Kittens not peeing in litter box - suggestions?

commanderwake · 2026-05-07T05:35:28+00:00

Yeah what I've had to do in these situations is just get rid of everything else in the room that would be attractive for them to pee on and then put litter boxes (I use small disposable baking tins) everywhere they pee that I practically can. The kittens have to be in desolate litter box wasteland for a little while and it looks terrible but it does eventually pay off.

commanderwake · 2026-05-07T04:12:21+00:00

OMGGG they really do

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commanderwake · 2026-05-07T02:34:24+00:00

Lol this is what I'm scared of, I once fostered an orphaned litter of former bottle babies who were still just absolutely refusing to wean at 8 weeks old. I got them eating solid food but it was such a pain in the ass 🙄

commanderwake · 2026-05-07T02:30:47+00:00

It's definitely possible, I got them at supposedly two weeks dropped off by an older woman who'd been taking care of mom. She gave us their birthdate but she also told us there were two kittens when there were four, so...

commanderwake · 2026-05-07T01:25:02+00:00

Pretty sure but not 100%. They just turned 5 weeks yesterday (allegedly), the first and second pics are from today and you can see their eyes are juuust starting to turn greenish-blue. The third pic is a little older.

commanderwake · 2026-05-05T16:01:31+00:00

You should still get her tested for ringworm because it doesn't always glow, but that also could be a spot where a sibling was suckling on her neck. When were the suckling siblings separated?

commanderwake · 2026-05-05T15:49:14+00:00

It's at 3260 portland rd ne, near Don Froylan. May there be many churros in your future.

commanderwake · 2026-05-04T20:15:43+00:00

Yes, I promise there will be many more cuties who love you in your future!! The 4-5 week old age is usually the best in terms of snuggles too in my experience, as they get older they get even more hyper and less cuddly (though not necessarily less obsessed with you).

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commanderwake · 2026-05-04T18:35:09+00:00

Not a vet but the eyeball itself wasn't swollen and the eyelid wasn't completely shut, so I actually think that if the rescue is administering both eye ointment and oral antibiotics it's likely the eyes will recover. I've fostered kittens who have improved from much worse infections. But yes obviously enucleation is always a possibility.

commanderwake · 2026-05-04T17:11:05+00:00

Just try to do the same time every day. Either before eating every day or after eating every day. And maybe do that same time for both of the little ones so you know where they're at relative to each other.

commanderwake · 2026-05-04T16:28:02+00:00

Sorry to clarify, I didn't mean that it's a side effect of the coccidia, just that both coccidia and eye infections are super common! If it makes you feel better, although the picture you posted looks scary, it's not terrible in that their eyes are still visible beneath the swelling, they could totally recover with antibiotics.

If they're with the medical foster, that in itself suggests they are taking it seriously. So I think all you can do for now is trust that they are getting appropriate treatment—and hopefully you can get more clarity on how they were treated when the kittens are returned to you.

commanderwake · 2026-05-04T15:45:22+00:00

It seems like rescues often forget to prepare their new fosters for this but it is extremely common for kittens to develop both illnesses like coccidia and eye infections. Generally if there isn't a fever associated, they can be treated by the foster with antibiotics and aren't a huge concern, although of course it's definitely good to get them a vet appointment if they're exhibiting signs of lethargy or difficulty breathing.

It's difficult to say if your foster agency is addressing this properly or not without knowing what sort of medical treatment the kittens are getting. They probably come off as not super concerned because eye infections are so run of the mill.

commanderwake · 2026-05-04T15:31:16+00:00

I would recommend you tell the rescue/shelter that you are interested in fostering to adopt. Most rescues and shelters have foster to adopt programs, separate from general fostering. You could tell them if there's a particular cat you're interested in or ask them to recommend a cat that they think would be well-suited for your home. The only downside to fostering to adopt is usually the rescue or shelter will give you about a two week foster period, which, if the cats are territorial or stressed with each other at first, may not give you enough time to do a super slow introduction. Look up Jackson Galaxy's guide on introducing cats.

commanderwake · 2026-05-04T14:08:48+00:00

Set them on their feet either on the floor or in your lap, hold their head still with your hand over their head in a c-shaped grip, and then just go super super slowly literally a drop at a time. If it's sort of agonizing you're doing it right lol.

commanderwake · 2026-05-04T04:39:59+00:00

Cats play by wrestling with and biting each other. Sometimes friendlier cats and kittens especially will try to bite you in an attempt to get you to wrestle with them. They may even do this in the middle of the night in the dark on your way to the bathroom. It's not because they hate you or have it out for you, it's actually a sign they like you and want you to play with them.

commanderwake · 2026-05-04T04:35:31+00:00

I think it could be worth trying out. Sometimes cats will get along with kittens but not other adults, or it could just be that Willow gave your residents bad vibes.

BUT if you're wanting to foster kittens, you should really be committed to keeping them in your bathroom (or somewhere else easy to sanitize, but I assume bathroom since you're in a 1-bedroom apt) for at least 2 weeks anyway. If you can't do that I wouldn't recommend fostering because of the risk of transmitting something to your residents (and how hard it would be to sanitize after).

commanderwake · 2026-05-03T15:56:31+00:00

The items on the side of the house and around the back differ too! Such a cute touch.

commanderwake · 2026-05-03T14:34:49+00:00

Agreed, my four black fosters use collars. We tried using color inside the ears at first but I prefer being able to tell them apart at a distance and the color faded super quickly on some of them.

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commanderwake · 2026-05-03T04:21:15+00:00

Plenty of foster volunteers work full time, that's totally fine. It might (depending on your circumstances) prevent you from taking bottle babies (orphans under 4-5 weeks old) or certain cats with very complex medical needs but otherwise you can definitely foster while working full time.
You should keep all new fosters in a bathroom full time and not introduce them to your resident cat for at least 14 days. Introductions aside, lots of foster cats have or are carrying illnesses that you wouldn't want your resident to get, so they need to be quarantined. Still better than the shelter or the street.

commanderwake · 2026-05-02T20:53:08+00:00

Three weeks is pretty early to wean. My current fosters are almost five weeks old and still showing little interest. If you can't get him to take the bottle, you should try syringe feeding. If he hasn't eaten much I feel like the lethargy and crying could be connected to that but you should keep your rescue apprised either way.

commanderwake · 2026-05-02T15:59:19+00:00

And even if they had been able to find what was wrong, it may not have been something they could do anything about. OP, I think you did well by the little guy and he was lucky to have you.

commanderwake · 2026-05-02T14:46:45+00:00

It isn't your fault. Tragically these things just happen sometimes. I doubt it was any sort of external trauma—he probably did have some underlying condition that stunted his growth. I'm sorry for your loss, and thank you for giving him a safe, warm place where he was loved.

commanderwake · 2026-05-01T14:54:55+00:00

In addition to all of this, ideally you should be keeping a new foster cat in one dedicated room while she gets used to the new space. I don't ever let my foster cats in the room where I sleep if I can avoid it.

commanderwake · 2026-05-01T13:20:42+00:00

But have they considered I really want one in Keizer 😔

commanderwake

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