HELP!!!!!!...MAJOR CAT PROBELM!!!!!! how do u teach a kitten to use the litter box!!!!!!!!!?

Question

My cat had a kitten about 5 or 6 months ago. She didn't teach him how to use the litter box , and my house smells bad because he pees and well ***** by my front door, BY the litter box, and right outside the bathroom where the litter box is at!!!!!!!! HOW DO U TEACH A KITTEN TO USE THE LITTER BOX WITH OUT GIVEING IT AWAY??? pLEASE hELP!!!!!!

Answer 1

Litter Box Training

Litter box training doesn’t have to be a grueling chore. In fact, it can be relatively easy and very successful if you devote the appropriate time and patience.

Choosing the Right Box and Litter
Start your kitten off right with an appropriate litter box. A plastic box is usually the most practical and easy to clean. Make sure the sides are low enough that your kitten can easily climb in and out.

Since some kittens dislike scented litter, it is best to start with unscented clay or clumping litter. Most kittens will automatically use kitty litter rather than eliminating (going to the bathroom) on other surfaces, except possibly for the soil of a potted plant. Keep plants out of your kitten’s reach or cover the soil with rocks or pine cones.

The box should be placed in a relatively quiet area of your home where your kitten can have some privacy. Place the box away from household items that make startling noises, such as the washing machine, radiator, furnace or refrigerator, and use a baby gate with a kitty door to keep the box away from children and/or dogs. Make sure that it is easily accessible, especially from your kitten’s sleeping area. If you have other cats in your home, you should provide a separate litter box for each cat.

Let the Training Begin
At first, you must closely supervise your kitten to help direct him to use the litter box at the appropriate time. Keep the box within your kitten’s sight to ensure that he uses it every time. When he stops playing and begins to sniff around, gently pick him up and place him in the box. Lightly praise him for sniffing and scratching in the box and give him loads of praise and/or a small treat when he eliminates in the box. Keep the box clean so he will want to return to use it.

When you cannot directly supervise your kitten, confine him to a cat-proofed room with his litter box. Follow these steps for at least two weeks or until your kitten regularly uses the litter box on his own.

To help you cat feel comfortable around the litter box, try to prevent anything unpleasant from happening while he is near or in the box. You should never give your cat medicine or scold him while he is near the box.

Correcting Mistakes
It doesn’t take long for mistakes to develop into bad habits, so make sure to identify and correct mistakes right away.

Common causes of house soiling include:

The litter box is not cleaned frequently enough
Your kitten was frightened in or near his litter box
The litter box was moved from a quiet to a noisy area
A change in the kind of litter
Scented litter additives or odor from cleansers/deodorants
Medical problems

Never punish your kitten for eliminating outside of his litter box. Punishing him will only make the problem worse and may cause your kitten to fear you, especially if you smack him or rub his nose in the mess. Rather, address the above conditions and, if necessary, return to the basic training steps.

Most cats will not soil the area where their food and water are placed so you may try moving your cat’s food and/or water bowl to an area where he has previously soiled as a deterrent. You can also decrease the appeal of a previously soiled area by placing a sheet of plastic carpet runner, double-sided tape, an aversive odor (deodorized soap, perfume) or a motion detector alarm in the area.

If your kitten continues to eliminate outside of his litter box, take him to your veterinarian for a complete physical examination and possibly laboratory tests to ensure that he has no medical problems. Medical problems that may be irritating and cause your cat to avoid the litter box include bladder disease, diarrhea and constipation.

Spraying
As your kitten matures, he or she may begin to spray (urinate on vertical surfaces such as walls or furniture). Cats are very territorial and they mark their territory as a warning to others. Neutering (male and female cats) should eliminate most spraying behavior, but some neutered cats do spray. Ask your veterinarian for advice if your cat continues to spray after neutering.

Controlling Litter Box Odor
A covered litter box can help control the odor in your home as well as be helpful for kitties with poor aim. You can train a reluctant cat to use a covered litter box by placing a large cardboard box over his litter box. Gradually decrease the size of the box until it is the same size as the box cover and then make the switch.

Once It Works, Stick With It!
Most importantly, remember that cats are creatures of habit. Once you find the kind of litter, type of box and location in your home that you kitty likes, try to stick with it! If you want to make a change, place the new box and new litter in a new location, but make sure to leave the old box and old litter in the old location until your cat is using the new box. Or, try altering one of the above elements at a time for a few weeks until the change is complete.

