Help this dog lady with a cat problem

rak123

I volunteer with a dog rescue and know very little about cats. My aunt adopted a kitten from the shelter last night and is already saying she is returning it because it won't use the litter box. Do kittens typically come fully litter box trained? I'm guessing not? But I really have no experience with kitties. Any tips I can give her? I am really hoping to change her mind, but it may be too late. I hate the thought of the cat being returned  

KatiesCats

rak123:

I volunteer with a dog rescue and know very little about cats. My aunt adopted a kitten from the shelter last night and is already saying she is returning it because it won't use the litter box. Do kittens typically come fully litter box trained? I'm guessing not? But I really have no experience with kitties. Any tips I can give her? I am really hoping to change her mind, but it may be too late. I hate the thought of the cat being returned  

Look, if she's returning it in under 24 hours for a BS problem, you're doing the kitten a favor by letting it go to someone else.  Let it go, and tell her never to get a pet again.  Christ, the little thing is probably terrified...a baby, alone, in a strange house...good Lord.

rak123

Katie- she has 2-3 cats already. And I highly doubt this will be her last attempt to adopt. 

breaness

From my experience, most cats don't need to be litter trained since they have a natural instinct to bury their feces and urine. Litter training is actually really easy and I'm sure there are plenty of sites that will give you information as to how to do it if you ask google. Is there a reason she didn't ask if the cat was properly house trained?

breaness

Also if she has multiple cats and only one litter box that could be an issue.

alicat32908

How old is the kitten?  Kittens typically instinctually use a litter box by the time it's 6-8 weeks old.  The shelter shouldn't have adopted out a kitten any younger than that. Animals are not automated machines.   If she can't be bothered and have some patience with a kitten who is scared and in a brand new environment, then she really doesn't have any business owning pets. I'm with Katie - the kitten is probably better off elsewhere. 

However, if she is determined to adopt again, PLEASE tell her to read up on kitten care ahead of time.  She owes that much to her pets.  I kind of feel sorry for her other cats though. 

mainerocks

Does she have it confined or did she just dump it in the middle of a house and expect the tiny thing to find its way to a box?

rak123

Thanks for the input. The kitty is 12 weeks. I'll ask her some of these questions and see what she says.

 

I hope no one thinks I am defending my aunt. I just hate the thought of the kitty being shipped back to the kill shelter without getting a fair chance.  

LuckyAngel07

Your aunt needs to give the kitten time to adjust!!

Put the kitten in its OWN room with its OWN litter box, food, water, and toys so it can settle into the new environment and get used to the noises without also contending with huge new spaces and potentially unfriendly new cat-siblings.

When we brought a teeny kitty home around 5-6 weeks (long story), she stayed in a single room with her own necessities for 2 weeks, at which point our resident cat had stopped hissing every time she saw the kitten, and we let her out to explore the rest of the house. Introductions take time, and your aunt seriously can't expect a baby to adjust overnight to a totally new (ie, scary) environment.

alicat32908

rak123:

I hope no one thinks I am defending my aunt. I just hate the thought of the kitty being shipped back to the kill shelter without getting a fair chance.  

No, it's obvious you love animals or else you wouldn't be concerned or volunteering your time with dogs!  Since you say the shelter is a kill facility, don't encourage your aunt to return the kitten there.  If she doens't want to be bothered with a young kitten, encourage her to find another home instead of taking it back to the shelter.  If she decides to keep the kitten, Lucky's advice was very good.  If she will just give it some time, the kitten will adjust. 

kellbell1919

Click the FAQs at the top of the board.  Kittens usually require a little work, especially if they were strays.  I'd get a small kitten sized litterbox and confine it to a small space like a dog crate for a day or two, gradually introduce it to the other kitties and let it interact.