# 5 week old kittens not using litter tray! Help! Driving me insane!



## CloudedSkies (Jul 30, 2008)

Morning all, 

I apologise if this should be in a different forum, I put it here as my kittens are still so young. They will be 6 weeks old on Monday.

Since just before they turned 5 weeks old I noticed them eating, both dry and meat, and spotted a couple of little tiny wee's in the litter tray. Result! Chips (Mum) seems to be doing well.

But this week it has gone down hill! I caughty Iggy (Female) squatting in a corner of our front room, removed her, to find she had wee'd. So I put her in the tray. Later that day there was a little poo in the same place on the carpet, but I hadnt witnessed who had done it. Since then, as I am feeding them so regularly (Little amounts) I am going back to them 10-20 mins after and putting them in the tray. So far, every time Iggy has done something in the tray immediately. Some times, both a wee and a poo. But as I had caught her in the act on the carpet, I assumed it was she having the accidents. The other kitten, Socks (Male) doesnt stay in the tray when I put him in there after eating, but I have seen him doing his business in there of his own accord on other occaisions. 

Since that first poo, I have had 4 more in the same corner, even though I know for sure Iggy is using the tray. Yesterday I scrubbed the carpet the clean (May I add here, its a very expensive carpet that has only been down a week today!) and sprayed some "Get Off" repellant down. No accidents all day, and I sprayed some more down in the evening before I went to bed. 

I have just been in to feed the cats, and caught Socks (the male) trying to bury a just done poo in my carpet!!!! AND!!! Iggy squatting next to him!!!!!!!!! I whipped Iggy up and put her in the tray, and she has done the deed there. I put Socks in too, but clearly it was too late.

I dont know what to do? Chips (Mum) seems to be less and less interested in them and certainly isnt helping the litter training. I am really rather fed up of it to be honest, I'm 38 weeks pregnant and this is something I could do without. I accept that they have accidents, but I think I have had 5 poo's and at least one wee (Wouldnt take long to soak in so I couldnt see it) all in the same place. Our adult male cat Kipper, NEVER used a litter tray, he simply did everything on our kitchen floor until he started going outside at 7 months, and it literally drove me insane clearing up after him every day, and I cant not go down that road again.

We are planning on keeping Socks, but if he carries on poo's in my front room, I am afraid I might have to let him go, which I really dont want to do. But I will have a newborn in there in in less than 2 weeks! And I have a 2 and 3 yr old too.

Please someone tell me what to do, and that I can fix this!!!!!!!

Lise x x x


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## Abooksigun (Oct 16, 2008)

Hi, 
can I ask what litter you are using? It may be that the kittens don't like the litter. Another thing you can do is use non bio washing powder where they have 'been' & then use vinegar or surgical spirit as this will stop them going there.
Do you normally feed them the same time each day? This may help them to get into a routine plus you could maybe watch them & put them in the tray after eating.
Other than that not sure what else to suggest really hope this may help!


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## CloudedSkies (Jul 30, 2008)

Hiya, 

Thank you for your reply.

I'm using Oko Plus, Cats Best litter. I didnt think about them not liking the litter (We must have tried about 10 with our other cat) but thought maybe as they had both already done stuff in there that it couldnt be that? 

I do try to feed them at the same times yes, but its not rigid. Also, Ive caught them both tucking into the adult food which I put down too. Thought when I feed the cats, I tend to put Kipper & Chips (The 2 adults) in one room to eat and the kittens in another. 

I cant watch them constantly at the moment, the front room they are in is the not the room I spend my time in, but it will be from next week (Long long story!) So I guess when I am in there more next week I will be able to watch more closely. But it is hard with 2 young children and a huge tum of my own! 

Not heard of the non-bio thing, I only have bio liquid at the mo but I will certainly give that a try.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Been there,done that, got many many t shirts, and the bottom line is that the only solution I have ever found is to give in and put a litter tray where they are actually going. 

I am sure that is not the answer you wanted to hear. There is another option but it involves money, that is to get a kitten pen, food in one corner of the pen, litter tray in the other, bed in another corner, and have them in there all the time unless they are actually being supervised.

Liz


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## Saynamore (Feb 28, 2008)

As Liz said, I put litter boxes where they are doing it, but also persistance is the key, every time you catch them doing it were they shouldnt or about to do it, pop them in the litter box, after a time they will get into the correct habit


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## Jacqui_UK (Oct 7, 2008)

You need to keep putting trays where they go you need at least one litter tray per kitten per floor. I would keep them in one room if you haven't got many litter trays.


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

Hi Lise,would agree with above posts,know it's not easy especially with you being preggers and having little ones it gets a bit hectic,but try and keep them in one room if poss,and allow them in another in short bursts when it's calmer and your 2 youngest are in bed This way you can supervise them more closely and monitor themThey will still be socialised etc and put the trays near any corners and remove anything soft,we find that kitts like corners and will generally pee/poo on soft furnishings as it soaks up the wee and they either bury the poo or walk away from it but return when caught short,if they wee on something non soft they tend not to like the wetness on their paws,sometimes with lads especially it takes a while longer to litter train them,but persistance and patience will have them loo trained in no timeGood luck,take a breath and keep on the little buggers


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## CloudedSkies (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks for your messages.

I'm prepared to put a tray there if you think this will help. Its not an ideal place, but this is not an ideal situation!!

