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About Dear Tabbi
Expertise
My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too.
Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again.
Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.
Experience
Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).
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* One of the top 50 Experts Of 2008 *
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You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Cats > Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral) > Kitten-litter box
Expert: Dear Tabbi - 11/3/2009
Question
We adopted a kitten two weeks ago that was born to a feral mother. The Humane Society thinks she is about 4 months old. She is very sweet and purrs all the time and loves people. When we first brought her home, we placed her in a bedroom with a litter box and her food and water. She was very good at using the litter box and we have had no accidents in the bedroom. However, now that she feels comfortable venturing out, she has decided to go behind the TV to poop. We still find poop in her litter box so she uses it as well. We clean the litter box in the morning and at night. We use Step-Fresh scoopable litter. Should I simply put another litter box behind the TV for now or is there something else I can/should do? I would prefer not having a litter box in the livingroom if I can help it.
Answer
Lori,
Kittens don't go too far to use the litterbox. It may be an inconvenience, but it may be a good idea to use another litterbox for now. You also may want to use a night light where her regular litter box is located if the cat is having her 'accidents' at night.
It could be too where her litterbox is located. If it is out in the open, or where there is a lot of 'traffic' then she may prefer someone more private, like behind the TV. I would try relocating it and see if she uses it then.
Since I cannot put all the information in this reply about possiblities for her behavior, I am including some links to good articles about improper elimination. They will further information that you should find helpful in dealing with the kitten's improper pooping.
(copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar)
http://www.catsinternational.org/articles/housesoiling/unabridged_litterbox_1.ht...
http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm
http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html
http://www.apbc.org.uk/article10.htm
Tabbi
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