My 10 week year old kitten keeps weeing behind the tv!

[Tara1984]

Hi,

I have a kitten that is 10 weeks old and he keeps weeing behind the tv. When I got him a few weeks ago he wasnt going in the litter tray and i dont know why. After a few days he started to go in the litter tray but the last few days he has dine a wee behind the tv. Today he did a poo behind the tv and its causing a problem and I'm getting rather annoyed about it.

He cries a lot ever since I got him and I thought something was wrong. Does anyone have any ideas of why he is going behind the tv. Please help!

[Lyn from Australia]

Hi Tara, if your kitty is 10 weeks old now and you have had him for a "few weeks", it is likely he was too young to be taken away from his mother and perhaps she did not have time to teach him the ropes in regards to using litter. If you are not scooping the waste out of his tray often enough he may be going elsewhere because he likes clean trays. He may prefer to have two trays - one for wees and one for poos. He may not like the litter you've chosen (in my experience cats prefer something soft and fine as opposed to great coarse bits/pellets which might hurt their feet). You just have to keep trying until you come up with something he likes, have at least two bowls and scoop regularly.

Above all, remember he's just a baby and he's not doing this to annoy you - he can't tell you how he feels so you have to interpret the messages he's sending you.

I'd love to see some pictures of your little lad. What's his name?

Keep in touch.

[Tara1984]

Hi Lyn,

Thanks for replying back to me. I have had him for 2 weeks. Its the first time he has done a poo behind the tv. I dont get why he didnt do a poo in the litter tray today. I always make sure that his litter tray is clean. I have got annoyed and angry with him but i guess thats kittens for you. Someone said to me that to take him back where I got him from if he is too much. I dont know what to do.

He was 8 weeks when he left his mum, I dont think thats too young. I got told he is litter trained? His name is Jasper

[Walesgang]

Hi Tara

Eight weeks old is quite young to have left his mum.

When I got my gang (I adopted a mum with her three kittens), I had similar problems with one of the kittens, Anna.

I eventually worked out that

1. She was super clean. She would not use a tray with a hint of pee or poo in

2. She did not like the litter - I switched from wood pellets to a clay based product

3. She liked a separate tray for pees from poos

Please don't get mad at him or give up on him. He really is only a baby

[Kay]

Tara, I think if you find yourself getting angry with a kitten for inappropriate toileting habits, when it has only been going on a short while, it may be that kitten-owning is not for you

you don't say anything about being really fond of him, and if you're not, then it would be kinder to find another home for him - anger and stress around him will only make things worse

it isn't your fault - we can't all be mad catwomen (though most of us on here are)

[Tara1984]

Hi,

Its not a case of just getting angry for him going behind the tv, he has been naughty all week! Of course I'm fond of him! You dont know what he is like though and you are saying I'm a bad mother. The next thing you will be saying to me is that I am not fit to have kids.

He knows where the litter tray is. I have had a kitten before and he was 7 weeks and he was going in the litter tray fine. I have thought about maybe getting rid of him but thats not something I want to do and I didnt get a kitten to get rid of him. I dont want my flat to stink ok. He cant be the only kitten to mess behind the tv? I dont see how its my fault. I am a big cat lover, hence why I got him. I think looking after kittens are hard work sometimes. I'm worried as to why he doesnt always go in his tray but I definitely dont want to get rid of him.

[Mollysmummy]

I don't think Kay for a minute was suggesting you're a bad mum. I totally get that kittens are naughty, we have a 10 week old too who we got at 9 weeks and we have to constantly watch him as he has a bit of a cable chewing problem!

How about getting a 2nd litter tray to put behind the tv temporarily? If he uses it you know the location of the original tray was no good for him. Or try a different textured/scented litter? We've been really lucky our kitten hasn't had any accidents (so far!), but we also have a 1 1/2 year old cat who won't touch fish or poultry cat food! Red meat only! And will not touch water. We've bought about 6 different bowls in different locations and even a fountain but she's just not interested.

I'm sure there will be a fairly simple answer to your kittens toilet problems, keep us updated!

[Mollysmummy]

Also there's a thread recently that's about a 3 month old kitten weeing one someone's bed, there's some good advice on there might be worth a look.

[Tara1984]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies. Its the way you said that maybe owning a kitten isnt for me and I thought no dont say that lol! I think last week he was naughty all week and when he did a poo behind the tv the other day I was having a bad day and had a banging headache and it all got to me! Do you know if any other kittens have wet and messed behind the tv? I noticed the next day he did a poo in his litter tray which is something. I got him when he was 8 weeks old and ever since I got him he cries a lot and meows a lot especially if I am not in the same room.

