Help to get adopted stray female to use a litter box. I keep forcing her to the box, it doesn't seem to work.

Question

I adopted the neighborhood stary last week. I took her on Saturday to have her shots and have her checked out. Been litter box training since Saturday. Locked her in the laundry room, scratch her paws in the litter and nothing seems to be working. She is refusing to pee or poop. She is approximately 1 and as far as I know, she has never been an indoor cat....IS THERE HOPE TO LITTER BOX TRAIN?

Answer 1

she has not peed or pooped ever? or did she pee or poop someplace else?
because she still trying to get used to her new environment, and she's stressed out, she cannot poo or pee.
i had a cat brought home before, and she was so scared, she refused to eat and she stayed under the table. after a couple of days, she got hungry so she came out and eat and started exploring. i finally litter-trained her when she was used to the household. i created a litter box for her, and then put her over the litter box. she sniffed a little bit, but then came out again. but since that day, she knew instantly where she's going to poo or pee. since the cat is still new, give her some time to get used to things. and probably she's not used to the house's layout yet, she might get lost and not find the litterbox.

Answer 2

This is going to sound a little odd, but I have used it on several cats when I was younger.

First, make sure the cat has been eating or drinking (it has to be comfortable enough in your house to do this first, otherwise the next step is pretty useless.)

Next, take your new cat into the room where the litter box is, close the door and pee in the box yourself. You do not have to release a lot, just enough for the cat to see. Afterwords, push the litter around a bit to "bury" your mess, and open the door and walk out.

Every time I did this, the cat used the litter box within minutes, and I never had to repeat the lesson.

Answer 3

yes there is hope. First make sure she's ok from having the shots and isn't sick. Use real dirt in the litter box and just decrease it bit by bit mixing it with the kind of litter you plan to use. She has to be going somewhere in the house, if she didn't go that long, she'd be dead. Take her little "presents", when you clean them up and toss them in the litter box so she smells her own body excrements in there. She'll get the idea. Don't force her though as if she associates the box with getting forced to do something she will avoid it.

Answer 4

Cats are cleanly animals and she should get the hang of it. If she is using the floor instead, put some of the mess in the litter box so she'll get the idea. If she is not going at all, there might be a problem. Good luck.

Answer 5

i adopted a stray about a year ago and found her going in our potted plants, she was used to going in dirt and didn't recognize the smell of litter so i added som dirt to the box, this worked and i just put a little less in it a few days later, all total it took about a week to eliminate the dirt from the box. and she began using the box as soon as i added the dirt... hope this helps

Answer 6

I like what Miss April 1985 said about adding some dirt. I also wanted to mention in case this applies to you is that many cats do not like scented/perfumed cat litters.

Answer 7

could be the litter. some cats who are indoor cats refuse to use if you change litter brands. some don't like scented, texture, etc. try half dirt mixed with a plain litter.

Answer 8

Every time it poops on the floor, put the poop in the litter box and when the cat goes by it, it might see that its poop is in there, so it will poop in there then. i did this with my cat and it worked and she was an outdoor kitten.

Answer 9

Perhaps you can try using dirt instead on litter. As the cat was feral, it was use to going in the dirt.

Answer 10

cats have a natural urge to bury their excrements. she will use it when she has to. you have been scratching her paws in the sand which is the key to litter box training. just leave her be.