# Kitten being weird



## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

So another Luna post, I was in the toilet brushing my teeth and she causally walked in.. starting digging the rug, peed dug again to cover it up and left. I was just standing there shocked !!! One litter box and one litter tray just for her in the parts of the house that she can access. I’m thinking she might’ve gotten confused because of the rug texture? What do you all think


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Tiny kittens need a toilet they can find quickly and get into easily. This means multiple litter boxes, with shallow sides, at least one in every room she has access to. I'd keep that rug up off the floor for while to prevent a repeat.


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

lorilu said:


> Tiny kittens need a toilet they can find quickly and get into easily. This means multiple litter boxes, with shallow sides, at least one in every room she has access to. I'd keep that rug up off the floor for while to prevent a repeat.


Ohhh I thought two were enough for one cat. I threw the rug (bath mat) away now let's see how she gets on


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Ragdollady said:


> Ohhh I thought two were enough for one cat. I threw the rug (bath mat) away now let's see how she gets on


When she's an adult cat, yes. But she's not a cat, she's a little baby and doesn't always know she has to pee until she has to. So she needs a litter box in every room to avoid accidents.

I recommend you make sure to not drop clothing or towels on the floor as well. Keep things picked up. Habits like this are hard to break once they get started.


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

lorilu said:


> When she's an adult cat, yes. But she's not a cat, she's a little baby and doesn't always know she has to pee until she has to. So she needs a litter box in every room to avoid accidents.
> 
> I recommend you make sure to not drop clothing or towels on the floor as well. Keep things picked up. Habits like this are hard to break once they get started.


yes I've put another tray in the toilet.. lesson learned lol she hasn't done it since and really hoping she doesn't do it again


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

At Luna's age I would question the need to have litter trays in every room, she should be old enough to know where the litter trays are and use them. Kittens at 5 week can't control their urges quite so well, kittens at 8 should be much more aware and able to hold for longer. Accidents are expected at this age still, but I wouldn't consider one accident at 8 weeks a cause for alarm


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Rufus15 said:


> At Luna's age I would question the need to have litter trays in every room, she should be old enough to know where the litter trays are and use them. Kittens at 5 week can't control their urges quite so well, kittens at 8 should be much more aware and able to hold for longer. Accidents are expected at this age still, but I wouldn't consider one accident at 8 weeks a cause for alarm


Perhaps she "should be old enough" , but she's shown that perhaps she isn't. There's no harm in preventing further accidents by providing more places for her to toilet. Why not give her the chance of success? It cost nothing except maybe a couple of throw away cookie sheets.


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

She’s 9 weeks now and very strong but she finds it hard to find her litter trays or even her food bowl (she could be in the same room but not be able to tell straight away) I find that strange as all my other cats were able to locate litter and food straight away.


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

Ragdollady said:


> She's 9 weeks now and very strong but she finds it hard to find her litter trays or even her food bowl (she could be in the same room but not be able to tell straight away) I find that strange as all my other cats were able to locate litter and food straight away.


Ah if she struggles to find it then yes, lorilu's recommendation of more trays is good.

She very likely doesn't know because she was taken from mum far too young


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Ragdollady said:


> She's 9 weeks now and very strong but she finds it hard to find her litter trays or even her food bowl (she could be in the same room but not be able to tell straight away) I find that strange as all my other cats were able to locate litter and food straight away.


I wonder if she's having trouble with her sense of smell. As in a stuffy nose?


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

lorilu said:


> I wonder if she's having trouble with her sense of smell. As in a stuffy nose?


That's exactly what I was thinking. Like she's unable to smell properly.. she isn't doesn't have cold or stuffy nose, seems completely healthy


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Ragdollady said:


> That's exactly what I was thinking. Like she's unable to smell properly.. she isn't doesn't have cold or stuffy nose, seems completely healthy


If she had a poor sense of smell I'd expect it to cause some inappetence. A cat's appetite is largely dependent upon their sense of smell (a human's appetite is not affected to the same extent by lack of a sense of smell).

I recall that Luna was unwell recently? Illness can affect the cat's sense of smell. It need not necessarily be a respiratory illness.

If the recent illness is the cause, hopefully it will be a temporary thing. Meanwhile I'd go with lorilu's advice, as it's good advice, as always.  Give Luna a litter tray in every room for now, and maybe two trays in large rooms. They need not be big trays, but they should be open ones.

Also don't be too quick to scoop all the pee out of the trays, for now. It is best if the litter trays have her scent quite strongly in them. When you are replacing all the litter in any of the trays, save a scoopful of the old used litter to add to the new litter so it smells of Luna.


