9 Week Old Kitten Urinating Inappropriately

[JackSpratt]

Just a thought - not sure how many kittens there are - but could you add a third tray for the monsters anywhere? Some don't like sharing....or doing "number ones and number twos" in the same trays.

[Lauryn]

Thanks, I'll definitely give that a go. It'll make a lovely feature to the centre of my sitting room! 

[sheilarose]

I have found even my most "inappropriate pee" problem cats can't resist newspaper.

Tear a whole newspaper into wide strips but leave it on the staples so it holds together, and pop it in a clean litter tray placed over the spot he prefers to toilet.  Pop him in it so he can sniff about when he's not desperate.

If he doesn't use it to pee in,  I'll eat my hat (that'll be the second one tonight).

(PS pinch the papers out of your neighbours recycling bins  - they'll think you're crazy but in my case they're right) 

[Lauryn]

Oh, of course. That makes sense! Well, it's likely I used that one since it's what I normally have, but for some reason I bought non-bio when I did a Sainsbury's order online. Since it's mostly at night I find it, who knows what I picked up in my bleary eyed state? 

[JackSpratt]

Biological doesn't have anything that is ammonia based in it so will make the cat less likely to "re-mark" the area. 

[Lauryn]

Thanks guys.

I've actually just got back from the vet because Dave was having her stitches out from her spaying last week. Vet seems to think that he's a candidate for early castration so we're going to see about that in a few weeks. She advised me to try spreading his scent naturally at first and then try Feliway if it doesn't work. Apparently it works at any time.

As for the washing - I seem to be using a combination of bio and non-bio gel at the moment, bought both by accident. Which is best in this case? I'm just about to put yet another load on. *sigh*.

[lornab]

Hi Lauren,
Moses went through a spell of doing this at about the same age, so maybe its a little boy thing!, first he did it on the carpet in the corner of the room, and he kept using the same spot, he was still using the tray most of the time, and always for number 2's
I scrubbed the carpet and replaced the underlay as it had soaked through, then put a piece of furniture in the corner so he couldn't get to his preferred spot, (cats do like corners, so try to make them inaccessible), however he then started using the cat bed, I took it away to wash it each time and in the end I removed it altogether, he now has a radiator bed in the cellar - this might be your answer, the radiator bed I mean as I would imagine it would be very difficult to pee in!
You do need to sort this before his siblings start thinking its a good idea as well, so if he persists then it might be worth a trip to the vets to rule out an infection.
Lorna x

[JackSpratt]

Potentially then, he's mixing scents. I'm not entirely sure what age Feliway is effective from but it sounds a lot like insecurity issues, bless him.

Do you wash the beds with biological wash powder when he does it?

[Lauryn]

Thanks for the reply. We're using Cat's Best at the moment, I have some Catsan somewhere, but I don't like it. I should have made clear in my first post that he is using the litter tray, I'm pretty sure he urinates there, too - this is just sort of a hobby. 

I have two litter trays downstairs and one upstairs for their parents since they refuse to go outside any more.

[JackSpratt]

Some cats like different substrates to toilet in. How many trays have you got between how many kittens? Remember, dominance can arise from an early age so if he feels a little unsure about his place he may be finding a different loo to use!

[Lauryn]

Hi all,

I hope someone can clear up a query for me about one of my kittens. They are 9 weeks old now, still with their mother and nursing. They've seen a vet a couple of times when they've gone in with their mother and are all healthy and an appropriate weight.

I was very glad when they seemed to take to the litter tray well and have managed to keep accidents to a minimum. However, in the last few days one of the toms insists on peeing in the most inconvenient places. First, he took to doing it on my bedding. After a few rounds of this, I excluded them from the upper level of the house. Now he just does it on all of his beds. I keep washing them as it happens and trying them in different spots, but it's not stopping.

A quick google seems to suggest he might be stressed, but this seems to be referring to kittens who have already been separated from their mother. If this is the case does Feliway work at this age? Is there anything else that might be causing this?

He's not the most dominant of the group by any means, but certainly not shy with me or others.

I don't want to be re-homing uncouth kittens come September!