Help with Litter Training Kitten

[Skeetersmom]

I have adopted an orphaned kitten (he was about 2 weeks old when I found him) and is about 6 weeks old now. I have been trying for about 3 weeks now to Litter train him and have little or NO luck. I have him contained in my laundry room with an area for his bed, area for his food, and an area for the litter box. Well, he doesn't see the need for these areas and will go to the bathroom wherever, whenever! I have tried to put down newspaper (with the assumption that then I could then decrease the paper area once he was going on it) - didn't work, I have put down towels thinking that he wouldn't want to "go" on his bedding - didn't work. I have tried several different litter types (regular clay, sand, clumping litter - like sand, & Litter Pine) and nothing seems to interest him. He doesn't seem to have any interest in digging and etc. I sit with him when he wakes up and after he eats and keep coaking him to his litter and end up just picking him up from wherever it is that he finally decides where to go and putting him to finish in the litter.

Any HELP! I am getting frustrated and feeling like a failure! I can't have a cat in the house that will not use his litter. I love this little guy - but.....

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Cat&Dog mom]

I don't have really any advice for you, I've never had a problem. Have you tried picking up his #1 and #2 and putting it in the litter and then put him in there so his smell (no pun int.) is in there? I don't know if it would work. Have you called a vets office? Good luck!

[NiteRose]

I would suggest you get him to a vet to rule out any medical problems. If your vet rules out medical problems, you can try asking them for advice on how to box train him.

I’m not certain, but I would think that since he was orphaned so young, he may be lacking some of the basic instincts he may have picked up from him mom.

And like Cat&Dog mom said, try putting his #2 into the litter box.

[jenn]

My Cat was not box trained when we got him. I would just put him in the box all the time after meals, sleep, if it had an hour or so since my last attempt, if I saw him sniffing around like he needed to go. It worked, but he would always scratch around in there to. Does your kitty just jump out? Tell him no when you see him going and put him in the box...sounds like what you are already doing. Maybe NiteRose is on to something about him being orphaned so young and missing out on what his mother would have taught him.....maybe you should get another cat to show him how its done LOL. Wish I could help.

[macassie]

It's hard when they're this young, because their mommies would have taught them this. I've heard that you can put a very, very small amount of ammonia in the litter to encourage him to use it. Also, you can try putting his feces in there, then putting him in the box and gently take his paws and "help" him cover it. And then of course, lavishly praise him. Good luck and keep us posted!

[Skeetersmom]

Skeeter has made GREAT strides! I have been putting him in the litter after he eats and with alot of patience he would finally urinate. He has gone 2 times now in his litter without me putting him in there and hasn't had an accident now in several days. Thanks for your help and encouragement.

[NiteRose]

That is great to hear Skeetersmom!!

[jenn]

good job Skeeter! Great to hear he is finally learning.

[Cat&Dog mom]

Great to hear he's using the litter box. Well, I was looking for my cats litter online because the stores around here don't stock it anymore boohoo this stuff is just absolutely wonderful, I don't know what i'm going to do without it (so sad), anyway I found a litter for you, it's specially formulated for training kittens, or cats that have stoped using the box, Dr. Elsey's cat attract @petsmart. but hopefully you won't need it. Congratulations.

[Skeetersmom]

I did get some of that "cat attract" litter and is wonderful. Don't what is different about it - but it works. Skeeter showed no interest in other kinds, but he seems to want to scratch and scratch and scratch in this stuff and then finally "go". Haven't gotten to the point where he goes to the litter himself to "go" (I still have to keep putting him in the litter) but we are getting there. Thanks again for all you kind words and advice. Much appreciated! Deb Timmons