thing. Now, even at 6 months, she still hasn’t got that litter box thing down. Put her in the box and she pees. Let her run free in the house and she pees in the box. But wake her up and take her out of her carrier she sleeps and she plays, runs, drinks but you have to put her in the box. Then it’s kind of like “oh, guess I’d better do this” and she pees gallons. Leave her to herself and she may just come upstairs and pees on the couch!

Now, before she gets ready for bed I always clean all the cats boxes. As I’m digging in the boxes she will get in the one next to me and pee! I’ve rescued dozens of kittens, young cats, males and females ...never had one that just didn’t seem to “get it”.

Now I know about uti’s and all that but she’s more like Gracie Allen ( you have to be vintage to get that one!). Also she climbs on the counters and cabinets, jumps on my poor old Dolly’s back (our oldest rescue) and rides her like a pony. Frankly, almost all the “cat family” hates her with a passion except for sweet Henry, whose always been more like a rescue dad than the great big gray feral he was.

Any suggestions. Valium in her fancy feast or?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Thankfully, she'll outgrow most of what is annoying the rest of the cat family! That litter box issue, however, is a bit of a puzzler. She obviously knows what the box is for, but doesn't quite get that the box is the ONLY place for that. First...use a really good enzymatic cleaner where ever she has an "accident." They all used to require really saturating the spot, but I understand there are some new ones that don't. You don't want the scent drawing her back to the same place.

I wonder if crating her might work. It certainly can in many cases. You want a crate that is just big enough to hold her bed, her food and water dishes, and her box. It is a very, very rare cat who will foul their own bed. The bad thing is that she'll need to spend almost all of her time in the crate, unless closely supervised, for at least three weeks, which is problematic with a kitten that age.

I'm hoping someone will come along with a brilliant solution that will work just as well, but keep this in mind for a "last resort."

 

[Jcatbird]

It kind of sounds like she thinks she should go when Mom tells her to go or she just can’t hold it. I don’t know where your boxes are located but you could try having one next to your toilet. Start taking her there any time anyone goes. I’ve had kittens learn by observing. I have a friend who rescued three siblings. The friend is older and box training seemed like a problem since it was hard for her to take three babies to the box. They did tend to follow her around though. The box I’m the bathroom worked for her. Of course, she always has three kitties following here there every time now. Lol The tux baby is beautiful! So glad you drove up when you did to rescue her!

 

[rubysmama]

Since she was so tiny when you found her (so glad your daughter spotted her) you obviously had to bottle feed and stimulate her to go potty. Right. Maybe, on the same lines as Jcatbird suggested, she still needs you (her mom) to stimulate her, or now that she's a big girl, remind her to go pee.

Maybe start putting her in the litter box first thing in the morning, or every time after she eats. And saying "go pee pee (what's your sweetie's name?)". Maybe also put a couple litter boxes close to where she eats or sleeps, so that they're in her direct view more often.

Here's a TCS article on How To Train Kittens To Use The Litter Box | TheCatSite that though for training younger kittens, might have some tips for you.

Oh, does she poop in the box ok?

 

[trudy1]

Gracie has no problem when you put her in the litter box but she’s like a toddler. When we had to house break our daughter...fine if you said “do you have to go?” but left to herself she’d pee wherever the urge took her! Gracie is like that. We have a litter box in the living room and four in the basement. Guess I’m hoping it’s an “age thing “ and one day she’ll just get the connection. Hoping all those Chick-fil-A scraps as a baby didn’t make her “slow”. Ha! Yes, I eat Chick-fil-A and I don’t pee on the bed...but at my age you never know! Thanks for everybody’s input, as usual.