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

Thnx @chillminx yes I somehow thought of that too so I leave some litter and thn add some more. She hasn't been sick since and that was a one off. Her appetite is really good and she seems much chunkier. I find it odd that a cat isn't able to smell the food. May be she's just too little and grow out of it. She's going in for vaccination tomorrow so I'll speak to the vet as well. She's very feisty and playful. Runs around plays all day. Pooping twice a day but when she has to pee or ooo she just comes mewing to me and I have to place her on the litter tray. That's just during the day though as at night time she has no problem finding the litter trays and using them. She's getting on with other cats now so I'm hoping they'll teach her some stuff.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Ragdollady said:


> That's just during the day though as at night time she has no problem finding the litter trays and using them


Well during the day there is a lot going on, plenty to distract her, and she's already trained you to take her to the litter box. 

At night it's all quiet, she has time to focus on other things, including exploring and using her boxes on her own.



Ragdollady said:


> . I find it odd that a cat isn't able to smell the food.


What food are you feeding her?


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

She’s eating only wet food. Iams delight as instructed by the breeder. I’m also giving some some purina gold pâté but in tiny quantities


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Ragdollady said:


> She's eating only wet food. Iams delight as instructed by the breeder. I'm also giving some some purina gold pâté but in tiny quantities


Excellent! Maybe it's not smelly enough for her. However if she is gaining weight as she should and eating well (when she finds it!) I think @chillminx may be onto something regarding the recent illness, and her sense of smell returning now that she is better.


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

Oh God she peed on the floor, while the litter box was so close to her. This time not on mat or rug but on the wooden floor !!! What should I do???? Don't want this becoming a habit. There are 4 litter boxes and trays all over the place. Could someone give me some suggestions @chillminx 
@lorilu


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

lorilu said:


> Excellent! Maybe it's not smelly enough for her. However if she is gaining weight as she should and eating well (when she finds it!) I think @chillminx may be onto something regarding the recent illness, and her sense of smell returning now that she is better.


She's gaining weight and eating fine.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Ragdollady said:


> Oh God she peed on the floor, while the litter box was so close to her. This time not on mat or rug but on the wooden floor !!! What should I do???? Don't want this becoming a habit. There are 4 litter boxes and trays all over the place. Could someone give me some suggestions @chillminx
> @lorilu


Oh darn. To help us help you figure it out..what was happening at the time? You might want to start keeping a record, to see if you can find a pattern. I never heard of a tiny kitten having a UTI but I suppose it's possible.


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## tyg'smum (Aug 14, 2018)

Other than the bathroom incident, you say that she's peeing and pooing "close" to her litter trays. How close? Is it possible that she doesn't realise that when she's up to her furry little ankles in catlit, her bum's hanging over the edge? If so (and I speak from bitter experience) then a high-sided litter tray may be the only answer. 

Otherwise, as you say that she doesn't seem to notice her food bowl either, I'd ask the vet to check her sight's okay.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

How much does she weigh? It's not uncommon for bybs to give a wrong age.

Go back to basics, restrict her to a smaller area with several trays so she has no choice but to use the tray.
Ragdoll kittens are notoriously lazy litter box users when training (another reason for going to a reputable breeder)


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

She’s not peeing next to the litter box but in close proximity. It’s happened twice now. She does pee and poo in her litter box. She’s not pooed anywhere else. She also pees in the litter box minus these two instances that I’ve seen. She isn’t peeing a lot and doesn’t seem to be in any discomfort. So I am thinking might not be UTI. She seems right size for 9 weeks as I’ve had kittens before so she isn’t too small. It’s like she’s a bit off. She was digging the carpet this morning and I quickly put her in litter tray and she peed there. The circumstances around the last accident were that she was just playing near the dining table and I was on the sofa. Then she walked to the edge and peed then started to cover it with absolutely nothing. There’s no carpet there just wooden floor


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

One more thing, I’ve not seen her drink water even once, she does eat only wet food and no dry food but still I’m always observing her and she just doesn’t drink water. It’s always there in 3 places


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

spotty cats said:


> How much does she weigh? It's not uncommon for bybs to give a wrong age.
> 
> Go back to basics, restrict her to a smaller area with several trays so she has no choice but to use the tray.
> Ragdoll kittens are notoriously lazy litter box users when training (another reason for going to a reputable breeder)


She cries until she's let out of my room now. I could try keeping her there


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Ragdollady said:


> One more thing, I've not seen her drink water even once, she does eat only wet food and no dry food but still I'm always observing her and she just doesn't drink water. It's always there in 3 places


This is not a concern. Cats on wet diets are getting the hydration they need from their diet. I've never had a canned (or raw fed) cat drink from the water bowl. Of course, still always leave fresh water available as I'm sure you do. 

Adding a little warm water to her meals, while not strictly necessary, is good practice, just a little, not to make it too soupy unless she likes it that way, and the warm water will warm the food maybe making it a bit smellier.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Ragdollady - as lorilu said UTI's are rare in kittens. But cystitis is not rare. One of my previous cats had cystitis as a kitten. She was on a wet food only diet, same as your kitten. I never identified the cause of the problem and she didn't have another episode after the first one. Could have been stress possibly due to the change of environment.

