House training older kitten

up for anything

I rescued a kitten from a car park three weeks ago and she's settled in nicely here but she won't use a litter tray and doesn't like to go outside much. She craps and wees behind the couch and more recently in the bathroom (if only I could teach her to use the loo). I never see her just about to do it so I can't pick her up and plonk her in the tray.

Are there any other ways to encourage her to use the tray because I really can't spend the next 12 years picking up cat poop every day, apart from the hygiene issue and the kids beginning to dislike her because of it. :(

She appears to be about 4 months old and slightly slow or at least not like any other cat I have ever had.

brrabus

I empathise with you, had that problem with a kitten a few years back. Just have to preserver and lift the kitty to the tray for a while, it will get used to it. One of mine likes to use the shower tray or the bath also when they are in but would always go for a tray if their is one down. I tend to let both of mine out. Put a tray behind the couch where she is going also, and when you lift her in, hold her two front paws for a moment and do a digging motion with them. She will get the hang of it, cats are clean creatures and like to cover up their doings. Good luck, it will all work out in the long run.

up for anything

Thanks for that. I shall keep on trying. I keep putting the litter tray beside where she goes but isn't copping on. I've even put the poop in the litter box to give her the idea but that hasn't worked.

Another query I have is that she does not play - at all. No chasing string, balls, mice anything - she just sits there and looks at me like I'm mad. She doesn't seem to have the hunting instinct at all or is this something that will come with time?

brrabus

up for anything wrote: »

Thanks for that. I shall keep on trying. I keep putting the litter tray beside where she goes but isn't copping on. I've even put the poop in the litter box to give her the idea but that hasn't worked.

Another query I have is that she does not play - at all. No chasing string, balls, mice anything - she just sits there and looks at me like I'm mad. She doesn't seem to have the hunting instinct at all or is this something that will come with time?

I would not put the poo in the tray after she has done it, doubt if she would cop on.

Don't worry about the playing lark, she is just weighing you up. To encourage her, see if you can get some spray CatNip and spray this on the toys, she will love it. Just spray it on a mouse and leave it in front of her, she will soon want to kill it, or lick it to death. They all have the hunting instinct, even the lazy ones. I have one loopy one and one lazy one.

Something you might want to try for the litter tray for a while is putting in soil rather than litter as she was used to being outside and don't use one of those tiny trays, use a decent size one.

iora_rua

You could try a second litter tray filled with potting compost. Some cats don't always like the 'grade' of litter chosen for them, but most will take to a flower bed (plenty of gardeners on other forums will confirm this!).

The other trick would be to lay a long strip of thick plastic behind the furniture, topped with sheets of newspaper, and spread one section with litter and the other with compost - messy, but might work - and then you could introduce her preferred medium in the litter tray.

We had similar problems with one of our cats and all was resolved when she was old enough to neuter.

boomerang

Great idea on the peat compost! I have had to do this with several strays over the years. They're not familiar with the scent or texture of cat litter so they don't always use the tray. The peat compost is messy but once they get the hang of the idea you can start sprinkling in some of the cat litter and gradually phase out the compost completely. It's worked like a charm for me. The other thing I would do (and this is true of all new kittens coming into a home) is only give him/her the run of one room in the house until they are using the litter tray reliably and know where to find it if they get caught short! A bathroom or utility room are the best choices, for easy clean up, and you can leave a litter tray in there permanently. That doesn't mean she can't come out to play, just try and ensure they've gone to the loo first. Generally they'll poop not long after eating.

mymo

All ideas above are great, it will take time, the plastic on the floor behind sofa will save your floor.
What is on the floor? Carpet? timber floor?

I use bio washing powder in warm water to clean up, they have very sensitive nose and can smell the wee or poop even after you clean up, and some cleaning products actually mask it for you but not the cat. The scent will mark where to go, so cycle continues.
The bio washing powder (but not the non bio) will remove all trace.

iora_rua

Well, any progress? Was reminded of your problem when I checked an e-mail from zooplus.ie and spotted a rather splendid litter tray - Booda Clean Step cat litter tray at (only!) 49.90 euro. Had forgotten to mention that one of our cats likes to use a covered tray and it does help to keep the mess/pong contained.

up for anything

Yes, problem solved. I don't know how it happened but just as I was getting to the end of my tether and had ended up putting the litter tray into the bathroom in desperation as she'd taken to peeing in there (I was beginning to have visions of Jinx in Meet the Fockers). When I woke up on Sunday morning and stumbled, bleary eyed into the bathroom I was met by a stench wall and lo and behold she'd crapped in the tray. I wasn't sure if it was once off but since then she's only had one 'accident'.

In fact, I've been trying to think of a name other than Kittycat but there's a ready made one. Jinx she is.

I don't remember my last cat's poo smelling as bad as Jinx's - does it usually smell so awful or could there be something up with her?

iora_rua

I think it depends what they're eating! Dried food produces less in the way of poo and pong, but I feel it isn't always best for the cat. OK, you can put down water for them, which is very necessary, but you can't MAKE 'em drink it! Had a lot of problems with dried food some years ago and now only use it as an extra 'treat' - when they've finished the tinned/tetra pak stuff. I occasionally use a mix of whiskas or felix cat milk and a dash of bottled water, which usually goes down well.

You can get cheaper covered trays than the one I mentioned and they usually have a carbon insert thing in the roof that does help tame the whiff. The poor little thing could have had a very traumatic time before you kindly rescued her and is probably only just settling in properly now.

I'm no expert, but as long as her poos aren't runny or blood streaked, then she should be OK - just think of the pong as an exotic bonus ... !

At any rate, great to hear that you're getting sorted at last.

ladypip

If you are giving her cat milk Avonmore lactose free milk is the same thing and it works out so much cheaper its 1.99 for 1lt versus 1 somEthing for 200mls.

I hope she picks up soon poor kitty.

SillyMangoX

iora_rua wrote: »

You can get cheaper covered trays than the one I mentioned and they usually have a carbon insert thing in the roof that does help tame the whiff

This is seriously the best investment ever. We got ours on offer in pet mania a few years ago for 25 quid and seriously it really reduces the pong. Empty the tray as needed and do a full change once a week and we are never overly bothered by smells!

up for anything

She drinks lots and lots of water, frequently. Much more than the dog does relative to their sizes.

She had an accident last night - pee'd just beside my daughter's laptop so it was sitting in cat wee last night. Serves her right for leaving it on the floor.

I'll take a look at covered cat trays - I always avoided them as it means just another part to wash.

SillyMangoX

I rarely wash the top part,it doesnt generally get dirty. I cut open a bin bag and place it in the tray, fill with litter and put the lid back on to hold the bag in place. The bag makes it so much quicker to change the litter and none gets caked into the tray itself. The only thing I clean in the hood of the tray is the part where the scooper is stored, and replace the charcoal filter once a month. Would it be possible to confine her to one room at night? If she has the run of the house it just means more places she could pee, if you close her in to the bathroom with her bed, bowls and tray she would be more likely to go in the tray as there wouldnt be any better spots! Hide your towels if you put her in the bathroom, my cats used to always pee on em, and make sure the lid of the toilet is down!