Answer 2

I have a cat that won't pee in the litter box either unless I do certain things. I have three cats, one thing for sure, cats are usually fickle and sensitive. Pay attention to a few things. If it won't use the litter box for both urine and poop then it probably wants a clean litter box and most likely wants it's own most cats won't use another cats litter box. If it will use it for poop or pee and not both then it's probably because it doesn't like something else. Some times the location of the litter box is important. I used to keep it in the garage until I noticed that my cats would go to the garage if the dryer or washer was running. (the room you must enter to get to the garage). I also noticed that my cat didn't like to be around the other cats so I provided the litter box where she could be alone. They fight over who gets to eat and so I provided two separate water and food bowls. Make sure your cat litter is great for mutiple cats, I like Pet Gold from Petco, it's amazing how it covers the odor, I also use the heavy disposable litter boxes that are made out of paper, they are more breathable to reduce odor for the cats, they have a stronger smelling sense.(Petco or petsmart have them.) I use them for a week and then dump them, it's easier than cloroxing every week to rid the odor.
If I were you, I would purchase these things, and then put the litter box where I intend for it to stay, then I would put the cat in the room and prevent it from being able to leave the room, litter at one end and food and water at the other side. Remove all rugs or soft items for it to pee or poop on instead, and keep him there for atleast a day.
This allows you to tell him this is were he needs to go potty. Only let him out if he does actually use the litter box. If he doesn't do some more problem solving. I can't have a rug around where the litter boxes are, they'll use that instead.
I also have a larger home so I have one litter box at either end. And last but not least I purchased the plug in pheramone that reduces cat stress, because I know that my cat was stressed with the other cats in the home. And now I don't have a problem with the urinating. I learned from my vet that the plug in item versus the spray item works best in regard to the pheramone. Good luck! There is nothing more disgusting and frustrating than a cat that urinates and poops outside of it's litter box. The Smell!!!! Oh, and clean out the box every day, remember, they're fickle and sensitive. Seems like a lot, but really once you make the purchases, all you have to do is clean out the bowl every day and once a week replace.
Take care.

Answer 3

ok did you do everything correctly?? was mom and kitten kept in a small room together with the litter box so she could teach him?? (they start learning at 3-4 weeks of age - so if you didnt keep the box in the same room how could she teach him?)

and the kitten should have been kept in that room until at least 8 weeks of age.. allowing him full run of the house too early is going to create problems

are you following the rule of thumb that you need one litter box per cat? and ideally one more someplace else in the house?

is the litter box in a good place (not next to scary laundry machine?)

what kind of litter?? cats prefer non-scented clumping... (some will NOT use scented)..

neutering him might help some.. but if you have done EVERYTHING above he could have a mental or physical problem.... (eg some breeds have problems with litter such as Manx and Persians)...

keep him in small room with litter box for another 2 weeks and keep the box very clean...

DO NOT GIVE AWAY a kitten that isnt litter trained - this is not fair to a new owner.. who may kick or who knows what to him....DO NOT even give him to a farm... farms often do not provide good care.. (I know I live on a farm and any farm who needs kittens is doing something bad to the cats they have.. most farms NEVER need more kittens)

best thing therefore is to euthanize him...

Answer 4

Try putting some flat trays like the lids to storage containers with kitty litter on them next to the litter boxes there may be a issue with height of the litter boxes and also the cat may not like using the same litter box as the other cat. Natures Miracle can help get rid of the odors start treating those areas now.

Answer 5

Say the kitten use the bathroom on the floor (#2)...
You pick up the poo and put it in the litter box and then put the kitten in the litter box with the poo.
Then after that just basically take him to the litter box every hour or so. Ooor if he/she keep using the restroom on the floor, keep putting the #2 in the litter box. It'll get the idea after a couple days.

Answer 6

The sides may be too high, or the litter may be too perfumed, so it's not being recognised as 'the place' to do the business.

Get a scent free litter, and before and after the cat eats set him in the box and use your fingers or the scoop to scrape at the litter there as a reminder.

And keep newspaper under the box, at least it'll catch stuff that doesn't make it inside.

Answer 7

Ok. First, most mom cats teach their babies how to use a litter box by example. I do rescue work and have fostered many moms and kittens. Obviously something went wrong here.

Do you have three litter boxes...one for each cat plus one? Also, what kind of litter do you use? Clay litter that is unperfumed is best. Is the kitten (and mom) neutered (altered meaning that neither can either have kittens or get another cat pregnant)?

Please check out this wonderful organization online...Cats International. I have included the link for them. Betsey is a great behaviorist and can offer a lot of advice about caring for cats as well as litterbox issues.

All the best to you. Good luck.

Answer 8

You will have to train him to use his box as he's not learnt. Make sure the box is clean with fresh litter as cats can be fussy about going if there's mess in there. You could try him on the fullers earth type litter or the pellet type to see if theres one type he prefers to use better. Place him in the litter tray after he's eaten as this is the most likely time to need to go, if he doesn't start digging then move his paw to give him a hint. Also when he crouches and looks like he's about to go, take him to his box. After he's been to the toilet in his box, give him lots of love and fuss. This may take a few attempts but persevere.He's old enough to be neutered now which should help. He might be scent marking the entrances to your home to keep other cats away from his domain. If he's doing this he will wee standing up instead of crouching. Its important to clean the wee up properly as if they smell it, they will go there again (you can get special stuff from pet shops). You can also try feeding him where he pees as they won't wee and eat in the same place. Your vet may have more tips!

Answer 9

well all u have to do is take the kitten to the litter box and place her in it and take her paws and scratch the litter several times and that will teach him how to use the litter box do it severl times so he knows where his litter box is and if he goes out side the box that means clean my litter box or ill send u a message but going else where clean my kitten has done that a few time so has my older cat tiger is 11 years old and baby girl is 2 hope this helps and god bless

Answer 10

When kitty poos take it and put it in the litter box, then take kitty to the litter box and show him with his own paws how to cover it up, do this several times, he will get it.

Answer 11

Most of my cats have always found the box themselves. What I can recommend is when the kitten starts showing signs of deficating, pick him up and drop him in the cat box. He may like the idea of hiding his pooey shame and pick it up. It may take a few tries. Good luck.