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The litter tray

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New Kitten wee'd a couple of times outside litter box

7 replies

GeorgieTK · 24/11/2025 20:00

We got two new 6/7 month old kittens two and a half weeks ago from a rescue. Litter tray behaviour was good from the start and for one week no issues, then one of them did a wee in a new cat bed that I had bought. It was right next to the litter tray at the time and I hoped it was a one off, cleaned it with enzymatic cleaner and put the removable cushion in the wash. All good for a week then the same bed has just been wee'd in again. This bed doesn't seem to get used for sleeping, I'd bought it as an extra as they didn't share the larger bed I'd bought. One kitten uses the larger bed, the other doesn't. So as this bed doesn't get used I could just get rid of it if one of them seems to think using it as a toilet is a good idea- not sure if this will help or just transfer the issue elsewhere.
Oh and I've got 2 litter trays which I clean out daily which the rest of time they've both been using fine.
Any ideas what might be causing the issue and how to solve it? Maybe I just need to give them more time to settle as it's only been 2.5 weeks although they seem quite settled and happy in every other way. Maybe it's just one of those things and I need to keep the enzymatic cleaner handy!!
Thanks for any thoughts

OP posts:
HatStickBoots · 24/11/2025 22:18

Our rescued cat (5 years old) uses litter trays, but a few times he did a wee elsewhere. He got stressed by some extra visitors in the house a couple of times and on two occasions he did it on pillows that my son and daughter were using. Son doesn’t live with us and was visiting and daughter had just moved back. We thought he might have been trying to cover their unfamiliar smell with his own. It might be that your kitties got stressed or perhaps can’t quite control where they go yet?

pinneddownbytabbies · 24/11/2025 22:26

Are they litter mates or unrelated, and have they both been neutered?

GeorgieTK · 25/11/2025 09:07

Yes both neutered and they're bonded brothers

OP posts:
snoopythebeagle · 27/11/2025 07:23

You need three litter trays for two cats.

AltitudeCheck · 27/11/2025 08:01

Are the using both litter trays or mostly this one? Perhaps this is their 'favourite' and there was an occasion where it was occupied/ dirty that made one of them look for an alternative spot nearby.

Clean the bed and then put in somewhere out of sight for a few weeks to break the association with it. When you put it back into use move it to a completely different area. Cats won't usually sleep anywhere near where they toilet so are unlikely to sleep in a bed by the litter tray anyway.

GeorgieTK · 27/11/2025 11:46

They use both litter trays, seems quite random which they use. The bed was only next to the tray temporarily as it normally stays in a walkway at night (which is the only time they use the cat beds) so moved it during the day. I've discovered it may be puffy soft things he likes as I'd just put a basket of clean washing down which he climbed in and looked suspiciously like he was starting to squat! Not to self- don't leave baskets of washing lying around! Strange and not sure how to get him out of the habit so he knows it's not ok

OP posts:
iSage · 27/11/2025 12:15

Try a Feliway plug in - it relieves stress and helps new cats settle in.

I agree with the advice above to have 3 trays for two cats.

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