What would you do with my kitten problem?

[margaritasbythesea]

We've just got two litter mates from a friend whose mother was killed when they were about 6 weeks old. They've been with us since. The boy cat is very healthy, eats a lot, uses the litter tray etc

We've had them between our living room and kitchen as they are joined together, which I know is a lot of space but it was fine at first. They both used the litter tray in the kitchen. There were a few accidents. The little girl had a tummy upset when she arrived but we took her to the vet and he said it was probably the shock and gave her a probiotic. She got better very quickly.

They've been eating mainly dry food with a bit of wet.

The girl cat has started positively avoiding the litter tray so we thought perhaps the space was too much and decided to keep them just in the kitchen and at the same time she got another tummy upset so we stopped the wet food. She us eating and drinking but is smaller than her brother.

She us now positively avoiding the litter tray. This will be the fourth day of diarrhoea. She's hiding in corners to do it and I think she's weed in the middle of the floor in the night. She's lively and playing.

I have two questions : should I take her to the vet about the diarrhoea? And how can I coax her back to her litter tray?

Thank you!

You may need to temporarily have several litter trays around the room. She might just not have time to get to the tray if she has an upset tummy. Or the smell once she has used the tray might put her off using it again. Clean where she’s been with an enzyme spray (from the pet shop) or a solution of bio washing powder to make sure you get rid of the smell, otherwise she will go again in the same place. Has she been wormed?

A second litter tray?

Poor wee thing. I’d take her back to the vet of her stomach is still bad.

My friend had the same problem, the vet said you should have a feast as many litter trays as cats

Also opposite sexes don't always like to go in the same tray and the other cars can actively be putting the opposite sex off going , even though you won't notice any tray guarding etc ( she has 3 his one not and the boy stooped using them at about 1 year old)

I've been helping her hand rear some kittens form 10 days old, we now have one of the got a, he came to us at 6 weeks old and we had to retrain him to use one so after he ate we put him in the tray and scratched his paws around, it it took 24 hours for him to get the hang of it again

We also had to put his tray in a different room to his food, it's under the stairs where it's quite. He seems to prefer it there

And id go back to the vets for another check up

I second trying to have a second litter tray, preferably in one of the corners she used before. When she gets bigger and better you can try slowly moving it to a more preferable location. Cats can be particular about their litter tray.

Poor thing, keep going to the vet if she stays so poorly. She doesn't have an easy start in life woth mum being gone and moving so young.

A second litter tray?

This. You need at least one litter tray per cat. Also do not keep the litter tray in the same room you feed them.

We do have two litter trays but I will get another and move it further away from away from the others.

I've got the enzyme spray but it seems to make no difference. She's just going pretty randomly in corners.

I'll take her to the vet tomorrow (it's a drop in and I won't get there now until it is closing).

Thanks for your advice. I'm worried about her but eating, drinking an playing is good, isn't it?

Yes, it’s a very good sign that she’s active and happy but small kittens are at risk of deteriorating quickly, if they get dehydrated, for example so do take her to the vet.

At one stage I had seven litter trays for a cat with a peeing in corners issue, which I then gradually reduced back to two, at this point you can’t have too many. You can get cheap ones in B&M and places like that.

Ok. I'll take her tomorrow.

She really likes the new tray in a more private place and I am trying to keep her brother away from it. She gone in at least five times today and I've given her a little treat each time I have seen it. She's still lively and eating and drinking but also still loose.

And try some different litter too - we have a cat that goes a bit odd if he has tummy issues and gets scared of the litter box.

If we clean it, move it and different litter and he seems to accept it again

Yes, mine didn't like the wood pellets

Is there cereal in her food? Mine had the most awful tummy till I realised he couldn’t digest the cereal.

He was active throughout albeit miserable.

It does. I've been keeping her on the same as the owner of the mother cat had her on. She has had two periods of time without an upset tummy though, so I wonder. It might be better for them both in the long term anyway. Could you recommend a cereal free one?

No accidents overnight but the boy cat has been using 'her' tray. She went in it too after though, so maybe it's more the position.

As said, get an extra litter tray. It might be something in the food doesn't suit her. Not sure which, but I noticed if I gave one of my boys something with vegetable protein in it, he had a loose tummy. Cereals might be another one to try eliminating. Felix wet (not AGAIL as it has veg protein and cereals) and Applaws and Trive suit him.

Applaws and Thrive dry that is.

Change the food slowly over a few days and se if things improve after a few days. If not, try something else

The guidelines I was given was that there should be the same number of litter boxes as the number of cats and an extra one. So for 1 cat 2 litter boxes, 2 cats 3 litter boxes etc. A lot of cats dont like sharing litter boxes

Pouches are mainly cereal free, try that and see if it dries up.

OK. I'm going to try the Applaws and four litter boxes over the weekend.

She seems quite keen to go right next to the litter tray but will use it if I pick her up and put her in it.

Also, she hadn't pooed today so i lifted her in and she went straight away.

Does this just sound like she's a bit anxious?

I'm thinking about changing the type of litter but I don't want to change too many things at once.

One of my kittens had a runny tummy after moving to me from the fosterer and after having first jabs.

On advice of the vet I fed them cooked chicken with a little bit of rice and some of the cooking liquid added. I just put the chicken thighs and rice in one pan to cook them.

The runny tummy cleared up really quickly. After that I continued adding some chicken/rice to wet food and increasing the proportion of wet food.

I tried lots of different litters and have settled on Oko Cats Best. It’s biodegradable and flushable andnlasts for ages.

Maybe keep putting the kitten in the tray after meals as that worked for you. I also take hold of their paws and scratch them in the litter as a refresher course.

I have some cold roast chicken in the fridge. Would that be OK, do you think?

I think maybe I've put her in the tray too much today. After I put her in this lunchtime zfter no poo this morning I was worried she was retaining because she was scared. Now I've done it a few times she scratches around obligingly and gets out. Perhaps I'm confusing her.

I mean she went at lunch today when I put her in and so I thought perhaps she needed more encouragement

Cold chickens great.