Expert: Jessica - 11/9/2009

Question
hi i have a male cat just 5 mts old, he uses the litter tray some of the time but a lot of the time he pees on the carpet. i keep the tray very clean and even put down 2 trays but he still does it. how can i get him to stop

Answer
Hi Collette.  He may not have developed very solid litter habits before he left mom.  Often the best idea with these young kitties is to limit them to a small room with food, litter, toys and a bed, until they are using the litter box 100% of the time.  I actually use a kitty play pen (a two-level cat cage) or a large dog crate.  Let them out for play time, of course, but keep them in the cage when you can't be there to watch them very closely.

You could also experiment with different litters and different styles of boxes to see if he prefers one over the other.  Most cats like unscented litters.  I find my cats more likely to use uncovered litter boxes to urinate and hooded litter boxes to defecate.

Finally, you may want to use a litter training supplement.  In the U.S., there is a litter called Cat Attract, formulated with herbal attractans by a veterinarian to ensure 100% litter box usage.  I sent an answer to another person in Ireland who found it difficult to find the product, but I did find a website that ships internationally.  The litter itself would be prohibitively expensive to ship, but there is an additive with all the same herbs, that you put in your own litter.  Because the product works by scent, you must use an unscented clumping litter.  Here's a link to the product:

http://www.cattyvet.com/catalog/item/5126678/7306167.htm

If he responds well to the product, you may not need to confine him to a crate.

It would probably be a good idea to have him checked out by a vet to rule out urinary tract infections before assuming this is all behavioral, however.  Kittens are less likely to suffer from them than adults, but it does happen.

I hope all goes well!

Jessica