I just recently adopted a stray kitten/cat. I don't know her age. I am trying with no luck to litter box train her and she just simply refuses to even acknowledge the box. I have put it in a non busy area, placed plenty of litter in the box, sat her in the box, given her love as she sits in the box, scratched with my hands and her paws at the litter, and I have placed her in her box repeatedly throughout the day. Still nothing. What am I doing wrong?
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Introductions
Hi I am new here and need some HELP. PLEASE!!!
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Hi Tammy, welcome to TDK! I don't have any specific advice for you, but keep bumpong this thread up, many TDKers will be heading home from work so won't see this for a bit - but you should have some good answers later on!
Posted 3 years ago by MadcatwomanintheUK #
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When we brought Sam in from outdoors, he had the same problem. We figured out that he was used to "going" in earth and had no idea what cat litter was. So I got a small bag of potting soil (it's clean and sterilized) from a garden supply shop and mixed it with the litter. A lot at first and then, as he got used to the box, gradually decreasing the potting soil as the litter was changed until we were only using litter. As your cat was a stray, this might be why she refuses the box. Hope it helps.
Posted 3 years ago by GizzysAuntie #
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How are you today GizzysAuntie??
Posted 3 years ago by HuddysMama #
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Tammy Joe, How old do you think the kitten is? And where is she going, if she's not using the box? And have you taken her to the vet for her first visit yet? Knowing the answers to those questions will help us help you.
Posted 3 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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Along with what everyone else has mentioned, please be sure the litter box is nowhere near the kitty's food & water. Also, please be sure to use an unscented litter; the fragrance added to some litters bothers some cats.
I really like the suggestion GrizzysAuntie made, regarding starting out with dirt, and adding litter gradually. I bet that will help a lot.
Take a black light around your house one evening, to find any spots your kitty's already peed on. Use an enzyme cleaner (like Petzyme) to thoroughly saturate & clean the spot.
Until you're sure the kitty is using the litter, you may need to confine her to one room, with litterbox in one corner, food & water in the opposite corner.
And be sure to take her by a vet. If she's not peeing at all, that's a serious problem! If she's peeing in inappropriate places, the cause could still be an illness; no way to tell for sure until you get her to the vet.
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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WELCOME
Posted 3 years ago by neelaANDcharlie #
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Thanks for asking, HM. Sam is doing OK for now. He seems more chipper and is able to eat more solid food. He insisted on a tour of the courtyard this morning. His vet techs showed me how to do sub-q fluids which will cut down on the stress from frequent trips in "the bad box" to the Land of Steel Tables (vet's office).
Posted 3 years ago by GizzysAuntie #
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Thanks to all for the advice, I will try to potting soil and see if that will work. I will also get Precious to the vet for a check up. She seems to be healthy for the most part, but whose to say she doesn't have something that is causing these problems. I know I will have to get all of her shots and I do want to get her declawed and spayed ASAP. Unlike most of the stray cats that I have fallen in love with, she is tender, gentle, and most of all very loving. She has her personality that is for sure. The funny thing with her is that she doesn't meow either, she will mouth the meow but no sound comes out. I now consider her as a member of the family, that was almost instantly. She chose us, she came to our door, and she has stayed ever since.
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tammy joe, please don't get her declawed- if she were to get loose she could not defend herself - if you want to do this to protect furniture, talk to your vet about an alternative - there are a few and they would be better than declawing her.
Posted 3 years ago by KarenCentennial #
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Sounds like good advice all around.
You might want to rethink the declawing thing, and what it actually does to your kitten, and if she ever escapes from the house, she will be totally defenseless.
Welcome to TDK!Posted 3 years ago by artistabobbi TX 1/17 #
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Welcome Tammy Joe...Glad you're taking Precious to the vet..but before declawing her please consider an alternative..
http://www.softpaws.com/
Declawing your kitty can lead to many problems, not to mention if your kitty ever gets loose outside, she would be totally defensless!! -
I have recently came across a video that was brought to my attention by a teenage girl who legally changed her name to cutoutdissection.com. I read the article in full, checked out her website, and watched the video she has posted on her website. I am now a an advocate in the banning of animal dissections in schools. The inhumane treatment of the animals that are being used for such dissections is let's just say, sickening. All should watch the video and try to ban together to stop animal dissections period in all schools. These poor animals are being treated so savagely that the humans that are doing these things should be prosecuted for their crimes. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME OUT AND CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ON dissection.com, AND THEN SPREAD THE WORD. This is not right by God or any God. My children will not be permitted to perform any dissections now or in the future. This is how the video touched me, and now I cry for the dissections that I have had to do when I was in school. Let's get rid of the companies that are making millions each year by torturing and killing these poor animals. And for what just so some school kid can get and A in biology. There are computer simmulated programs that are just as affective as the real dissection, and no animal should be harmed if there is such alternatives as the computer program. LET'S HELP OUR FURRY FRIENDS.......
