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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Kitten not going to litter box
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Question
Hi Tabbi :) I bought some days a persian dollface 1 month and 1 week old. The litter sand I bought is the scented one. She pees and poops in other locations outside the box. I will buy another kind of litter sand, but apart from that....I want to know if this is normal in newborn cats...that they take days or even some weeks to learn to go the litter box? thanks
Xavier,
Little kittens do not go far to use the litterbox. You may want to put more than one around. Everything is new and scary to her now and she is confused, plus she may not know what it is for. What is she used to?
If you have a large cage, I would put her in it again, with NO blanket, or anything soft so that she will be forced to use the litterbox.
Some cats prefer privacy and don't like to use a litterbox that is out in the open. Try a larger litterbox with deeper litter. Sometimes that will help. Or try using children's play sand that you can get at Home Depot, or other building supply store.
You may want to try putting puppy pee-pads (the ones used for puppy potty training or the human kind they put under older people in their beds when they are incontinent)down next to the litterbox. Maybe she will go on those.
Since I cannot put all the information in this reply, I am including some links to good articles about improper elimination. They will have good information that you should find helpful in dealing with the kitten's behavior.
(copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar)
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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Answers by Expert:
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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