Hi everyone
I have just purchased my first ragdoll....Her Name is Tinker she was born Nov 1 2009.
Apparently she is litter trained, however she will not use her litter here...we have only had her 5 days, she has not once in this time used her litter tray....I am using the exact same brand of litter that the breeder had used, I have continued taking her back to her tray and scratching her front paws in the litter.....
Help needed Badly...
Many thanks Kelly
Hi Kelly! Congrats on being owned by a lovable raggie
And sorry to hear you are having litter troubles, they are never fun. Tinker may just need more time to settle in, you can try restricting her to one room with her food and litter and see if she uses it then. We were lucky our boys were very good with toilet habits. i'm sure some of the more experienced raggie owners will have good advice for you. Welcome!
OK getting DESPERATE now....
She just peed on my bed......ewwwww...
Does she have the same type of box that she used at the breeders?
You may have to re-train her to use her box by restricting her to one room until she uses the box continuously and not toiletting elsewhere then allowing her access to another room etc.
UTI's can also cause inappropriate toiletting, a vet check can rule this out.
Oh no, not the bed!!
Have you got some sort of enzymatic cleaner? BioZet is good. Whatever you do, don't use bleach - it smells like pee to them and they'll go back to the same spot. She may be stressed in the new house, trying to put her scent everywhere or may be something medical (hopefully not). If in doubt, the vet is a good idea.
An infection is the most common cause of this kind of behavior and a vet check is in order. Unfortunately, some infections that cause the behavior do not have other symptoms. That is why even if nothing else is discovered, often a course of Clavamox is the correct first thing to try. In addition, it is not unusual for an infection to break under the stress of a move to a new home and that is another reason to suspect an infection and the discomfort of it. That causes cats to avoid the litterbox and often they will choose right by the pan, on a cold hard surface like a bathtub or a soft surface like a bed.
I would confine her in a small area like a bathroom with her litterbox during times you are not interacting with her, for now. A vet check is definitely needed here too. After that, she may run a course of antibiotics. If things still do not improve, just don't let her have free run of the house until you can trust in her litterbox habits.
So sorry you are going through this, but your baby might just be pretty confused, excited, or stressed out. I swear it took my Solo almost 7 months to really settle in to his new home with me. Good luck!
Hi all
Thankyou for your input.
I got her vet checked the day after we got her.
Everything was fine.
I have just invested in a new litter tray and I am going to try a different brand of litter (fingers crossed).
Kelly (& Tinker)
While you may have had her vet checked the day after you got her, a UTI can come on quickly and still may be the problem. Also, it won't "show" on a regular vet check. The vet needs to be informed of the behavior and perhaps obtain a urine sample. I would highly suggest another vet visit and a request for antibiotics just to rule it out.
So sorry to hear of your kitty's trouble. I know how it is.. my 2 boys scent marked everything in the apt. when they were first put together. Feliway may help her to settle in, but a vet check for a UTI is a good idea.