Seriously Considering Rehoming One Of Our Rescue Kittens

Trailandtide

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We found 4 kittens in April of this year. Things have gone pretty well for the most part----with one glaring exception...one of the female kittens has decided that she will only pee and poop anywhere that isnt a litter box. I've had to throw out 3 blankets, 4 pillows, a comforter, a number of bath mats----also scrub the floors and bath tub nearly every day. None of the other 3 eliminate outside of the litterbox, and I have to admit I completely fed up. I am seriously considering surrendering her to a no kill organization to be rehomed--- we simply cant keep an animal that is so destructive. Im open to any last ditch advice before doing this but here are the current facts:

1. We have 4 litter boxes- one on each floor, 2 in a bedroom, 1 in an office and 1 in a bathroom--- adding more litterboxes is not tenable. I refuse to surrender any more of our home to litterboxes

2. all 4 are indoor--- sadly indoor/outdoor is not really a possibility. I grew up with an indoor/outdoor cat who lived to be 22---but my BF cant stand the thought of her getting hurt if she goes outside

3. I've tried several different litters--- I'm game to try more but they must be low tracking---which I think limits my options to pellets. Open to suggestions---but they must be low tracking. Bf is a doctor and literally cannot stand a single speck of dust on the ground---I already sweep/ vaccum daily---sometimes more than once--cannot handle any more to deal with litter. Currently using So Phresh Paper litter pellets (unscented).

4. I took her to the vet 4 months ago for this same issue--- decided not run tests for UTI ( vet care in Hawaii is crazy expensive---costs would have exceeded $500)she doesnt seem to have any other symptoms of UTI ---she is extremely active and her appetite is robust. I cant justify spending $500 to rule out something that doesnt seem likely based on her other behavior. Ive considered trying pretty litter to see if it picks up anything. Would also be willing to treat prophylacticly for UTI if the vet would prescribe rx----not sure if I should ask for this.

5. Ive tried giving her treats for going in the litterbox, digging her paws in it etc---and sometimes she will start to go in the litterbox before jumping out and peeing on another surface. I've also tried using enzyme cleaner on her "spots"---seems to do no good.

6. I clean the litterboxes 3 times per day and dump all litter every 3 to 5 days. Given that the other kittens use them without issue I have a hard time believing its a cleanliness issue.

7. I considered locking her in the bathroom for a couple of days with the litterbox to try to retrain---but given that I have seen her poop in tub and pee on that floor---I think I would just end up with a pissed cat and a disgusting bathroom.

8. Can cats be trained to go outside on a lead to potty--- could this be a strategy if I took outside 20 minutes after her meals?




She is being such a little S&%^!!!!! Help!?
 

rubysmama

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Does she ever or has she ever used the litter box? Does she get along ok with the other cats? Is she spayed yet?
 
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Trailandtide

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Does she ever or has she ever used the litter box? Does she get along ok with the other cats? Is she spayed yet?
All 4 kittens were neutered/spayed in September of this year
She uses all 4 of the litterboxes occasionally...although sometimes she will start her business in the litterbox and then migrate to the tub or go onto one of the beds ( very frustrating)
As best I can tell all of the kittens get along well--- I havent witnessed any hissing or growling and they generally prefer to sleep together as a group
 

rubysmama

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I agree that sounds very frustrating. :sigh:

Because she's still a kitten, it would probably have to be a moderated version, and you'd have to ensure you spent enough time playing with her, but there is something called crate litter box training, that a couple members have tried.

It would be similar to your idea of keeping her locked in the bathroom. And though it sounds pretty extreme, she's too young to live her whole life with litter box issues. And, sadly, she wouldn't be very adoptable with her poor potty habits.

Here's the link that explains it:
http://www.ourcompanions.org/pdf/OC Crate Training for Your Cat.pdf

And 2 threads from TCS members who had varying success with it:
About To Start Crate Training For My Extremely Litter Box Averse Cat
Crate Training My Cat
 

ArtNJ

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Have you internet searched for options to get the UTI test done? I'm somewhat familiar with the strange economics of Hawaii, but the test only costs so much for a lab to analyze so there has to be a way.
 
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talkingpeanut

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I’m sorry to say, but I think you should try a non-pellet litter. Cat attract can work extremely well to bring the cats to the box. If she is really unhappy with the litter, she really has to have her needs met so she can succeed. She may just have different preferences than the others.

You can get mats to go outside the box so any pieces of litter that come out with them don’t scatter, and if you’re already cleaning the floors every day it won’t build up.
 

Wile

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You really should take her to the vet and have the urinalysis run. I have a cat who is prone to getting UTIs. His first was at around 9 months, and like your kitten his only symptom was not peeing in the litterbox. He was still extremely playful and ate well. Cats are very good at hiding discomfort.
 
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Tagrendy

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It could be territorial insecurity. Tub and bed are places that contain a lot of our smell. He might be trying to balance it out with his smell. I'm not sure how to fix it if it is. Maybe rehoming is not a bad idea if the new owner doesn't have other pets.
 

ArtNJ

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Going back to the Hawaii economics issue, there are home UTI tests for cats. I don't think they have a very good reputation, but they are not at all expensive and better than nothing? It is worth researching. Everyone gets that you can't pay your vet $500 for a UTI test, but there has to be a way to get this done for a fraction of that, even in Hawaii.
 
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