New kitten owner

[Newcatmum]

Today I brought home a lovely little 10 week old kitten. I'm a first time cat owner so have been researching for about 6 months before getting her.

She's settled in well I feel, eating happily, exploring the house, sleeping but she has no interest in her litter tray. I assume she is used to a different brand of litter and it will be tomorrow now before I can go out and get some other stuff.

Can anyone guide me and give me some tips on how to get her to use it? I've obviously looked online but thought I'd be better posting here and getting some advice. Thanks

[minkies11]

Or it could be the tail of something - it went in the bin pretty quick!

[Newcatmum]

Thanks for checking in minkies

She has 3 toilet areas at the moment only one is a litter box . I've managed to block one of the corners off but it's not possible for the other. She happily toddled in and pooed in her litter box this morning though while I was ironing . Had to get a bigger box as she was peeing over the edge of the other one. It's a hooded box but I've left the lid off just now.

Fossilised slow worm please please tell me you're not in the UK

[minkies11]

Hope your little monster is getting the hang of the potty now :)
Must agree re: housework. Although I've just found a fossilised slow worm under the sofa ffs. God.

[Newcatmum]

Can't be any more disgusting than children I'm sure

I now make sure no dishes are left in the sink or drying rack before I go to bed. She's sort of helped me with the housework in a way

[minkies11]

In the early days one of mine managed to poo in the sink and knock the toilet roll into the litter tray you have so much to look forward to as she gets bigger and more bold. You'll love it!

[Newcatmum]

Yes I changed from wood pellets to clumping litter. She's a messy wee thing, throws her litter everywhere. My house has never been so clean though as I'm constantly sweeping and hoovering

[minkies11]

Never get bored of proud catmum updates! Did you end up changing from the wood pellets? One drawback is they are nasty to stand on in bare feet - still use them but my cats are a bit gung-ho with their toilet habits and throw them on the floor. Which I then stumble over.

[Newcatmum]

I've only had her less than a week and can already see she's getting bigger. I think I'm going to struggle with this as much as I did with my youngest daughter getting bigger (cried for about a week in the run up to her 1st birthday). I think we will introduce a play mate at some point before the Summer.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Kittens change so quickly, it's important to capture it all. The school will send you a photo of the kids once a year.

[dementedpixie]

Oh god I've got millions more photos of the cats than the kids!

[Newcatmum]

I just kept placing her in tray demented and when I found I poo I would put it in the tray and she would bury it. I guess it was new surroundings and I feel I could have prevented it if I'd stuck to her usual litter.

Fluffy I've took more photos of her than the kids this past week

[Fluffycloudland77]

How many photos of her do you have now?

[dementedpixie]

Glad to hear it. What worked in the end? Or was it just strange new surroundings that confused her?

[Newcatmum]

I now have a litter trained kitty . Sorry I know no one is interested but I feel like a proud mum of a potty trained toddler and have to announce it. I think my mum is getting bored of all my cat updates. Thank you to everyone who gave me advice it has helped a lot!

[Fluffycloudland77]

She’s very young and might not understand yet.

[chickhonhoneybabe]

Cats are just litte people in fur coats 🐱 🧥 😉 they’re all very different. Plus us humans are mere servants! 😂

[Newcatmum]

Shes actually having one of those moments just now! So thanks for the tip will give that a go.

I do put the poo in the tray but she throws it back out

I'm not too worried about the water thing anymore I've saw her drink it a couple of times so it must be like you say and she drinks it when I can't see.

I stupidly bought whiskas food for her thinking as it's one of the leading brands I was buying the best. It wasn't until over the weekend I read how it's not good.

I'm feeling a bit annoyed with myself I thought I had read up on everything I need to know but it turns out there's a lot more to this than I expected. I honestly thought it would be straightforward I've been a bit naive. I don't regret it at all though she's part of the family already and I'm sure we will get there eventually with a bit of trial and error!

[chickhonhoneybabe]

When my cats were kittens and they needed a 💩 they would have a mad 1/2 hour running around (all of my cats have done this) so if she does this, once she’s stopped running around I’d keep picking her up and putting her in the litter tray.

Also if you find she’s done a 💩 on the floor, put it in the litter tray and put her in it too.

Re the water thing they tend to drink when you’re not watching so try not to worry, also one of my cats will not touch any form of dry food so I go for a complete wet food that is over 50% meat (well fish in her case as she won’t entertain meat unless it’s fresh chicken, ham or fresh 🍤).

Thrive is a good brand but expensive, I’ve managed to get her on to Sainsbury’s but that is pricey too at £6.50. She actually costs me a bloody fortune compared to the other cat who will eat biscuits and brand cat food... but I luvvvvs her! 🥰 she’s a spoilt princess!

[Newcatmum]

As soon as I got the new litter she was in the tray digging around. She's in it just now digging whereas with the woodchip litter she wouldn't go near it so I think she does prefer this. Should I move her current tray behind the TV unit or leave it where it is and get an additional one to go there?

[dementedpixie]

Could you put another tray near the tv unit? Does she go on the new litter?

[Newcatmum]

I'm back again

Still not using her litter box. Have pulled the TV unit out and found 2 lots of poo in there. So that's 3 altogether since I got her home I'm sure there's probably more hidden away elsewhere. Can not find any wet patches which is worrying I have no idea where she's doing a pee. She's done one pee in her tray. She ended up in my bedroom last night so am going to have to search there. Nothing on the bed thankfully. I can't smell urine at all anywhere and my mum couldn't when she came in. But would a small kitten's have much of an odour yet? Feeling a bit defeated

[Newcatmum]

I put the poo in and since then she's been digging around in the tray so left her too it and when I went back through there was possible pee. She's took all the poo out and put it in the floor.

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

Yes put the poo in the tray, I think you'll have to watch her like a hawk for signs she is about to go and quickly stick her in the tray!!

[sashh]

She is trying to get you to drop the dry food, don't give in.

I have the oddest animal ever, she won't drink water from a bowl (unless it is outside and three week old rainwater) she insists on a glass!

[Newcatmum]

Oops