Kitten still pees on the floor

[datranch37]

Hi all!

I have a 3 months old kitten (I've had him for 3 weeks now), and he still has trouble going in his litter boxes.
He has 2 litter boxes, one in the living room (I put it in a corner where he has peed and pooped before) and one in my bedroom where he sleeps. He uses both litter boxes, but still pees on the floor (he squats and pees a puddle, he isn't spraying) or tries to at least once a day. I've tried changing his litter (the original one is scented and clumping and its in the living room box; the other is unscented and unclumping, it's in the bedroom box). He doesn't seem to like one box more than the other. He uses both of them, and still pees on the floor sometimes.
If we're playing in the living room and he gets the urge to pee, he will sometimes run to his litter box, other times he will run to a different corner to pee on the floor, and sometimes he will even run out of the room to pee on the floor.
I took him to 2 vets, they both did a general checkup and said that he's fine (no blood test was done, no urinary test was done). Their input was that he's too young to have diabetes or a UTI.
He has toys, he plays energetically, he sleeps. My biggest issue is with constantly worrying that if he isn't in my sight 24/7, he's probably peeing somewhere in the house. I've tried confining him to a small area, as soon as he's released, he goes back to peeing on the floor.
I've tried cleaning his pee stains with Dettol + used a cat repellent spray on the areas where he pees. Nothing has worked.

Any advice would be appreciated!! I'm desperate and worried that for the next 15-20 years, my cat is gonna pee on the floor.

Thank you!

 

[Antonio65]

I have had a kitten with the same issue.
I adopted her from a rescue group, she was fine in her first week, then she started peeing on the floor. At first I dismissed it as accidents, then I understood it was a bad habit. She would pee always in the same corner/spots, so I put an extra litter box in one of those spots and extra dishes for food in other spots, and she stopped.
Then I gradually started removing those items, and she was still behaving, then she started peeing in other spots of the house.

No matter what I used to clean the pee, she would just come back.
I had her visited thoroughly, we ran blood tests, urinanalysis, ultrasound scans, x-rays, and so on. All was clear, she would just pee.
I plugged a Feliway diffuser, I gave her relaxing pills, Australian Flowers and Music for Cats (she was also a little aggressive). Eventually I asked the vet for some acupuncture.
Nothing!

Then a person I know offered to try and have the kitten at her home, and the kitten stopped peeing and biting hands.
After a week, though, she started peeing on the floor again, occasionally at first, everyday now, to the point she is not using the litter tray anymore. That lady said she is keeping the kitten regardless the bad habits, but I don't know how she will cope with it in the next 15 years!

So, I think it is something you cannot fix, I think it is something in the kitten's head. At least this is my opinion.

 

[di and bob]

There is ALWAYS a reason kittens don't use a litter box. Either they don't like the box, the litter, they have a UTI (you will see straining and very small amounts of urine here, plus the frequency will dramatically increase), the box is dirty, or in the case of many, they are babies, wait too long, and can't make it to the box, so they go where they are. All cats have instincts to go where the ground is soft and they can bury their wastes to keep predators away. When I have a cat that doesn't use the box, I first change the box and the litter. Get a good ENZYME urine destroyer to clean up mistakes, and keep clear plastic carpet runner with those little nubs on the back around to place nub side up where I don't want them to go, if they keep going in the same spot. Gently place the kitten in the box after meals, after play sessions and when you see them wandering around looking for a good spot to go instead of playing. Resist the urge to yell at them or hashly place them in the box after accidents, you don't want them to think of the box as punishment. Praise them and give a small treat when they use it. Keep them in a confined area until they consistantly use the box when you can't watch them. I truly think in the case of kittens, they 'forget' where the box is, or can't make it, so have many more placed around, even cardboard flats with litter, until they get a little older and can hold it longer. Then you can reduce the amount then. I hope this helps, kittens are a handful at best, just try to remember they do grow up and try to enjoy their energy and playfullness. and keep thinking..."This too will pass!"

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Two other things to consider in addition to di and bob 's good advice:
1.) set two litter boxes side by side, just in case one has already been used and he doesn't like that, or he that doesn't like to pee and poop in the same boxes.
2.) set up a couple of boxes (or large cardboard box lids) and place puppy pee pads in them, to see if he would prefer the pee pads over litter.

Both of these suggestions can be done on a temporary basis, as I think once you can get him to successfully use a box, he will eventually stop using the floor, given his young age now.

For carpeting and other non-washable surfaces like rugs, buy Vetroquinol "The Equalizer" which I have found to be successful in removing urine spots/odor, and it is nice because you don't have to saturate the material with it - hence less drying time. For hard surfaces, including wood, try Fizzion or SCOE10x.

 

[verna davies]

Try putting sand or earth in one of the boxes. Some cats prefer to use these to dig or bury their urine.