Maybe he is a very clean kitty and if he smells urine in his tray then maybe he thinks I wont go in there. When I got some repel spray from the pet shop the other day the guy said that if you clean the tray straight away then that might be a reason why he isnt going in the tray. I dont understand that and I disagree as I thought that kittens and cats wont go in their tray if its dirty.

[Mollysmummy]

Maybe he's not a solo kitty and is lonely...get another!!

Molly did a wee on our bed, 2 wees on a sofa cushion and a poo in the spare bedroom when we first got her. I think it's the easiest way for them to mark territory, and if his mum didn't teach him well enough about litter ettiquette then he might be a bit confused! We clean poo up immediately because, well, it stinks! But we leave Kevin to do 2-3 wees before changing and he seems fine with that.

Kittens are definitely a handful, but keep going he will get the idea!

[Walesgang]

Hi Tara

As I said, I had similar problems with Anna.

She pood on the sofa, on the living room floor and behind the door in the bedroom.

Once we realised that the problem was her super need for cleanliness and different litter she was fine.

Henry (Anna's brother) used to sometimes simply get too excited and forget to get to the tray in time. We learned to recognise this and pick him up in time

I am sure you will be able to work out what makes your boy have his accidents and continue to build your loving relationship with your baby

[Janey]

If it wasn't behind the TV I would suggest putting the litter tray there and gradually moving it to the appropriate place. Although cats are clean animals and like their trays clean, kittens may not have been taught properly from their mum and the kitten can be confused, also stressed in a new home. I can also understand the chap that said about the tray being too clean. I remember some good advice from a lady who ran a rescue and her response to someone who had recently adopted a kitten and doing the same as yours was to put the poo back into the tray and pop the kitten in so that he will understand that's where he should go, otherwise he doesn't think he has done wrong. It's worth a try, toileting problems can usually be easily solved when the cats are young, sometimes more difficult as the cats get older. I recently fostered a cat, an older cat who was toileting behind my TV more often than not and we tried everything to solve this, it was solved once the cat was rehomed and allowed out. I am not suggesting that's the issue with your kitten of course, it isn't, this cat was 4 years old and had been rescued from a multi-cat household and bad situation etc, but I do understand the frustation and best of luck, I am sure you will sort it.

[Tara1984]

Hi cat lovers,

Thanks for the replies and lovely comments. Well the last 2 days he has done a poo in the litter tray but today he hasnt done a poo yet. I dont think I would like it if he was pooing on the sofa lol and he hasnt done that, yet lol!! I dont like to leave the poo in the tray for too long as it smells and I like to get it in the bin more or less straight away.

I know with my previous kitten he did wee behind the tv a few times and he messed on my bed a few times, I wasnt happy about that lol. I just hope it gets better and he does improve. I am very fond of him and I wouldnt want to get rid of him.

[Mollysmummy]

Argh I spoke too soon Kevin pee'd on our beanbag this afternoon. Put him straight into his litter tray. I think he just got himself over excited!

[lilynmitz]

I do know what you mean about thinking you'll never cope with a hyper kitten and thinking about rehoming. I got Mo at 6 months (he'd been in a rescue all his life at that time) and he just went bonkers when I brought him home - he was into absolutely everything! I really did despair at times, and even got a new home lined up for him, but when it came to it I couldn't let him go. Good job too, as he became the love of my life, and some of my very happiest memories are of him. To be honest, Mo never really calmed down at all, the was a complete joyful handful the whole time I had him, and I just adored him for it. Sadly I lost him to cancer age 7, but he was the best thing in my life, and I've never met another cat like him.

Hang on in there, they do calm down (a bit, at least!), but you're not a bad person for despairing. They can be hard work, but it's well worth persevering.

[Mollysmummy]

Haha my husband isn't happy, Kevin has been a nightmare all day, I've just got home from work and he's fallen asleep on my lap!

[kala1]

You could try putting egg boxes behind your tv as he won't be able to balance properly to be able to go to the loo there. If you don't have a litter tray with a lid, one may help by giving him a bit of privacy especially as he may be beginning to associate going to the loo with being told off. If you don't want to invest in a tray with a lid, a cardboard box with the tray inside will suffice as a temporary way of seeing if this will help. Every time you see him going to the rear of the tv, take him to his litter tray till he gets the message. Also, have you cleaned behind the tv with a substance that will break down and remove pet odours rather than normal household products - Fresh Wave IAQ is fantastic.
Good luck with your little one.