New kitten help!

[user1492621884]

Help!
9 week old kitten, any advice on how to litter train him!
Thanks!

I swear he knows what he's doing and just can't be arsed to go in the tray 😂

I'm literally spending my days watching a kitten get ready to go to the toilet 😂

Little cutie 💙

Really racking my brains to think what the issue might be.

Could it be that the location of the tray is insufficiently private? Cats don't like being watched 'on the toilet' because they're temporarily vulnerable. Would it be practical to move him and his tray to a completely different room?

You said you were using a kitten tray - worth trying a full-size one? I've always had full-sized ones and the cats I've had from kitten hood didn't have any problems getting on and off.

Cats don't like being watched 'on the toilet'

Wisk someone would tell my kittens that - they insist on using the tray when I'm cleaning it out.

One tray is in the bathroom one is in the dining room both quite private areas.

Both are kitten trays but one seems significantly bigger than the other really.

I just put him in the tray to smell his Poo ( there's a sentence I never thought I'd say 😂) and he jumped out and scratched the floor as if to cover it up 🤦🏽‍♀️

Grumpy I'd love my cat to use the tray while I'm cleaning it.......I'd just love to clean it to be honest cos NOTHING HAPPENS IN THE FLAMING THING 😂

It does sound as though he dislikes the litter itself. You could keep trying different types (could get expensive!).

We've had 3 lots already 🙄 I can't keep affording to be buying every type of litter.

He's ending up as expensive as a child 😒.

My husband was all like cats are cheap animals food litter and water few toys they are good to go......Louie did not get the memo clearly 😣

He's never gonna get this is he?!

I think he will, eventually. Are you planning to let him out when he's bigger?

Yeah hopefully. Just in the garden to start off with.

He's being neutered at 6 months so can go out after that I think.

He'll probably use your garden once he's out and about, but trying to think what you can do in the meantime.

Thinking about when he has successfully used the tray, is there anything those occasions have in common? E.g. you were out of the room, it was a particular time of day, there was a background noise or not; he'd just eaten or not?

The first couple days he went for a poo straight after breakfast. This morning it was in the bed already. Wee just happens whenever! He's scratching the puppy pad the litter tray is on.

I feel like I can smell cat wee all the time!

How often are you feeding him at the moment?

I didn't think you needed to train cats to do it. They usually don't get rehomed until they are doing it in the tray.
Was he part feral?

Im also racking my brains here. I do feel for you.

My suggestion for the day would be to feed him as normal and then literally spend the next few hours glued to him. Keep popping him in the tray. I don't think he needs two trays., he needs one that doesn't shift around and he's surely got to get it eventually?!

You're a better woman than I am as I'd be going nuts by now - not helpful I know. I've had lots of kittens and never encountered this issue. Yes they have issues from time to time.. my current 4 year old hopped up on my bed when she was 10 weeks old and did a big wee. I shrieked so much I'm surprised they didn't hear me in the next county!

Can you keep him off the sofa? As away from it as possible.

Cat wee does smell horrendous and it really gets in your nose too. Keep going and just write off today as a 'cat vigilance day''

Another thought .. is he definitely as old as you've been told?

Ah yes. Is he partly feral at all? Or from a home?

Branleuse Sometimes they struggle to make the transition to the new environment. I had to retrain one of my kittens - essentially by putting a tray in the place on the carpet she seemed to want to use, and then gradually moving the tray to a sensible place. This wouldn't work for OP, though, as her kitten is going next to the tray or in his bed.

And you say he's doing this in his bed? What is his bed by the way? I know you've probably said but I've missed it. Is it a proper cat type bed or a soft blanket etc? Something he retreats to to sleep in?

Screaming - going next to the tray could indicate a dislike of the litter I suppose but op says she's tried three types already. Is he reliably going next to the tray or just basically going wherever he happens to be

I don't know if OP has tried the wood chip litter yet - that has a completely different smell and texture, so her kitten might take to it better if he's decided he doesn't like clay litter.

Wood chip a good idea.

Also wondering (still racking brains) if the portions he's eating might be too big and are causing him to want to poo very urgently. Could you try splitting his meals into smaller servings more often? I'm scraping the barrel a bit with suggestions but really want to help. I've been there 'at the other end' with an elderly cat who became incontinent, and it's incredibly wearing and disheartening spending your days mopping up wee.

he might need to be a farm cat? :(

Wow thank you for all your replies! To answer a few questions......

Screaming - he's being fed 4 times a day mixed wet and dry food as that's what he was on at his home.

Bran - I'm pretty sure he's not feral, came from a nice home with mummy cat and other kittens.

Tansy - he hasn't weed in the sofa since day two, just on the carpet. We've scrubbed with bio liquid and an odour spray but he finds another place to do it. His bed is a donut bed all soft and fluffy. He doesn't sleep in it 🙄 just clearly uses it as his loo!

I'm going to try woodchip litter today.

He's currently asleep behind the sofa after being worn out playing for over an hour!