My new kitty pooped under my bedside table, shunned the litter box?

Question

The litter box is in the kitchen, but then in the morning he went and peed in the box, but about 20 minutes later the smell lead me underneath my bedside table, it was a huge poop! Why the heck did he do that? i thought cats were "naturally litter trained"?
Can I re-train him? What do I do?

It was his first night with us, he even slept in our bed.

Answer 1

right after feeding the cat, put him in the litter box. he should learn soon enough. Be glad he didn't pee on the carpet. What he did is much easier to clean up.

Answer 2

Cats are not "naturally" litter trained, they learn it from their mothers. If your kitty was taken from its mother too young, it may not have learned well. You can teach it by periodically taking it and placing it in the litter box (just like you periodically take a puppy outside). Praise it when it goes and help it cover the mess.

If this is an older cat that has been reliably using the box before, there are many reasons why it may have stopped using the box. In no particular order...

- is this a new kind of litter? Some cats will not use the box if the litter type is new to them. Find out what kind he's used to.

- did you clean the box promptly? You may want to wait a bit so that the smell will lead him back to the box.

- have there been cats in the house before? Could they have pooped where your cat went? Make sure you clean the area thoroughly with an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle to eliminate all odors, even those you can't smell

- was kitty accidentally trapped in your room and unable to get to the box? Do you have multiple floors in the house? If kitty is not familiar with your house yet, it may have not been able to find the box in time. It's a good idea to have a litter box on each floor. Also, you may want to confine kitty to a single room until it is using the box reliably. This will also help kitty if nerves an issue in unfamiliar surroundings.

If the behavior persists, please take the cat to the vet and have a thorough exam done. There are many medical reasons to cause inappropriate elimination.

Answer 3

It is very common for your new kitty to use the bathroom outside the litter box. He is probably aprehensive about his new environment and doesn't know you yet. Also, if he is a kitten that was taken away from his other brothers and sisters, he may be "homesick." Anytime that a cat is under a lot of stress, they will forget about the litter box. Don't worry. He is not doing it because he is angry or doesn't like you. This is just his way of dealing with his stress.

The best thing for you to do is to try and put his litterbox in a quiet place that is dark and away from noise and people - perhaps in a laundry room. This will show him that he has a private place to go to use the bathroom. Also, try to let him explore the house on his own and try not to disturb him too much. He needs time to get used to you. I promise, he will come to you in his own time when he is ready. I know you are anxious to play with your new kitty, but this is really the best for him right now.

I hope this helps! Good Luck with your new baby!

Answer 4

big space + small kitten = disaster

kittens are trained somewhat naturally, and somewhat by their moms.. (this is why "farm kittens" often have problems - usually no litter box on farms)

you cannot expect a tiny kitten to find his litter box in a big house...

it needs to be in a room where you can shut the door and keep him in for the first week or so - especially at night or when you are away... a playing kitten wont get enough warning that they can run around looking for the box...

sooooo (do you really want your litter box in the kitchen???) move the litter box to another room, basment even - but not next to scarey laundry machine or furnace...

also remember - better food = less poops...

Answer 5

Show kitty the box and rub his front paws in it. He will get the idea.

Answer 6

He is still little just train him