Help!! Very new, very young kitten won't litter train?

Question

Help! I found a stray kitten, about six weeks old. I've taken it into my home, taken it to the vet, and it seems pretty comfy it its new home. The only problem is, it won't go in the litterbox, only on my carpet. Even swatting its butt and putting it into the box doesn't seem to help. Does anyone out there have any suggestions??? I don't want to get rid of him, but I can't have an animal that won't be potty trained...

Answer 1

I had this same problem so I locked my kitten in the bathroom overnight with the litter box............. Putting some of the cats poop in the litter box would also be a good idea.... Try this it worked for me! Good luck.....

Answer 2

Most importantly, take him to the vet to make sure he's not sick. He could have some kind of urinary tract infection that's making the training harder. You should change the type of cat litter you are using. Your kitten may not like the smell or feel of what you're using now. Also, make sure the litter box is easy for the cat to get in and out of. Stop swatting his butt, physical punishment will only make matters worse. Keep a close watch on the kitty and as soon as he looks like he needs to go (sniffing and scratching the floor) or if he starts going on the carpet, immediately put him in the box and praise him. Clean the carpet where he's pottied thoroughly. Make sure the litter box isn't close to his food, but put it where you want it to be permanently so you don't have to move it again after he's trained. Be patient, with persistence it will happen!

Answer 3

It's probably just a matter of the kitten having bad habits from having been a stray, so lotty has probably well-covered it, but since I haven't seen it said yet:

If you took in a stray kitten, make sure it's been to the vet for a kitten checkup and the first round of shots. Again, it probably just hasn't learned better, but there's also always the chance of some kind of digestive disorder.

[edit] Okay, someone else said the exact same thing while I was posting.

Be careful with the "trap the cat with the box" method. Some cats will then associate the litter box with getting trapped and will after that avoid it like the plague to avoid getting trapped again.

Answer 4

It will take alot of time and patience if this kitten was a stray. As soon as it does it's business give a sharp one word command "NO" and then put it in the box. Take his 2 front paws and show him how to scratch in the litter. If he goes in the box which by the way should not be near his food & water, reward it. He is used to just going anywhere outside.

Answer 5

Most likely since your kitten is a stray they have only learned to go in the grass, dirt, or anything else that is in the outside environment. I have done this with numerous outside cats because my dad never wanted them doing their business in our hay and grain that we fed to our cows. I went and dug up a few spades full of dirt, sand, grass mixture and put it in the litter box. I would then confine them to one area like our bathroom. I would leave them confined for a few days with me constantly checking on them. After a few days I would add a bit of the kitty litter in the dirt, grass, sand mixture. And then every time I cleaned it out I added more litter till it was all litter and no dirt. It has always worked successfully for me. Training a outside cat or kitten to use the litter box is quit easy. Just make sure the area around the litter box is clean and free from litter otherwise you may have accidents outside of the box because the smell is on the floor.

Answer 6

You MUST NEVER punish your kitten as it wont help, they are still learning this is an answer i gave yesterday to a similar question...
I have found a website which contains plenty of helpful information on litter training your cat, as seen as alot of people are dubious about clicking links due to spammers I have copied and pasted the information for you here and provided the link at the bottom.
By the time most kittens leave their mother & come to live with their new family they have already been toilet trained, making life easy for the new carer(s). This is because mother cats train their kittens proper toileting habits. However, sometimes it will be necessary to train your new kitten or cat how to use the litter tray. This may be the result of the kitten being orphaned or taken away from it's mother too early.

What you will need:

Litter tray

Cat litter

Litter scoop

Which type of litter tray?

This depends on the cat. If you are training a young kitten then a smallish tray with low sides is best to start off with. If you are training an older cat then a larger tray will be necessary.

Some types of cat litter:

Clay

Clumping

Crystals

Recycled paper

It is not advised that you use clumping litter with kittens.

How to train:

Confine your kitten to a small area such as the laundry. Cats are fastidiously clean & by nature, bury their urine & faeces. So, if you provide your cat with a litter tray, and some fresh, clean cat litter and no other possible places to go to the toilet such as a pot plant, then the chances are your cat will take to the litter tray immediately.

After a meal or a sleep, pick up your kitten & place it in the litter tray. Take it's paw & gently scratch the cat litter with it.

If you see your kitten sniffing & beginning to dig in a corner, immediately pick him up & place him in the litter tray, again gently take the paw & scratch the litter with it. When the cat follows through & eliminates in the litter tray, give lots of praise.

Location, location, location:

Cats like privacy, so make sure you place the litter tray in a quiet & private spot. They also don't like toileting near their food bowls.

How many litter trays do I need?

The rule of thumb is one litter box per cat, plus one extra. So, if you have one cat, you will need two litter boxes, if you have two cats you will need three litter boxes etc. Some people get by with less litter boxes, but this is the general rule of thumb to go by.

How often should I clean the litter tray?

Cats are fastidiously clean animals, and it is of great importance to make sure their litter trays are scooped at least once a day & regularly changed. Failure to do so may result in your cat refusing to use the litter tray. Put yourself in your cat's shoes, would you like to use a filthy toilet?

Accidents:

Never punish a cat who has had an accident, this will not teach it to use the litter box, it will however teach it to fear you.

When cleaning up accidents, be careful which product you use. Anything with ammonia in it will encourage your cat to return to the spot. Enzymatic cleaners such as Bio-Zet (available in Australia) are safer to use. Pet shops & veterinarians will also be able to supply you with various products which not only clean up cat waste but also eliminate the smell too. If the smell isn't eliminated your cat will quite likely continue to return to the same spot.



I hope that this information was helpful and of use to you,
Good luck in training!
Lotty.

Source(s):
http://www.cat-world.com.au/litterboxtra...

21 hours ago - Report Abuse
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Asker's Rating:
all those answers were really good...
thank u...
this info was very helpful..

Answer 7

Cats get litterbox trained, don't worry. Wait until you suspect it is time to pee, then put it in the box and show him to dig with front paws. If he doesn't get the hint, when you see him peeing somewhere pick it up and put it in the litterbox while he is peeing, then praise it. If he still doesn't get it, take some of the pee and poo and put it in the litterbox, they tend to follow the smell. Oh, and better take the carpet outside and clean the floor well, because as I said tehy tend to follow the smell and pee where they peed before. He is a bit young, but he will learn.

Answer 8

i have a kitten and it will take time but if you want it done in a hurry put the litter box and food into an enclosed area with the kitten. make sure the kitten doesn't get out and keep it in there for a few hours and the kitten will learn to not go in other rooms and go in the room with the litter box

Answer 9

OK this has worked for my family in the past.Place some of the cats poo in the litter box and he will know the smell because animals kind of mark their personal spots and place the kitty in the litterbox several times .Take his paws and scratch around in the box.If this don't work I do not know what suggestion to give.It has always worked for our kittys.

Answer 10

maximum severely, take him to the vet to be sure he isn't ill. He could have some style of urinary tract an infection it is making the education greater stable. you may desire to alter one in all those cat muddle you're utilising. Your kitten will possibly no longer basically like the scent or experience of what you're utilising now. additionally, be sure the muddle container is basic for the cat to get out and in of. end swatting his butt, actual punishment will basically make concerns worse. save an intensive watch on the kitty and as quickly as he appears like he needs to circulate (sniffing and scratching the floor) or if he starts off occurring the carpet, right this moment placed him interior the container and compliment him. clean the carpet the place he's pottied thoroughly. be sure the muddle container isn't on the threshold of his food, yet placed it the place you prefer it to be completely so which you do no longer could desire to circulate it lower back after he's experienced. wait and see, with endurance it is going to ensue!