Expert: Tina - 4/18/2007

Question
Hi there, We got our beautiful little ragdoll girl yesterday, she is 9 weeks old and she came to us toilet trained. However after bringing her home, I cannot get her to use the litter. I originally had crystals in there but I noticed at the breeders house they used just regular clumping. So I have swapped it for this now. She did a poo in her bed last night even though the litter was less than 2 feet from her bed. I am not sure how to go about "re-training" her. She also wont really eat. I bought the same food the breeder was feeding her but she isn't interested. Is this a feature of the breed that it takes them longer to settle in than a domestic cat? We have a domestic cat too (both kept separately and haven't met for now they also don't share food bowls or litter) and when we got her she settled in instantly. Thanks for any help or tips you can give. Jaime

Answer
Hi Jaime,

Congratulations on your new kitten! It's not unusual for a new kitten to need some adjustment. 9 weeks is very young, and this is the first time she's been away from her mother and siblings she feels confused and frightened. I recommend keeping a new cat or kitten confined to a small area when you first bring them home, kittens easily get "lost" and can't find the litterbox... so after you feed her or every hour or so, gently place her in the box and praise her if she uses it. If she poops outside the box, put a bit of the stool in the litter so the smell draws her near. Make sure the litterbox is cut away enough that she can easily get in and out - you may have to build steps using a phone book to help her.

Make sure everything she needs is in one room and keep her in there until she knows how to find it. Other than that, it will just take time!