They are in one room at the moment. well, sort of. We moved into the inlaws a while ago, and we have our own front room and dwelling on the side of the house, but its not quite finished enough for us ourself to live in, we need to bring the last bit over from our house, so we are living in the main house, and the cats are in that area. It consists of a huge front room, and a bedroom, but I tend to keep that door shut, and I put the 2 adult cats in there to eat, otherwise they snaffle the kitten food. The kits have tonnes of room to run around, and love climbing up the sofa and pouncing on eachother. We have 2 litter trays in there, well in fact 3. I have a large roll over one which Chips uses. Kipper goes outside (I have to let him in and out every few hours!) and I put an uncovered tray next to Chips' big one as its quite high to climb in, but both of them seem to prefer the covered one, and they can get in and out now. Though both types of tray are being used.

I thought of moving a tray to the corner before, but I thought maybe they would just go next to it? I will go move it now and I guess time will tell....

I'm soooooooo worried about this! Kipper was an absolute nightmare for so many months, and if I am honest, it made me not enjoy him, as he would wee 6ish times a day and poo twice in my kitchen, and it took a while after to start really enjoying him again. I know how awful that sounds! We tried SO much with him. And I just really dont want to go down that route again. In fact I cant. I simply cant have a cat pooing in a room where my new born baby and children will be! SO i have to get this sorted ASAP.


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

It's awful when you feel so worn out by it all Lise,believe me we've all had times where you just are flat and uninspired by it all,but i'm confident that with some of the suggestions things will improve for you,evn if you can maybe get to spend an entire morning monitoring them and placing them in trays as and when,and as much as you can after you've started it's usually not long after before they're doing it for themselves,forgot to ask and i know their using the trays sometimes but maybe put a smaller,flatter tray like an old Cracker tray with some soft paper litter in it,then if it works better for them as they get older etc gradually put some of the stuff you use now in it,as even though they're using the trays it may be that it's too much like hard work for them


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## LousKoonz (Feb 9, 2008)

The litter tray thing does work - i had one or two going in a corner and inside the kittening pen! (i leave it out as they use it as a trampoline as it's a soft one LOL) SO small litter tray went into the corner and i white vinegar'd the inside of the kitten pen and put a large tray in there x
Also after every meal i picked ever single one of the kittens up and popped them in trays and scratched their feet in it so they got the idea xx

a few days later and this had cured the problems xx

hope you get them sorted  xx


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## CloudedSkies (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks for all your ideas and sypmathy! My fuse is short at the moment, nothing to do with the cats, more being hugely pregnant and moving house! Like anybody, I just want to nip this in the bud whilst they are still so young.

There are only 2 kittens, Socks is staying with us, and Iggy is going to my Brother in law and his Girlfriend, but they have asked if we will care for her till after Xmas, as they will probably spend not far off the entire Xmas here with us anyway, so dont want to leave kitten alone at their house. Which is fair enough.

I have to go out this afternoon and bring some more things over from my house, I will try all of the suggestions though. Later on today I will scrub the area again, and move a litter tray there, after the weekend it will be easier for me to keep an eye on them as I will be in that living room permenently anyway. Fingers crossed....watch this space....


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## Saynamore (Feb 28, 2008)

Good luck lass, you must be so stressed with all that going on. Take some me time and quiet moments with your kits whenever poss


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## ChinaBlue (Feb 3, 2008)

It is frustrating. May be worth trying the Cat Attract litter - it is not cheap but it may be worth just using for a few weeks to get the kittens into a habit.


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## Abooksigun (Oct 16, 2008)

Awwww I feel for you watching children, being pregnant & having kittens!!

I'm sure it won'y be long until they have is sust!! I have my fingers crossed for you!!


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## Guest (Oct 18, 2008)

Everyone has given you some fab advice and I really hope it works for you...it is bad enough having problems with the litter tray without being heavily pregnant as well!!!

I can only reiterate what everyone else has said because it really will work and be effective in such a short time.

Fingers crossed that you see an improvement soon

Lou
X


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## chaospony (Sep 19, 2008)

Another trick I have found that works is to put aluminum foil down flat where you do not want them to go. Cats hate the feel of it and if they try to wee there it will splash back on them making it less desirable to go there. Good luck with sorting them out, and with your new baby too!


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## silverhorse (Nov 2, 2008)

You could buy a second hand large 3ft dog pen for around £25 and put a shallow tray in one end, food and water at the other and carpet the tray .
The kittens will get used to going on the tray not the carpet. Let them sleep in the pen at night and part of the day unless supervised. Once trained they should be OK


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## tonkatoy (Aug 1, 2008)

when there are youngsters in the house i tend to literally cover the floor in cat litter trays and then reduce the amount as they grow but i love the foil idea and will be trying this. 

I also watched a TV program lately where they suggested putting food trays on top of the spot where they were going as cats dont like to pooh where they eat but I think that this would help more with older cats than kittens.


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## Abooksigun (Oct 16, 2008)

Hope things are looking up for you

There were plenty of ideas here that have helped me too!

Fingers crossed for you & hope baby is good aswell

Will be keeping the foil thing in mind too!


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## ChinaBlue (Feb 3, 2008)

I have a male neuter who is a bit of a sprayer when hassled; I tried putting a small bowl of dried food in the area he normally spayed - made no difference - he obviously hadn't read the same book as I had!!


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## FLOWER-POWER-GIRL (Oct 26, 2008)

I have the same probllem as cloudedskies , but all six of mine are in a pen and 1 is weeing in a corner but i have already have two trays in there so im going to have to watch who is doing it an put it in the tray when they go to coupy. 
Glad i read this as i thought i was going to have a problem on my hands
thanks


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