Getting a kitten litter trained and a larger cat re-litter trained. How?

Question

I recently rescued two siamese cats as i love them. They came from a breeder that had died. When i first got them 2 weeks ago the larger cat who is about 2 was using the litter tray no problem, but later found out that the kitten was not. They have both been in hiding since i have got them an d the kitten is only just coming to me now. Just wondered if anyone had some tips to get this little thing litter trained, i have read a similar question but my problem is there is no were quiet in my house as i have a four year old running round. My other problem also is that the larger cat is now doindg its business elsewere an has not used the tray for 2 days. I know they have been through a tough time but i dont know if i can cope with coming into the smell everyday. Any suggestions will greatly be recieved. Hannah

Answer 1

Put a litter box in your bathroom and show your cats where it is. The older cat should catch on eventually because it has already been litter trained. Just keep bringing it to the litter box.
For the kitten, bring it to the litter box and run its paws through the litter in a digging motion.

Answer 2

Sometimes cats like having two separate litter boxes, especially if there are two cats. My parents' cat likes to use one box for pee and one for poo. Strange, but you know..cats are sorta finicky!
Also, getting a new home can be stressful on a cat. It may just be amatter of time and getting used to the new home before the older one uses the litter again. Make sure you keep the litter very clean, though too- Cats get picky about that too! Most cats will go outside their box if the litter is too messy. You may want to try a different kind of litter, too.
As far as the kitten- most kittens will immediately take to litter training. There really isn't any training involved. Just put the kitten in the litter box, and when she uses it, give her praise and don't worry about the rest- they usually just do it on their own (it's kind of instinctual).
If you continue to have problems with the cats and the litter boxes, I would check with your vet. Cats are usually very clean and usually use litter boxes with ease. If they start not using the litter all of a sudden, they may have a bladder infection or something that your vet can treat.
And it still is important to try and find a relatively private place for your kitties to go. The bathroom suggestion is a good one. you can even keep the litter box in the tub (while not using it of course) and close the shower curtain part way. Hope I helped!

Answer 3

I know how you feel, I too have a 4 yr old little girl who is running aroung the house all the time. I got 2 kittens about 5 weeks ago that were about 7 weeks old. I put the litter box under my computer desk so they could have some privacy at least . The kittens were going not in the box so what I did was when they pooped, I put the poop in the litter box and put the kittens in the box with the poop. They smelled there own poop in the box and after 2 times they have been litter trained! And with the bigger one I would try and do the same. I hope this helps, Goodluck!

Answer 4

Since it's both cats doing it, I think we can safely assume that the problem is behavioral rather than medical. What may have happened is one of them went on the bed for some fluke reason (did one of them get shut in there accidentally? Did the puppy maybe chase her in there when she needed to go?). However it happened, ow the scent is there and they both think it's an OK place to go. Lysol will NOT get rid of the scent to them. You need a deep enzyme cleaner, preferably one specifically made for cat urine. Natures Miracle makes a good one. Soak where they keep peeing and I mean totally saturate it. Even flip the bed over and soak the other side too. Wash all of the bed linens with the enzyme cleaner as well, just for good measure. Once the mattress is completely dry, you might want to consider buying a plastic cover for it, at least until you are certain the cats are no longer peeing on the bed. At the very least, it will make any future clean up easier. Now, place a clean litterbox right where they keep peeing on the bed. Slowly move it away from that spot and to the floor again. Hopefully that will get them back into going in the box. Also, a good rule of thumb is to scoop the boxes every day and do a complete change once a week. Once a month, empty the boxes entirely and wash them out with soap and water (no amonia or bleach, it's too strong). I'm sure you know this already, but since your wife is pregnant, you or someone else should take over litterbox duty. Although rare, it is possible for toxoplasmosis to be present in cat feces. At the very least, if your wife scoops or cleans a litterbox, she should IMMEDIATELY wash her hands. (Also be careful of raw meats since they can have toxo as well.) ABE-HICKS - Advice like that is why our shelters are bursting at the seams. Animals are living creatures, not toys that should be abandoned the second they become an inconvenience.

Answer 5

I know that siamese are very moody. My daughter has them and her male will go outside the pan if it has anything in it, he is terrible and if he is mad, she works a lot at times and isn't with them a lot all the time. He is older and knows better, he just does it. Then I know that little cats usually learn from the older ones or even on their own. You may need to put the little kitten in a room when you are busy and not able to keep an eye on it. Put a small pan in the room where you put the kitten. It isn't going to learn from the older one if it's not doing what it's supposed to do.
About the older one, I don't know what to tell you. Just scoop it every time you can to keep it very clean and have patience. It is really hard, especially with a small child. A lot of cats aren't child friendly, the instinct tells them that a small child is very likely to hurt them. If they have never been around a child you may have to reconsider at least the older cat. Sorry. Siamese is a breed that is even more sensitive and demanding than most breeds. Good luck.

Answer 6

It sounds like they may be afraid to go where the litter box is because of your 4 year old. They are also in a strange environment which is scary to a cat. I have brought in several cats and I always started them out in a spare bedroom, set up with litter box, scratching post, toys, food and water. Small kittens need a small area at first, so they can find everything. When they have calmed down, then you can gradually move the llitter box.

Answer 7

You need 1 box per cat minimum. Try using 3, maybe in different places. Use Nature's Miracle (or similar enzyme based cleaner) to clean up odors.

Try the big cat boxes with the domes/lids. Try putting up a folding screen in a corner. They may want privacy.

Answer 8

The kitten may just need for you to continue to "show" him/her where the potty is.As far as your older cat no longer using the litter box, maybe she.he does not like to share his box with other cats.About the cats not coming to you yet, remember, cats are "fair weather friends" and may take some time to warm up to you, don't get discouraged, and DO NOT TRY TO PICK THEM UP THINKING THEY WILL GET USED TO YOU, all that will do is reinforce their will to "stay away".Try treats, and put them close to you, and eventually they will come closer when they trust you.

Answer 9

wow! I just got two kittens and one of them had exactly the same problem. She's go to the bathroon in all the household plants but not the litterbox, which is right next to her food. She would eat but not use the litterbox. We ended up buying finer litter and she has liked it alot more!
(plus the litter clumps when she uses it either way so its better for us too :) ) hope this helps