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Expert: - 4/27/2009


Question
Hi Norman,

I live in South Africa and I got a kitten from our local Animal Anti-Cruelty League. She is seven months old as far I can ascertain. I got her when she was about two months old. I have another male cat who is older. The kitten I got pooped all over the place. In the begining I thought it was because she was small. She still poops in my bedroon even though she sometimes uses the sand box. She goes outside all the time with the older cat. I don't understand what the problem is. She is well fed and looked after and my 14 year old son plays with them all the time.

Please help!

Thanks

Helen


Answer
Helen,

If she is not spayed, I would get that done.  I assume, also, you have had her checked out by a veterinarian for any possible medical problems.

It sounds to me as if she was never socialized or litter trained to begin with.  Also, did you use the same brand and type of litter they did in the shelter?  I suspect all the changes she went through have caused some of this behavior.

It is possible the older cat is keeping her out of the litter pan, so a second litter pan placed some distance away may solve the problem.

When we have this kind of problem, we try putting the kitten in a crate with litter pans everywhere but where she eats and drinks.  This usually works pretty quickly, since there is no other option but to go in the litter pan(s).

You also need to clean up her mistakes with an enzyme based cleaner specifically for pet stains and pet odors.  If you cannot find such a cleaner in pet supermarkets or farm stores, you can usually find it online.

Further suggestions can be found in a series of articles linked to by:

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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