Litter Problem

[jojeenred]

i adopted a 6-7 weeks old kitten for 5 days now and got him a litterbox the other day. he has been peeing on our bed and pooping in our bathroom and i hated the hassle of cleaning up instead of just scooping the litter. i use chicken feed crumble with baking soda in it since i saw that it can be used as litter and i have a tight budget since i'm just a student. i already tried introducing her to the litterbox and scratched it, but he won't go in. the location of the litter is away from his food which is in our living room (nobody stays much in our living room since we're always in our room.) this morning he still pooped in our bathroom despite me locking him last night in the living room after his dinner so he'll have the option to use the litter. What else could i do to make him use the litter?

 

[Topherius]

i adopted a 6-7 weeks old kitten for 5 days now and got him a litterbox the other day. he has been peeing on our bed and pooping in our bathroom and i hated the hassle of cleaning up instead of just scooping the litter. i use chicken feed crumble with baking soda in it since i saw that it can be used as litter and i have a tight budget since i'm just a student. i already tried introducing her to the litterbox and scratched it, but he won't go in. the location of the litter is away from his food which is in our living room (nobody stays much in our living room since we're always in our room.) this morning he still pooped in our bathroom despite me locking him last night in the living room after his dinner so he'll have the option to use the litter. What else could i do to make him use the litter?

normally id start litter training at 4-5 weeks (ive heard some people start at 3-4) It sounds like hes not where he should be at this age but im sure he will come around, its instinct for them to go in a specific spot and normally with a sandy feeling under their paws their instincts kick in. First try putting him in at specific times throughout the day (when you feel he may need to go) and keep putting him in if he gets out. The litter could also be an issue, depending on how it feels under paw. You need to be persistent, but like I said its instinct and they will catch on. If you are finding he likes to go in a certain spot out side the litter in your home, move the litter to that area. Thankfully litter training has been by far the easiest part of kitten rearing for me but if you got him at that age, you had no control over what happened before and you could be now seeing the consequences. Keep at it, we all have a stubborn part of kittens that others seem to have easy success with...for me it was getting to dry food, for you its litter training. Hang in there

 

[MoochNNoodles]

He is VERY young! Bathroom accidents are common with young kittens just like human toddlers. I would put extra litter trays around for now so he doesn't have far to go when the urge comes. Keep them small/low enough that he can easily get in. Definitely put one in your bathroom since he keeps going there. The extra trays should be temporary; until hes bigger and has better habits.

 

[di and bob]

I don't think he likes the litter itself. 5 days is not long to get that young of a kitten trained. Go to your nearest Walmart or what ever you have like it and buy some inexpensive litter, especially now to get him trained. Even dirt or sand would be better than what he won't use, you can always change it when he is trained. He is just a tiny baby and doesn't know what to do. Keep him confined to one room with the litter box and set him in it frequently. If he is allowed to roam a bigger area he is too young and too new to know where to go. Try to gather a 'sample' and put it in the box to let him smell it. Please don't get upset with him, he needs love and attention right now to get accustomed to all the changes, and to get confident and knowledgeable about what to do, all the luck!

 

[maggiedemi]

I agree, try some regular non-clumping litter. He might not recognize the chicken crumbles as litter. You can get a big bag of non-clumping litter really cheap.

 

[maggiedemi]

In fact, I'm pretty sure non-clumping litter is cheaper than chicken crumbles. At Tractor Supply the chicken crumbles cost $14, while the litter only costs $6.99 for a big bag.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Yes, DO make sure it is NON-clumping. Kittens, like small children, explore their world with their mouths, and clumping litter will clump in their tummies, which becomes a medical emergency. He'll get there. He's just a bit young to get it yet. Again, like small children, they have to reach a certain stage of development before potty training is even possible.

 

[maggiedemi]

When we had chickens, Demi tried to eat the chicken crumbles. So he would think it was more food than a place to go potty.

 

[jojeenred]

hi i already tried a new litter, he still wouldn't use it and he would just play in it. so i tried locking him in our bathroom where he usually pees/poop with the litter and he still didn't use the litter :'( i'm getting frustrated. i remember his previous owner saying that his other kitten siblings and his mother would use their bathroom too, so i guess that's why he was already trained to use the bathroom instead of the litter. any other suggestion to make him use the litter?

 

[talkingpeanut]

What kind of litter are you using? Is it scented? Have you tried cat attract litter?

Are you placing the kitten in the litter box before and after all meals?

How are you cleaning up after accidents.

He's a baby. You will have to work with him on this.

 

[jojeenred]

What kind of litter are you using? Is it scented? Have you tried cat attract litter?

Are you placing the kitten in the litter box before and after all meals?

How are you cleaning up after accidents.

He's a baby. You will have to work with him on this.

i don't think it's scented. idk exactly what kind of litter it is since my friend got it for a kilo where she passed by, but it look like this one

whenever he enters the bathroom (and i know he would already poop) i transfer him in the box, but he only sniffs it, scratch it, and he gets out

i always clean the bathroom floor with bleach after he uses it, he sometimes watch me do it.

 

[Sarthur2]

Put his poop in the pan and show it to him.

Take his little front paw and gently show him how to dig in the litter.

He should begin to catch on if you continue doing this.

 

[jen]

I would get a large dog crate with his food and litter right there available at all times so he doesn't have a lot of options. Or completely confine him to the bathroom or laundry room until he learns.