CH kitten doesn't use litter box at all

[natsera]

Hi, a couple of days ago, I adopted an almost 3-month old kitten with mild cerebellar hypoplasia. Which means she walks funny, falls over sometimes, and is as loveable a creature as you'd ever want to meet. She doesn't seem mentally impaired at all -- she plays with toys, runs around (in her own way), climbs on the bed and couch, both of which have a fabric that she can get her claws into, is very cuddly, gets along well with my other cats and purrs a lot. But she is absolutely unaware of the existence of litter boxes. I've put her in them (I have a lot) multiple times, and she just gets out without any intention to use them. I have low-sided ones that the other cats are enjoying scratching the litter out of, but that doesn't seem to be the problem. So what I'm wondering is, is she indeed mentally slow, or is there something else that could be preventing her from using them? Any ideas on how to train her to use them? I can't even catch her in the act, let alone before she needs to go. I'm putting diapers on her at night, because I know that if she needs to go while I'm sleeping and she's cuddling with me, I won't wake up to a wet bed. I'm just wondering if she'll mature, or if this is going to be permanent! Although if it is, I can do diapers -- if I could do it on a baby, I can do it on a very handleable cat!
Natalie

[critters]

Hmm. My Baby is a severely disabled CHer who only pees in the bed if she's sick. I assume some of your other furs have pooped and peed in the boxes, so she knows what they're for?

[natsera]

Well, my other cats do use the boxes, so she's seen them do it, but she just piddles on the floor. She also piddles and poops when she's upset. I put out a bunch of low-sided boxes, and also some puppy piddle pads, and put some kitten attractant on them, and while she sniffed it, she didn't make the connect. I really don't know if there might be something else wrong with her, so will discuss it further with the vet. Meanwhile, the other cats are messing around with the low-sided boxes, so my house is REALLY a mess at the moment, but well, things can be cleaned up!

[BendyMom]

Has she ever shown any sign that she knows she needs to go? or is aware that she is going?
the two cats in my experience who have no clue about litter boxes are totally incontinent. one from an injury, and currently one from a birth defect which has messed up his whole hind end. If htey have no urge at all, they might just not be able to m ake the connection. Butterbean will cover poop when he finds it, he knows it smells bad, but he has no idea where it comes from. he has no idea when he needs to go. Since with CH you can have any number of neurological issues, I wonder if this is one of them?
sure sounds like you have tried all kinds of things.
expressing her twice a day would help a lot with cleanliness, and it isn't very difficult to learn.

thanks for giving this sweet girl a home and working with her.
Glad you found us! Welcome!

[natsera]

No, she doesn't seem to have any awareness at all. I know she can smell, because she comes for food, but even if I put her in a box with poop already in it, she doesn't do anything. Maybe she does have other neurological or genetic problems, because her growth has been slow. At the moment, I'm putting diapers on her, because she will just piddle on the floor, without any apparent awareness at all.

I have been able to express her for urine, but don't know how to do it for poop. But when I'm cleaning her up for a diaper change, she often poops while I'm doing it. Which is fine -- I just leave the diaper under her and then the poop goes into the old diaper, which I can throw away. And sometimes she poops in the diaper, which I can smell and then change her immediately. She's not happy about getting a warm bath when she has pooped in the diaper, but she tolerates it, and if she can do that now, I'm hoping it will continue into adulthood.

Meanwhile, I'm watching her to see if she shows any interest in the litter box -- that MAY come with time, since she's been slow to develop in other ways. And if not, we'll deal with it.

Many thanks for your response! And thanks for caring for "bendy" cats -- there was actually a demented woman who was breeding them, trying to make a registered breed of them. Poor babies!!

[BendyMom]

you mean the "Twisty cats" yes i know about her, it is disgusting.
sad but true. she said the cats were an animal control officer's dream because they couldn't get out and cause trouble, and were perfect for pet owners who didn't want their cats jumping on counters. AAAHHH

expressing poop isn't all that difficult. you can feel around in her gut and feel the stool in it, when her lower intenstine is full it is easy to feel. then you just squeeze teh poop along. takes a little practice but then you find one or two magic spots to press and ta dah! poop!
sometimes pinching their anus works...but i have better luck just squeezing them. Neither Butterbean nor Black Cherry Whisniak really like their butt-baths but they get through them. I have a bite glove i wear for Butterbean since his main form of protest is to bite my arm/hand. I suggest at least wearing a sweatshirt.

picts, we want to see picts!

[natsera]

I can't figure out how to post pictures -- I can't copy them to this page directly, and the program on my Mac doesn't have a URL. I tried pasting the Facebook URL in there, but that didn't work either. I would LOVE to show you my Dimity Jane, if I knew how!

[BendyMom]

assuming this looks the same on a Mac as on a PC
if you look below the 'preview' and 'submit' buttons there are two tabs. one says Options, the other says Upload Attachment.
Click on Upload attachment.
upload your image file it isn't always very fast so be patient

i have a lot of trouble posting links, there is a help forum for technical issues if my attempt at instructions doesn't work. Alternately you can email me the pict and i'll post it for you.

send me a PM and i'll send you my email addy.

[natsera]

This is a picture of me and Dimity Jane in her diaper. She's much cuter than I am! :-)

[BendyMom]

she is a very sweet lil kitty
and you are a beautiful lady
don't ever discount yourself

good to see both of you! the pict of me in my avatar was taken in 2002.
that is my sweet bendy with me.

[critters]

her growth has been slow. !

In my experience, CHers, and, in fact, most furs who've survived a really hard time, tend to be stunty and runty. Baby is 5 pounds, soaking wet.

[natsera]

Here's a picture of Dimity in her Victorian mansion that I needlepointed years ago. She likes to sit in it while I'm at the counter. And also when I'm not at the counter -- she has learned to climb the cat tree and get on the counter, but can't get down from the platforms on the cat tree. So she sits there and meows at me! Too cute!

[BendyMom]

that is way too cute
but i'm puzzeled
she hasn't clawed it apart???

[natsera]

Well, so far, she doesn't claw much at all. She's active and curious, but is very much a cuddler, and even when she's playing, she doesn't put her claws out. I hope she stays that way -- much kinder to the skin on my hands! I have other cats who, as kittens, tore my hands to pieces!

[critters]

Cute!!

I keep Baby's claws whacked because she can't control them; they tend to keep all of us in trouble.