kitten help

**oheoh's momma** · 09-21-2011, 04:21 PM

My kitten who is about 4 months old is having potty problems. If the litter box is dirty he will go poop on my oriental rug. Granted it is in rough shape because it is my dogs favorite place to sleep ( besides the couch or clothes basket) it sets in the hallway beside a heater vent for the dog. How can I get the cat to quit. It really is annoying.

**shoiji** · 09-21-2011, 05:00 PM

Make sure you clean the area on the rug where he goes to the bathroom with something like Nature's Miracle to get any scent removed. You might also want to roll up the rug and remove it from the room for a while.

Make sure the litter box is cleaned every day. Try cleaning it in the morning and the evening every day. The litterbox might also be what your cat considers to small or your cat might like an open litter box that is large. I use a large plastic box with a low profile and fill with litter when I go away for two days.

For now I would remove the rug and make sure to clean the litterbox twice a day. Your cat might be very picky about needing a clean litterbox.

**Squidge** · 09-21-2011, 05:28 PM

Cats can be very fussy about their litter trays. If the litter tray isn't cleaned out to their liking, they will be inclined to find somewhere more pleasing to do their business. I also think it's a good call to thoroughly clean the rug in case any lingering scent means the cat associates the area with being a substitute tray.

**MTS04** · 09-21-2011, 05:59 PM

Clean the rug thouroughly with an enzymatic cleaner. When you think it's clean, do it again, just to be sure.

You may want to try a second litter pan. The one you are using may be too small or not pleasing to your kitten. You might also want to try a different litter.

be sure to keep the pans clean. cats can be very finicky about pottying especially if the pan is not up to their standards.

**ncarr** · 09-24-2011, 10:39 AM

I would suggest having two trays as well so there is a back up if one is too dirty and you haven't had a chance to clean it. I also think morning and evening cleanings would help

**JerseyAngel** · 09-24-2011, 10:46 AM

My older cat is very picky with how clean the litter box is and will do it else where if its too messy. We don't scold him for it because it is him telling us "HEY CLEAN UP THIS MESS!". He has to go and he shouldn't have to do it in a location he isn't comfortable with.

As for the rug, I realized that though we were cleaning up the one mat he constantly felt the need to remind us to clean out the litter box, it still must have smelled like his pee/poo. I think he started to think it was okay for him to use that spot since it smelled like the right place. We got rid of the mat and he hasn't been using that spot since.

You might want to bring in your Oriental rug to get a really deep cleaning on it to remove ANY traces of waste. That might help kitty to stop thinking its okay to use that particular area. If you can't find a place who will properly clean the rug, I would say simply remove the rug for a few months--- perhaps you could find a replacer rug that would keep your dogs happy in the mean time.

**oheoh's momma** · 09-25-2011, 12:00 AM

Thank you to all we removed the rug I shampooed it with bleach solution it looks so bad because it is my dog's. I air dryed it then rolled it up and got 2nd litter box for down stairs and will see what happens clean 1x day may have to for 2x.

**elphaba** · 09-25-2011, 03:20 PM

Ditto what everyone said about cleaning the box frequently, cleaning the rug and using multiple litter boxes. If the problem persists you may have to "re-train" kitty to use the box. Put him in a small room (like a bathroom or unused guest room) with a clean litter box and keep him in there for 3 days. feed and water as usual but don't let him out. Keep the litter box clean!! Usually by the third day kitty knows where to go again!! It may sound harsh but it works!! Give him lotsa love and praise both during and after the re-train. Good luck!!

**Chevelle72** · 10-15-2011, 11:10 PM

Try different kinds of litter in each box too. See if he prefers/chooses one over the other.

**Trishagirl** · 10-16-2011, 09:02 PM

How many litter boxes do you have? They say to have 2 litter boxes if you have 1 cat. I only have 1 but we keep the litter box cleaned good cause it's in our bedroom and you can smell it if it's not clean. I clean it every 2 days. How often are you cleaning yours?

**oheoh's momma** · 10-16-2011, 11:10 PM

2 litter boxes 1x to 2x a day changing it every 3 days
took all rugs up and he quit and went back to boxes hates rugs

**Contrary Housewife** · 10-17-2011, 10:31 AM

He may not like the texture of the litter. A lot of litter is too coarse for kittens. Also, they only need enough to cover their business after. Too much in the pan may be making it uncomfortable if he is sinking into it.