New kitten from shelter won’t use litter box

by Andrea Rosen
(Prattville, Alabama)

I just adopted a Siamese mix kitten that’s 3 months old. The shelter had just neutered him two days before. (That seems early to me but I don’t know much about cats.)


I brought him home and introduced him to the litter box. I put fresh litter in the box and it’s a small, simple box. He refuses to use it and instead just jumps on my sofa and pees. He doesn’t even scratch; he just pees. I’ve closed off all of the house except the living room and kitchen. Please help!

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Apr 12, 2020
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starstarstarstarstar 		Confine him to a bedroom or a cage
by: Sally F.

Neutering at 4 months is common, 3 seems early to me too. I would confine a new kitten to a small space, like a bedroom, or smaller. The smaller the space, the more likely the kitten is to use the box.

For example, the cages used in shelters leave little room for a cat to do its business outside the litter box. Once he's regularly using it, you can give him access to the room first, then the rest of the house.

One caution... if his recent surgery is giving him troubles, all bets are off and he needs a vet to look at him.

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