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I never thought of the declawing could hurt a cat, and I will seek the alternatives before taking that measure. Precious doesn't hurt the furniture, I don't think I would care if she did. I will get her a scratching post and I won't have her declawed. I just had issues as a kid with cat scratch fever, almost died from it, and was raised up to believe that all inside cats should be declawed. I don't want to hurt her in anyway. So declawing is out of the question now. THANK YOU ALL. I am liking this website I am appreciative to all who are helping me out. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN.
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My cat almost looks like your cat in the picture with just a few little differences. I just realized that!!! And about the webiste, if you have a weak stomache be careful. I cried and wanted to vomit while watching it. Be careful. Yeah I love the little girl, and she means alot, even my boyfriend likes her. My kids treat her like one of us. She is still shy of them, but she is warming up quite nicely.
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Tks Tammy Joe for considering an alternative to declaw! I have a TALL scratcing post...essential for my guys to stretch on as they rip it to shreds, and I also have that double-sided sticky tape on the couches...I swear, it works amazingly with my guys...I just got new couches the end of June, and they haven't touched them once ( and these guys literally shredded the arms of my old sectionnal) There's also those little nail caps you can put on their claws, and of course, keeping their nails trimmed helps a bunch!
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Anytime I had to train a kit or cat to use a box,I simply took a "sample of their own" & put it into the litter box so they would smell their own...uh..poop...for lack of a better word. And you might try closing the little bundle into a bathroom or similar space so they are basically forced to use it when need be. I only had to do it a few times & it worked the first time every time.
But,unlike myself,If you can afford a vet check for your furbaby,that is always a good thing. Best of Luck Tammy Joe
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good for you, tammy joe! I have seen that video of the dissections - i agree with the use of virtual dissections - when i was in school i refused to do the dissections even though i got a lower grade!
Posted 3 years ago by KarenCentennial #
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Tammy Joe....PLEASE...I BEG OF YOU...Don't get your baby declawed!!! It is the worst thing a human parent could do to their furrbaby. It renders them without protection,should they get out by accident. They have no way to climb a tree,or anything else if they should be attacked by a dog,coyote or anything else.
I know from experience. I have an indoor-only feral now,Winnie,who was permanantly damaged from her previous owners (who-ever they were) by having her claws removed.
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Tammy Joe, first of all congratulations for taking in a kitty who needed a home. There is a lot more information on how to teach a cat to scratch only where you want at:
Thank you again for taking in your kitty!
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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If you start her young with nail trimming, she should be okay with it. I always give mine a treat after clipping their nails and they have learned to hold still and let us finish fast so they can chow down.
Posted 3 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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Feral never fear I have changed my mind on the declawing. she likes to run around outside and the neighbor just recently got a big dog, and that dog will eat anything in site. i thought i saw a dead kitty near it's doghouse. so the claws stay on. that big dog will have a fight on it's hands with my Precious. I will keep the claws on her and teach her how to hold still for a treat afterwards.
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And if there is any possibility of having her indoors permanently, please do consider it. It is safer and healthier for Precious -- cats don't understand savage dogs, coyotes, fleas, stop signs, or mean people who would torment an animal for their own sick delight.
There are dangers and killers out there in all forms for small animals, and keeping them inside assures a longer, happier, and healthier life than otherwise. Precious can be trained to a litter box and scratching post, and you can "grow" your own small friend. I hope you will consider this, if at all possible. My two little brats are inside all the time, and they are very contented and healthy.
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Another suggestion. If you can bear it, keep the kitten in a small room, i.e. a small bathroom, with her litterbox. When presented with no attractive places other than the box, she should use it.
The little darlings are fast learners, so, in conjunction with the other ideas posted here, she should be out and about soon.
P.S. I'd let her out for playtime, eating, etc., and spend time with her while she's in solitary.
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