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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Kitten peeing and pooing in the corners of rooms

36 replies

Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 17:51

We have had a new kitten for a week and he’s been using the litter tray fine

The past 2 days we have come home to wees and poos in the corners of the lounge on the carpet and the doormat and not using the (fresh) litter tray.

He’s had vet check and all is healthy so I can only assume he’s doing it to protest already.

How can we help him use the litter tray?

We have a young child so if he’s going to keep peeing on the carpet DH doesn’t want to risk child getting ill

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 07/09/2019 18:42

Which litter are you using?.

viccat · 07/09/2019 18:51

Cats don't do anything as a "protest".

He is doing it because he's not happy for some reason, either with the litter tray or something else.

How old is he?
How many litter trays do you have and where are they in relation to where he is peeing and pooing?
Are there any other pets?

Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:00

No other pets.

We were using the wooden decomposable litter pellets.

He was poking and heinating at front door and the litter tray is in the conservatory.

It only happens when we are out.

DH has swapped the litter to a white type and bought a larger tray.

I’ve ordered a Feliway diffuser as it might be desperation anxiety.

He’s just successfully used new litter whilst DH was watching

OP posts:
Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:01

I take that back, Just half an hour after that the cat has just urinated again all over the doormat and when picked up to move to litter tray then sprayed all over the carpet.

We were with him so can’t be separation anxiety doing it that time

OP posts:
chickenyhead · 07/09/2019 20:03

It is something about the litter tray.

Try moving it somewhere darker, then

Try changing the litter

Finally, try a different tray

My cats have all despised covered trays. Who ever you got your cat from should have told you the litter they used

Hamsterian · 07/09/2019 20:04

How old is the kitten?

And what does this mean:
“We have a young child so if he’s going to keep peeing on the carpet DH doesn’t want to risk child getting ill”

It sounds like you’re already planning to rehome him under the guise of your husband.

Frangipane · 07/09/2019 20:04

Make sure the litter tray is nowhere near where he eats.

Clean the areas where he poos or pees thoroughly otherwise the smell will tempt him back to repeating the behaviour in the same place. You can buy horrid smelling stuff to clean carpets and also deter repeat performances if you need to.

Other than that, I am not sure what will work.

Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:06

He says in the kitchen

He’s only 9 weeks old

OP posts:
Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:06

Says = eats

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 07/09/2019 20:07

Are there other cats in the neighbourhood? He is marking territory and/or is fearful of something. What are you cleaning the pee up with as you need an enzyme based cleaner?

dementedpixie · 07/09/2019 20:08

What litter was he using? Changes should be made gradually. How far away from the conservatory are the places he is doing the toilet? You maybe need more trays

Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:09

It’s an enzyme cleaner.

It hasn’t even had a chance to dry out from earlier.

We were only out for 2 hours and he had wee’d twice in that time and now again so it’s looking pretty soaked.

He’s indoors only.

No other cats

OP posts:
Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:10

He was using the wood pellets but changed it for finer white sandy type stuff as assumed he didn’t like it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:10

The litter tray isn’t far away from where he is now going. But there isn’t room for the litter tray where he is choosing to go as the door wouldn’t open

We have an open litter tray

OP posts:
chickenyhead · 07/09/2019 20:11

Move the tray to that area

Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:12

It’s the front doorway. The front door wouldn’t open. We literally step into it when we open the door coming home

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 07/09/2019 20:14

What sort of mat is it? Maybe remove it for now

chickenyhead · 07/09/2019 20:15

But whilst you are in. Gradually move it away, so he gets used to it. Just what worked for me x

Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:16

It’s a choir doormat inset into the carpet

OP posts:
SpoonBlender · 07/09/2019 20:22

Sanitiser spray on all the marked places - once it smells of pee, he'll keep going back to it. Put a plastic crate over each corner to block him from using it.

Add another litter tray. You should have at least one per kitten, we went for three - one in each downstairs room. Away from food/water, away from sunbeams.

With two+ trays you can trial different litters if you like. We never had any trouble with clumping clay stuff with the blue crystals in (tesco top end/catsan/etc), worked for all our kittens.

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/09/2019 20:27

I knew it’d be wood, swapping the litter to a non clumping kitten litter might help. Kittens can’t have clumping litters in case they eat it and it swells up in their stomachs which can kill them.

Buy a big deep tray tomorrow, put an inch thick layer of litter and see if that solves it, you’ll need three trays for two kittens.

My cat won’t use crystal litter or wood pellets.

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/09/2019 20:29

Sorry, thought you had two kittens. Two trays will suffice.

Original poster
Woodlandwitch · 07/09/2019 20:48

This is the cleaning spray we bought. Maybe it’s the wrong type

Kitten peeing and pooing in the corners of rooms
Kitten peeing and pooing in the corners of rooms
OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 07/09/2019 20:54

I think that’s the pet version of febreze.

Pets at home sell simple solution. Think it’s £8.50 a litre. It’s brilliant though.

dementedpixie · 07/09/2019 21:06

That's not enzyme based. Maybe confine him to 1 room while you are out