I am not saying your kitty has cystitis - I don't know if she has or not . Just it's a possibility. How many times a day does she pee? And are they always quite big pees? If it was cystitis it could mean she associates the trays with pain and thus avoids them, looking for other places to pee in the hope that it will hurt less.

Shutting her in one room with her litter trays might help her use the trays. But I would be reluctant to suggest that unless someone can keep her company most of the time in her room. Otherwise she is going to feel she is being excluded and will get stressed, which could make matters worse if the soiling is stress related.

Another thought is that the peeing away from the trays is something to do with your other cats. How many do you have, what genders are they and how old? I understand there are trays all over the house but it's possible your other cats might not want kitty to use the trays and are subtly blocking her from them. How are the other cats behaving towards kitty?


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

These trays are just hers as the other ones go out for their business. They are 2 males and one female. 2 year old males and 3-4 year old females. All neutered. She’s the only one that stays inside
She pees about 2-3 times a day or may b 4. Pee is not a lot and not a little.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Are the other cats friendly towards the little one? Is kitty confident with them?

Does kitty use her litter trays during the night? As I recall she spends the night on your bed? Is there a tray in your bedroom? Does she use it reliably every time she needs to pee?

Am I correct she always uses her tray for poo? If that is so, it suggests that she is Ok with the trays but the problem is in herself, e.g. that it is possibly uncomfortable for her to pass urine.

You mentioned earlier she is on a wet food only diet, but is she having dry treats, or milk of any sort?

Are her stools firm and formed?


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

chillminx said:


> Are the other cats friendly towards the little one? Is kitty confident with them?
> 
> Does kitty use her litter trays during the night? As I recall she spends the night on your bed? Is there a tray in your bedroom? Does she use it reliably every time she needs to pee?
> 
> ...


Yes now they are quite maternal towards her. At night she doesn't have any accidents and she goes to the en-suite for her needs. Her food and tray are there and she finds them with no problem as I watch her go. She always poo on the tray and pees there too around the house in trays minus the couple of times that I mentioned. She's very confident and feels like she rules the whole place. But she's extremely playful and erratic loves play biting not the bad sort. She's very loving always purring and licking also she always follows me around with some toy in her mouth. Both the times that peed on the floor she was very confident while doing it as if it was the right thing to do. She's come from a small place with 10 cats including Bengal and Maincoon and 2 dogs. I donno but I feel like she got away with this behaviour over there


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

chillminx said:


> Are the other cats friendly towards the little one? Is kitty confident with them?
> 
> Does kitty use her litter trays during the night? As I recall she spends the night on your bed? Is there a tray in your bedroom? Does she use it reliably every time she needs to pee?
> 
> ...


she isn't drinking any milk and also not eating any sort of dry foods or dry treats at all.


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

Hi guys, just an update on Luna. She’s not had peed anywhere other thn her litter trays ever since my last post. She’s much more relaxed and got her first vaccination. Her weight is 900g and vet was very happy with her overall weight. She growls a lot during play but I think it’s part of rough play.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Her current weight suggests she's 8-9 weeks old now, so quite underage on arrival.


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

spotty cats said:


> Her current weight suggests she's 8-9 weeks old now, so quite underage on arrival.


shes supposedly 11 weeks on Sunday but she was very very underweight when we got her, you could see the ribs but she's not small. She's grown quite a lot and now has a belly pouch too lol bless


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

She eats about 550g of wet food a day. Is that amount alright for her age?


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Ragdollady said:


> She eats about 550g of wet food a day. Is that amount alright for her age?


As much as she wants to eat is right for her age.


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

That's good to know, I have another question so posting here. She's a very loving kitten but she growls a lot.. every time I pet her she growls like cats do before a fight but she doesn't attack and she growls while purring. When she starts growling I stop petting her but thn she comes and sits on my chest and as soon as I pet her she starts purring along with growling. The vet noticed the same and said you are supposed to be a ragdoll so stop growling. What does that mean? Does she not want me to pet her? But she's following me all the time wanting to be picked up and when I pick her up she starts purring and licking my hand but growls in between. I don't want her to have behavioural issues when she grows up. She never attacks but does play bite without closing her mouth and never scratches me. She does the growling with every one but I'm her main human. She sleeps in my bed and actually vomit last night though it's only happened twice since I got her 3 or so weeks ago. She seems to be very healthy otherwise. Any input is much appreciated @chillminx @OrientalSlave


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

Also I just felt and her tummy is really bloated like a balloon


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Ragdollady said:


> Also I just felt and her tummy is really bloated like a balloon


I would recommend you start a new thread on this bloating to get more views. Has she been wormed?


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## Ragdollady (Mar 2, 2020)

lorilu said:


> I would recommend you start a new thread on this bloating to get more views. Has she been wormed?


Ok x


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