My kittens poop on the carpet - HELP!!!?

Question

I have a litter of 5 kittens and their mom. The kittens are about 3-4 weeks old. They won't poop in the litter tray, and they keep peeing and pooping on the carpet. Does anyone have any advice on how to get them to put their faeces where it belongs?

Answer 1

It takes consistency. If you have to leave the house put them in a small area. Generally animals do not like to use the toliet in the same space where they sleep. When you get home take each one and place it into the litter box. If the mom is using the litter box to that is helpful because then they will know where to go. Otherwise just keep taking them to the litterbox like every hour (or sooner). They'll get it.

Answer 2

A three week old kitten is not going to worry about where it goes.
It just gets the urge and acts on it. It has no muscle control to wait till it gets to the litter box.
Most mother cats clean up their young ones, so I am surprised that she lets it stay to be cleaned up by you. It is an instinct they have to protect their litter by cleaning up any smell that might lead a predator to their litter.
I would suggest that you pick a room for them to stay in and cover the entire floor with news paper, if it leaks through to the carpet then put down trash bags and then newspaper on top.
As they get older they will not want to poop or pee in the same place they live, and they will go to the litter box by themselves.
Wait another 4 weeks till they are really weaned and you should see a big difference in how they get rid of their wastes.

Answer 3

You have to teach them. You have to watch them and put them in the box when they act like they're going to go. They will learn, and fairly quickly -- but it will take a little time.

When you clean "it" up, put it in the litter tray so they know where it goes. It'll probably take a week or two, but they'll learn.

I remember 5 kittens at that age... I'm sure you're being climbed upon entry, as well.

Answer 4

Get some stuff from the vet that they don't like the smell of like the stuff you put on the furniture, put it where they went to the toilet. Once they go somewhere they keep doing it if they get the scent. Stick the litter tray where they usually go, maybe if you put a bit of their poo in there it would help.

Answer 5

My kitten had the same problem. She used the litterbox alright when she needed to urinate, although sometimes missed, but when it came to feces, she didn't go NEAR the box! I had to pick it up and put it the litterbox, and I had to put her in the litterbox repeatedly.

But don't worry, your cats will learn from their mother, if the mother uses the litterbox. Your cats are still young and still need time to learn. My cat was 6 weeks old and taken too early from her mother when I got her. Make sure to keep a litterbox near your kittens, too, and they'll learn soon enough. I had to keep a litterbox near my kitten's bed.

My cat's now a year old and she doesn't have any problems. She knows where to go now.

Answer 6

Put them in the litter pan. They're learn. in the mean time just keep picking the poop up.

Answer 7

is the mother litter box trained?
you need to put kittens in litter box after they nurse that is the only way it worked for me a few years ago.

Answer 8

Keep them in a large dog crate with a litter pan until they get the hang of it. It sounds as if you are giving them too much room to wander.

Answer 9

not much you can do about that. they just need to be trained. put some newspaper on the floor if they aren't learning well. whenever they begin to poo or pee, just carry or shoo them over to the litter tray so they can go there. they should learn

Answer 10

Clean the litter box.