Looking after neighbour's kitten and cat, but kitten keeps toileting everywhere

[RaveToTheGrave1]

Absolutely mortified, I've been looking after my neighbours very young kitten and a few years old cat for a week.
2 days ago the kitten pooped EVERYWHERE
The floor, the lady's bed (I have stripped the duvet and put it in her washing machine) the living room floor, it was on the curtain, the bed headboard, even the wall next to the bed.
And this morning she has pooped on the sofa!
I did clean everything as well as I could

I feel so guilty, I fed them how she said, I didn't know if I should leave something to say sorry, I did everything right I thought, I wasn't sure if this was some sort of dirty protest, I have no idea if kittens do that or get dodgy bellies if they're lonely? I do think she was quite young to leave alone, the litter box has been changed as well so it's not like its gross!

Have I been a terrible neighbour? I have 4 cats of my own but older ones as I find kittens a lot 😂 I'm so worried she's going to be mad or think I'm horrible! I did send her a message and she was just worried about the kitten

She should be saying sorry to you! Not the other way around. How old is the kitten? How long has she been left for? Do the cat and kitten know each other well? The kitten sounds stressed and lonely.

My husband said the same but I just feel awful it's happened whilst I've been in charge of her 😭 she's very small just going into the gangly leg sort of stage, I wouldn't have left her for a week myself, the older kitty hisses as the kitten jumps on her a lot and isn't allowed outside currently, I think that's making it worse to be honest. I don't think they have had her long at all

The kitten sounds stressed and not well bonded with the older cat? I also do remember from my own that one started weeing everywhere inside all of a sudden and this was before he was neutered, and then when he was neutered he stopped. But I think pooping is different and more a stress thing?

Your neighbour is an idiot and a bad cat owner (unless she has had to go away unexpectedly due to an emergency)

That’s quite weird for a kitten. When we rescued ours, all i did was out her in the litter tray once and she was done and always went there. Why is she free in the whole house? Lock her in one room with the litter tray.

I'm sure it's a stress thing, I feel awful but I literally can't hang out in someone else's house all day, we've been going round 3 times a day

Put her not out her

I wasn't sure if she had a belly ache or something, but I haven't changed her food or schedule or anything, we live in bungalows so not a lot of exploration room, I have since shut the lady's bedroom door as I didn't want to be cleaning that up again

My husband said much the same why on earth get a kitten then go away for a week, kitten seems to be way too young and I think she was fairly new as we didn't know they'd gotten her til they asked a week before going away

Sounds like you have been doing everything you can. You might be able to try spraying some Feliway or something to see if that helps, but the owner should pay, you could ask them if they want to try it?
Unless the poop is really loose it's probably not an illness, and even then they usually still head for the litter box.

The first time it was like soneone had wazzed chocolate sauce everywhere, full on stood there in shock whilst my son legged it back out again! I've tried to watch her eating as I think she is taking the big cats food too and that's not helped

Can you take the kitten to yours and confine it to one room with a litter tray?

To add: small kittens shouldn’t be left for more than 4 hours, one room confinement reduces stress if it’s a new environment and any intro to the older cat should be done gradually. So this set up and then leaving them as your neighbour has done is a recipe for disaster.

@RaveToTheGrave1 we saw this when feeding friends cat- it was either stress (or if the older one a dirty protest to being left). We did not know which cat it was, middle of the bed though!
We washed the duvet

No, I always have my doors and windows open and have 4 cats myself, one has a heart defect and gets crazy stressed if things are different 🙃

Genuinely glad I'm not the only one! I don't know what to say when she's back, I just so badly don't want it to be a terrible reflection on me!

Please don’t feel guilty about any of this - your neighbour has been an awful cat owner - those poor cats 😩

Have you messaged your neighbour? I don't have experience of kittens but might it need to go to the vet? Your neighbour should definitely be apologising to you!!!

The kitten is trying to assert itself in the place that smells most of the owner - who has abandoned it. Poor thing. Introducing a small cat to a big cat is a delicate thing. Cats are fundamentally solitary and there is no guarantee they will get on.