Litter Recommendations

[lishanicole]

Hi, I'm new here :).
My husband and I brought our 10 week old kitten Gambit home this weekend and we're having some litter training issues. At this point we think he just doesn't like the litter. We've tried clumping, non-clumping, scented and unscented, but he doesn't seem to like any of them. Does any one have any recommendations for litter for a finicky kitten?

TIA

[ScantyNebula]

I've heard of some people using wood chips =/ I don't know much about this subject .. I'm just writing to welcome you! and ask you to post a picture of your cutie pie if you can! ;)

[Desert Arabian]

Hmmm...that is awfully odd! Maybe you could try wood pellets, wood shavings, or corn cob.

Clumping litter should not be used for kittens, because they idgest it, and it can clump inside of them, it could kill them or cause serious medical injuries.

[Uabassoon]

Maybe some sand would work? It doesn't work as well as regular litter, but he may like it.

[emily_the_spoiled]

If you go to your local PetSmart (or even Target) there are different brands that use pine wood pellets (and the smell isn't over powering), wheat pellets and even re-cycled newspaper.

Sometimes it is just a matter of trying different kinds until you find one that works for you (and the kitten :D ).

Good luck

[moosmom]

I use Feline Pine (pine pellets). You only need to line the box with an inch of it. It absorbs the urine and odor. Once it turns to complete sawdust, you dump the whole box. You'll need to remove the solid waste everyday.

Since the kitten is young, try putting him in a small room with just his box, food and water for 24-48 hours. He'll get the idea. That's what I had to do for Mollie Rose (9 years ago) and it worked!!

Good luck!!

[K & L]

http://cats.about.com/cs/kittencare/ht/kittenlitterbox.htm

http://www.care-for-my-cat.com/html/litter_box_care.html

[lishanicole]

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. Gambit has been confined to the bathroom since last night and so far he still shows no interest in the litter box. We'll try pine pellets next, and we're also trying to find out from his foster home and the vet's office where he previously resided what litter he used there. Once again thanks for all of your support. I'll try to get pictures of him posted in the next couple of days.

[jenluckenbach]

are the sides of the litter box too high for him?

Is there some way to find out what he had been using prior to your getting him?

He might not prefer the location of the box.

Good luck with the little one.

[K & L]

Originally posted by lishanicole
Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. Gambit has been confined to the bathroom since last night and so far he still shows no interest in the litter box. We'll try pine pellets next, and we're also trying to find out from his foster home and the vet's office where he previously resided what litter he used there. Once again thanks for all of your support. I'll try to get pictures of him posted in the next couple of days.

Is he going to the bathroom at all? If not, you might want to get him checked by the vet!

[lishanicole]

Originally posted by K & L
Is he going to the bathroom at all? If not, you might want to get him checked by the vet!

He does go. The last time was this morning on the bathroom floor, which seems to be the only place he will go. The box was put in the place where his first couple of accidents were and the floor has been scrubbed several times with an enzyme cleanser since then. The sides of the box are pretty low and he is able to climb/jump onto things much higher than that. We're going to try to find out from the vet that housed him before we got him what he was using there. We're still more apt to believe that it is the litter because of his reaction on jumping out of the box when we put him in. It's as if he can't stand the feeling of the litter and he always washes his paws immediately after contact.

[Lorraine]

Welcome to PT!! You are going to LOVE it here!
The advice,support,and love is wonderful here!!:)
Sounds like the little one just doesn't like the litter. Some kitties are extra picky about these sort of things.
The only brands my Sammy cares for is either Arm & Hammer Crystal blend or Scoop Away. The consistency of both of these is real fine,soft, and sandy. Very comfy on his particular paws I guess. I have tried other brands, andSammy would literally play in the box. I'm talking you would have thought he was playing at the beach! He'd roll around in it like a chinchilla, then toss it around, throw it in the air, all while purring! He was a little litter maniac, he'd make such a mess!
I'm sure you'll have better luck if you find out what type of litter he was used to before. The kitten may just have been through to many changes, like the move to his new home, and this litter changing business may be too much for him to handle!;)

good luck! can't wait for pics!

[lishanicole]

So we just got off the phone with Gambit's foster parents, apparently he was never litter trained. The vet's office he came from only used newspaper, and he was only with his foster parents for a few hours before we adopted him. So we'll spend the next few days transitioning him from newspaper to litter.

[jenluckenbach]

In this case, just put shredded paper in the box, then add a little bit of your chosen litter to the bottom....SLOWLY....a little bit at a time. Make sure it is unscented and non-clumping (until he gets older.) Good luck, it is a shame he was not taught at a younger age, but cats are clean and he should learn quickly. Oh, and try to keep him in the small area until he knows where to go.

[NoahsMommy]

Welcome to Pet Talk! :)

I'm sure that over time, Gambit will learn. Jen suggested a great idea...that sounds like it'll work.

[lishanicole]

Thanks for the suggestion. We tried putting shredded newspaper in his box, and while he didn't run from it, he still preferred the floor. So we've opted to cover the floor in paper and slowly draw him towards the box. Hopefully this will work.

[rg_girlca]

Hi lishanicole, I just wanted to welcome you to Pet Talk as all the suggestions you were given are good ones, especially from Jen.
Hope to hear more from you and to see a pic of your little one.

[lishanicole]

Thanks for the welcome. Everyone's suggestions have been so helpful. Last night we had a breakthrough! He went in his box on newspaper.

I should hopefully have pictures later today.