 

[datranch37]

There is ALWAYS a reason kittens don't use a litter box. Either they don't like the box, the litter, they have a UTI (you will see straining and very small amounts of urine here, plus the frequency will dramatically increase), the box is dirty, or in the case of many, they are babies, wait too long, and can't make it to the box, so they go where they are. All cats have instincts to go where the ground is soft and they can bury their wastes to keep predators away. When I have a cat that doesn't use the box, I first change the box and the litter. Get a good ENZYME urine destroyer to clean up mistakes, and keep clear plastic carpet runner with those little nubs on the back around to place nub side up where I don't want them to go, if they keep going in the same spot. Gently place the kitten in the box after meals, after play sessions and when you see them wandering around looking for a good spot to go instead of playing. Resist the urge to yell at them or hashly place them in the box after accidents, you don't want them to think of the box as punishment. Praise them and give a small treat when they use it. Keep them in a confined area until they consistantly use the box when you can't watch them. I truly think in the case of kittens, they 'forget' where the box is, or can't make it, so have many more placed around, even cardboard flats with litter, until they get a little older and can hold it longer. Then you can reduce the amount then. I hope this helps, kittens are a handful at best, just try to remember they do grow up and try to enjoy their energy and playfullness. and keep thinking..."This too will pass!"

Could it be because I didn't keep him in one room when I first got him? He always had access to all the rooms. And I'm being told that I should have kept him in one room for at least 2 weeks so he can get slowly accustomed to the house.
Any thoughts?

 

[datranch37]

Try putting sand or earth in one of the boxes. Some cats prefer to use these to dig or bury their urine.

Do you think? But he is using both his litter boxes.. One of them is clay-based (unscented, unclumping), basically like normal rocks from outside. He uses it, AND he uses his other litter as well (traditional scented and clumping), but he still does it on the floor sometimes as well. I'm not sure why he is so confused.

 

[datranch37]

Hi. Two other things to consider in addition to di and bob 's good advice:
1.) set two litter boxes side by side, just in case one has already been used and he doesn't like that, or he that doesn't like to pee and poop in the same boxes.
2.) set up a couple of boxes (or large cardboard box lids) and place puppy pee pads in them, to see if he would prefer the pee pads over litter.

Both of these suggestions can be done on a temporary basis, as I think once you can get him to successfully use a box, he will eventually stop using the floor, given his young age now.

For carpeting and other non-washable surfaces like rugs, buy Vetroquinol "The Equalizer" which I have found to be successful in removing urine spots/odor, and it is nice because you don't have to saturate the material with it - hence less drying time. For hard surfaces, including wood, try Fizzion or SCOE10x.

He has 2 boxes, but in two different rooms. He poops and pees in both of them, but still goes to the floor sometimes. I'm not sure it's a dislike of the litter or a dislike of pooping and peeing in the same one (since he already does poop and pee in the same one, just not all the time). He was pooping on the floor a couple of weeks ago, now he doesn't poop on the floor but still pees.
What are puppy pee pads?

 

[verna davies]

He might prefer the feel of sand or earth, its worth a try. You could also try puppy pads or sheets of newspaper. If he used these, gradually move then nearer the litter trays. It's a bit trial and error for you at the moment. Let us know how you get on.

 

[Antonio65]

What are puppy pee pads?

These

 

[di and bob]

Don't blame yourself for not keeping him confined. What he is doing doesn't happen with all cats, how were you to know? Maybe he doesn't like a dirty box? You said he uses them and then doesn't. try cleaning them more often and see if that helps. He will gradually get used to used litter.

 

[cessena]

How high are the sides of your litter box? For a long time my cat Vega has been pooping on the floor near her little box for over a year. I've switched litters several times and I've got the place covered in puppy pads. But I recently switched to a very low sided litter box (less than 3") so now she doesn't have to jump in and out and she's been very consistent with it for almost a week!

I do keep her box 100% clean all the time though. She's very picky about that I know.

You also might try the cat attract litter if someone hasn't already suggested that? They also make just the scent making stuff that you can sprinkle in the box to attract them.

 

[FeebysOwner]

What are puppy pee pads?

To expound on the pic Antonio65 provided - I don't know where you are located, but these pee pads can be bought almost anywhere. Walmart (pic below), pet stores, Amazon.com, etc.
Pet All Star Training Pads, 22 in x 22 in, 50 Count - Walmart.com

 

[Antonio65]

Yes, I find them at all pet stores and supermarkets, a pack of 10 23in x 23in is about €3.50 over here.

 

[datranch37]

Hello All!

I just wanted to let you know that a month after I adopted my baby, he has stopped peeing on the floor!
Our last pee accident was 1 month and 1 week ago, and it's safe to say that the little one has stopped the "nastiness"
The thing that fixed this issue was pretty unexpected!
The vet suggested that I change his food (he was eating dry food from the brand ProNature) to Royal Canin. ProNature 1.5 KG cost me 13$, white Royal Canin 2 KG cost me 33$, so it's safe to say Royal Canin is a superior brand.
The vet thought that maybe ProNature was making him too thirsty, and since he's a kitten, he was waiting too long and wasn't making it to the litter box.
I changed his food, and low and behold, a little while later, he stopped peeing on the floor and even the amount of water he was drinking reduced.
Happy to tell you all that he's a happy, healthy, 2.5 KGs, 4 months-old kitten And no more pee accidents! <3

 

[Antonio65]

Glad to read you found a solution to that annoying problem