He always tries to go potty beside the toilet. Why would he do this? Do you think if I put his litter box there...would he use it? When I catch him in time I put him in it and he does use it without trying to get out.
2006-08-23 04:35:08 · 25 answers · asked by Love not hate 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
I got him when he was 1 1/2 weeks old(his mom abandoned him) He was skinny and had matted eyes! I took him to the vet and got him on meds for his eyes. I bottle fed him (you know got up every 3 hours to feed him until about 3 1/2 weeks ...then I slowly went from 3 to 4 to 5 hours) Now he eats canned and dry food. He is healthy. If it weren't for me he would be gone. I love the little guy. He sleeps with me at night.
2006-08-23 04:46:39 · update #1
And yes I know about mommas licking their baby's bottoms. I would stimulate him before and after he had a bottle. I used a cotton ball or a peice of soft toilet paper. I do have another cat that uses his litter box...but it's in the basement (he makes a mess) But I have the kitten's litter box upstairs. It is a small one about 1 ft by 1 1/2 ft and 4 inches deep. I'm going to move it an dtry to see if it works. He knows his way around the whole house and goes from one end of the house all the way to the bathroom to go potty. So I hope it works.
2006-08-23 06:48:17 · update #2
And yes I know about mommas licking their baby's bottoms. I would stimulate him before and after he had a bottle. I used a cotton ball or a peice of soft toilet paper. I do have another cat that uses his litter box...but it's in the basement (he makes a mess) But I have the kitten's litter box upstairs. It is a small one about 1 ft by 1 1/2 ft and 4 inches deep. I'm going to move it an dtry to see if it works. He knows his way around the whole house and goes from one end of the house all the way to the bathroom to go potty. So I hope it works.
2006-08-23 06:48:19 · update #3
I think the person that said that the kitten was going to the bathroom there was because he saw you going there was right. Kittens usually learn this behavior from there mothers. Where this one has known only you as its mother it is imprinting itself after you. Just put the little box there till he gets a little older then slowly move it away. Also make sure if you see him using the litter box correctly praise him just like you would a child. I think he will do fine.
2006-08-23 08:40:10 · answer #1 · answered by fallenangelf99 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I bottle fed 2 kittens that were 2 weeks old when I got them. Your baby is still very young and does not know what it is doing. Mommy cats lick the babies bottom to stimulate them to excrete urine and feces (yes, they just eat it) Because you kitten is so young and never had that, it is possible she is just has no control yet over that dept. If it is being done in the same spot, get her a very shallow box and place a paper towel soaked with the urine in the box, along with some little. Dig her little paws in the litter, she will figure it out. Enjoy, and great job taking on a baby- I know they are alot of work!
2006-08-23 12:11:49 · answer #2 · answered by Smilingcheek 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason he is doing this is because he has a very good sense of smell. He can smell that the toilet area is a dirty place. He doesn't want to potty on clean things and ruin them. I had an indoor/outdoor cat once and when I forgot to let her out she would go potty on a dirty pile of laundry. There were clothes and stuff all over my room but she went and did it on the dirty laundry.
I would try closing the bathroom door and putting the litter box in front of the door. Maybe open the bathroom door just a crack so he'll be interested in that area when he wants to potty but can't get in. That way you'll also know when he needs to go.
2006-08-23 12:00:30 · answer #3 · answered by boredatwork 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
think of it this way:
it's easier to scoop out a litter box and flush the poo if it is right next to the toilet. (assuming of course, you are using flushable cat litter)
If you are not, it's still easier because if you scoop the box everytime YOU go potty ...you should have very little problem with litter box odors.
I used to keep my cats box in the linen closet in the bathroom... I removed the door so he could have access. It was a folding door anyway and a small closet, not really a big deal.
If by some chance you are not cleanign the kitties litter box regularly, it will find somewhere else to go anyway.
2006-08-23 12:01:18 · answer #4 · answered by Zoo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, put a box there.
I think the person who said he's going there because he sees you going right near there is probably right.
I think the person who suggested getting him a baby potty is on to something, even if they were kidding and didn't realize it.
Cats have been trained to use a human toilet, and some cats have even figured it out on their own. Some even flush after themselves! Their instinct is to bury their scat, and it's not much of a stretch for them to go in a place where the scat will go away.
So maybe your kitty could be one of those that learn to use a toilet. Of course, a baby kitten is too small for that, which is why a baby potty might be a good start. If you search on the web you can even find some instructions for encouraging and teaching this behavior (I've seen such instructions, but I can't recall where.)
Wouldn't that be cool if your kitty could use the toilet! Of course, you'd have to get in the habit of leaving the lid up. Lifting the lid is probably too much for even the brightest kitty.
2006-08-23 11:59:28 · answer #5 · answered by Mick 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A six-week old kitten is neurologically very immature and, like a human child, does not have good control yet to always go in the appropriate place. You might try a thin layer of garden dirt over the top of the box for a while. Those smells may entice him to use the box. Bathrooms are great places for litter boxes IMO. Easy to clean up a tile floor.
He probably could use several boxes in various places. Like I said he is not mature enough yet to be able to "hold it" while he goes in search of a box.
2006-08-23 11:58:24 · answer #6 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
place the kitten in the litter box every hor , clean the litter every day and invest in a good cleaner to rid the spot where hes gone of the smell. also is the litter box in a place the kitten can get to easily? at six weeks he shouldnt have to traval far to go potty. franklet he should still be with his mom for another six weeks but thtas not your fault.
2006-08-23 11:44:52 · answer #7 · answered by rose45 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seems that putting the litter box there would be a simple idea to try. Perhaps he likes it because it's secluded ... is your box covered? He's a baby and still trying to figure things out, so putting it there for a while might get him used to it, then move it.
2006-08-23 11:42:06 · answer #8 · answered by Cherokee Lady 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it would be a great start and as he learns to use it you can move it further away a little at a time if you like..kittens learn where to go potty from their mom or other cats in the house.. I'm betting you do not have another cat... the smells of the bathroom and most likely following you in there while you go , is attracting him to the area and telling him that's where to go- since he has no other cat to lead him he is following you! don't worry... it will work out fine!
2006-08-23 11:41:52 · answer #9 · answered by Ms Fortune 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He might use it. My kitties do.
He just needs a little more training. And if he's having trouble getting into his box, try using a tray similar to what painters use: That's what I had to do for my younger kittens when they started to break box training after I brought them home. Once they got a little bigger, the big litter boxes weren't so scarey so they started using them.
Good luck!
2006-08-23 11:52:40 · answer #10 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