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F3 Boy - Now 16 weeks! Heeeeeelp

John T.

Savannah Child
Hi All,

So my F3 boy has now his first 5 weeks in our house. He is playful, loving, a lot more confident than ever before, etc. We are starting to see some problems however so I need your help.

- Peeing (and sometimes pooping): He was litter trained when we got him and initially he was pretty much 99% of the time using it. He's been able to roam throughout the house all the time...
He had the odd accident, but it didn't seem to be an issue. Peeing and Nr.2 in the litter box.

For the past week or just over the litter box has become more of an exception. He tends to pee just about anywhere but in the litter box, but nr.2 he tends to use the box for.

I have anti cat pee substances, which I have been using successfully, but I don't know how to get him reoriented to the box...

What should I do, how should I retrain him? I also have a citykitty toilet training kit - has anyone got any experience of using that?

- Next issue: he's a lot quieter and he makes all kinds of noises - very cute. He's sooo energetic though....He jumps on everything, runs around the bed while you sleep - he's just absolutely mental....Any way to take some of that energy out?

Any other tips for a 16 week F3 boy? Some do's and don'ts?

Thanks!
 

John Popp

Site Supporter
How old is he? Any other cats? How many litter boxes?

Depending on just how young he is, with just 5 weeks in your home he could just be getting confused or excited and not being able to hold his bladder until making his way back to the litter box. As he's learning his way through your home, it's important that he has a couple options for places to relieve himself. As he gets older and his bladder a little larger you can start removing them.

If it is actually some sort of litter box aversion it's important to scoop them 2 to 3 times a day. Try some different litter, preferably an unscented one and what works for a lot of people, myself included is Dr Elsey's Cat Attract. Use larger litter boxes, clear 30 gallon Sterilite Storage Containers work well with a large amount of litter which suspends the urine balls. If you are using smaller litter boxes and have the urine balls stuck to the sides or bottom, use a 20-1 Water Bleach solution to wipe off the effected area.

Make sure you use a good enzyme cleaner to clean up any of the effected areas outside the litter box. Anti Icky Poo works great and don't bother with the stuff you find at the Pet store.

There is a ton of other stuff, but that's the basic starting point and I'm sure there are a lot of other people who will chime in with suggestions.
 

WitchyWoman

Admin
Staff member
Sounds like a trip to the vet for a UTI check may be in order. To add to John's advice, you should have at least 2 litter boxes if he is the only cat and they should be located in different areas of the house, preferably where the cat gets some privacy when using the box.
 

John T.

Savannah Child
How old is he? Any other cats? How many litter boxes?

Heya thanks for the tips:

He's 16 weeks old, no other cats in the house, its a 4 bedroom 1 storey house, where bedrooms etc are upstairs and kitchen / dining area is downstairs.

One issue - could it be that the litter tray is close to food and play area? Picture below shows positioning, size of litter box, etc.

photo.JPG

photo22.JPG
 

John T.

Savannah Child
Sounds like a trip to the vet for a UTI check may be in order.

Hi, thanks.... What's a UTI?

It does feel a little like a potential privacy issue (I don't want to rule anything out so please keep the suggestions coming) because he's not pissing in the middle of the room ;) but rather in corners, in hidden nooks and crannies, for example my garlic basket...
 

John Popp

Site Supporter
Nice job of reading the thread title and still asking the age. Sorry!

At just 16 weeks it's still young enough where they almost need one per room. If they have full run of your home, at least one per floor as well. If there was a quarantine room in place, it;s important when taking them out to place them in the litter boxes of the new rooms they have access to.

It might seem like a lot of effort now, but the consequences later can be huge. I definitely never want to deal with it again, and the amount of frustration was overwhelming. In time it will get easier, and as mentioned before, you can get rid of most of the extra smaller litter boxes as he ages.
 

John Popp

Site Supporter
Looking at your images, I think a privacy issue could be a concern. Also going in a garlic basket suggests a litter type aversion, possibly because it's scented. Definitely need a litter box per floor and that should get you in the ballpark for getting things resolved.

Definitely a handsome boy and needs some help getting headed down the right path to keep you both happy!
 

WitchyWoman

Admin
Staff member
UTI = urinary tract infection. But now that I've seen your setup, I really think it's a privacy issue. The box needs to be away from activity, definitely away from his food. Can you move it into a laundry room or bathroom?
 

Kristine

Moderator
Heya thanks for the tips:

He's 16 weeks old, no other cats in the house, its a 4 bedroom 1 storey house, where bedrooms etc are upstairs and kitchen / dining area is downstairs.

One issue - could it be that the litter tray is close to food and play area? Picture below shows positioning, size of litter box, etc.

View attachment 7143

View attachment 7142
He is still a wee baby in cat years. I agree with the suggestion of adding additional litter boxes. Also perhaps have one covered and another uncovered. Yes, check for a UTI. Yes, move his food away from the vicinity of the litter box. You might also want to get some Kitten Attract litter to get him back to using the box faithfully.
 

Brigitte Cowell

Moderator
Staff member
I was just about to say Kitten Attract litter but see Kristine covered it, as have others with the suggestions of more litterboxes and then different locations. He might want a more private box, in a laundry room or somewhere a little more private. And then yes, use a good enzyme cleaner to clean up to make sure he doesn't revisit those areas!
 
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