Help!! My Kitten is peeing on my bed...

[shimergloom]

We have had recently adopted two kittens.
I don't know their ages but i would guess 6-8 weeks
They were found abandonded in a ditch and brought in by a sweet little old lady, who then gave them away once they were potty trained.
I can tell that they were weened to early because they still like to nuzzle a lot and suck on my ears when they are going to sleep, well they try to suck on my ears but it makes me gigggle so i have to make them stop.
But everything was going just fine for the first four days.

THey used their box every time and seemed to be very well traineed. Well three nights ago my husband came home from work to find a nice little #2 in the bed. I cleaned it up and washed the sheets and thought "oh well she's a baby it was an accident"

But 3 days later she is still peeing on the bed. Only 1 of them is doing it. Now here's the kicker she only pees sometimes, she still uses the box for her #2 we only had that one problem.

She has also peed on my sons bed and even went to pee on the brand new mattress we bought today this was odd to me because it was new, no old scents or anything. She doesn't pee on the floor and she is the only one that does it the other kitten is very well behaved. I don't have the money to run them to the vet, I am poor. can anyone help. My husband is to the point where he wants me to find them new homes. I am taking them to the vet in about 2 weeks when i gat paid but can't do anything real costly until then....

[Traci]

She could have a urinary tract infection, which demands a vet visit and treatment. She could also be stressed about something (an event, you or your husband or son, the new mattress, etc)

Exactly how long have you had the kittens? If less than a month, it takes time for kittens and cats to adjust to a new environment.

How old is your son? If very young, are you supervising his interaction with the kittens? Teaching him how to properly handle them, being gentle, etc? Do you have other children? Do you have other pets?

Does your husband reprimand either kitten too harshly? If so, this is only agrivating the situation, cats do not respond to harsh reprimand and only end up confused, agressive, and fearful.

Young kittens weaned too soon often have independent personalities because they didn't have their mother or other siblings in which to learn social behaviors, etc. This is not a bad thing, it simply means you must be patient and keenly aware of their needs, likes/dislikes, etc.

How many litterboxes do you have and are they placed in a quiet area, away from heavy foot traffic, away from appliances, easy to access? Young kittens need to have their litterboxes close by so they can get to them quickly and easily. Do you keep the boxes scooped on a daily basis? Do you clean and rinse it at least weekly? What type of litter are you using and does either kitten seem sensitive to the litter, as in wanting to avoid it? Do you use heavy cleaners or scented cleaners on the litterbox or around the area?

The elimination on personal items may indicate your kitten is trying to get your attention to some matter, whether it is something in the environment, a health issue or otherwise. If the kitten is fearful of your child, for example, she may eliminate on something in his room. If your kitten is fearful of your husband for example, she may eliminate on your bed. She could be stressed about something else as well, so it's up to you to determine what it is and be patient and forgiving.

Vet visit ASAP, urinary tract infections are painful and debilitating and can lead to crystals/scar tissue/blood in the urine and even serious fatal blockages if not detected right away and treated appropriately. This cannot wait for days, and certainly not two weeks, it must be addressed NOW. Ask the vet about post-dated checks. Your kitten is depending on you to get her examined and rule out UTI, etc.

Also, don't dismiss the possibility both kittens are stressed and eliminating, sometimes when one starts doing so, the other will follow suit, by instinct or as a result of stress. Both kittens should be thoroughly examined, UTI ruled out, etc.

[leslks@aol.com]

Traci is right about everything she said.
In addition to making a payment plan with the vet there are also places that can help if you really can't afford it. If the big is large, try IMOM.ORG. I believe that is a place that will help.

[Tambrey]

most vets will take 3 or 4 post dated checks...dated for each of your paydays...some even take them 6 months out, depending on the total bill!

There is also CareCredit that you can apply for financial help, even for vet care...

Please keep us posted on your kitties....

[shimergloom]

Thanks all for you help, I think i figured it out. We were using sand clumping litter, it seems that the little one didn't like it. I bought some plain old cheap clay litter and made it real deep in their box and we haven't had any trouble since. We clean it twice a day in the morning when i get off work (i work 3rds) and in the afternoon my son cleans it after school.

I do want to mention though that my husband did not yell or dicipline the kittens harshly at all. He just moved to the couch and slept. It was sad to me that the first thought was that my husband had been out of line with the kitten, not all men are mean to animals. My husband has been very patient and understanding, he was sad when i read the initial response to him.

THanks again for all your help!

[Tina B and crew]

Oh they are cute!! I'm glad changing litters did the job. I have an older cat who has been doing some inappropriate bathroom behavior and after determining it was not medical in nature the vet recommended the regular clay litter for me too. She said she often finds that when cats have a litter aversion they respond best to the old fashion clay litter.

[shimergloom]

I think it's becase they get more satisfaction from digging. I was watching them when i changed the litter and they just played around in it for a bit digging holes and testing it out.

I like the clay litter better too, doesn't seem to stink as much either.

[Traci]

I want to point out that I in no way, was accusatory regarding your husband. I simply asked if he was reprimanding the kitten too harshly, and explained that if so, that may be one common reason the kitten was eliminating on a personal item, such as the bed. You had said "My husband is to the point where he wants me to find them new homes.", and while I did not "assume" he was reprimanding too harshly, I simply asked because I wanted to establish that frustrations were not taking over, which is again, one common reason cats will eliminate in the manner you described. There are multiple posts here on similar issues, and there have been more times we can count, that someone in the household is indeed frustrated to the point they have or are, reprimanding their pets harshly. It's just a factor we take into account.

In any event, your kittens require a vet exam anyway, since, if they haven't since birth, and have not been examined, dewormed properly, tested for FELV/FIV and setting up a vaccination schedule -- until then, your kittens are at risk for immune problems. You are estimating the kittens to be at 6-8 weeks, but your vet can determine a more accurate age by examining them, examining their teeth, etc. He can then discuss with you deworming, testing, and a vaccination schedule appropriate to their ages and needs. (testing for FELV/FIV can be done at 10-12 weeks, and for accuracy, again in 4-6 weeks after the first test, but FVRCP can be given as early as 8 weeks, as long as they are determined in excellent health by your vet).

[leslks@aol.com]

They are a couple of dolls!
Blik looks like he saw a ghost. What a cute expression.