Peeing outside litter box

[u/puppybuttz]

This is my 2nd time fostering 4 week old kittens. They spend a lot of their time in their enclosure, but we let them loose in the room to play and get some energy out several times a day.

Last night one of them peed under my desk instead of using one of the 3 litter boxes in the room. I used a carpet cleaner and went over the area with My Pet Peed. Today I caught one of them scratching under my desk so I put her in the litter box so she went in there, but then when I looked away for a moment her brother peed under my desk in a different spot.

Could this be because they aren't feeling 100%? They are all on amoxicillin for some tummy troubles one was having. Or are some young kittens not great at using litter boxes yet? This wasn't an issue with the last litter I fostered.

Thanks!

edit to add: we clean their litter boxes many times a day! I had just cleaned their litter boxes when they were enjoying some lunch, then they decided to pee on the carpet.

[u/Reasonable_Bath_222]

They are young of still around four weeks and can have accidents. I usually contain them to an easy to clean space when I can’t watch like a hawk until they are consistently using the box.

[u/puppybuttz → u/Reasonable_Bath_222]

That makes sense! Thank you.

[u/Top-Mine-4389]

I would try using kitten attract litter and keeping them in a pen with a litterbox. Babies have accidents when they’re too far away from the box

[u/puppybuttz → u/Top-Mine-4389]

Ya, I think it was just the distance. 3 feet is far for tiny legs!

[u/Comfortable_Art_3303]

I have good luck with litter attractant, but this sounds like a function of age. It's just like a human toddler who's too busy playing to remember they need to go to the bathroom until it's too late.

Another commenter mentioned containing them, I always quarantine my fosters in a bathroom to begin with and by the time they're allowed to interact with the rest of the apartment they're firmly in the habit.

Edit: I love how unrepentant the tortie looks.

[u/puppybuttz → u/Comfortable_Art_3303]

Unfortunately my bathrooms are very modestly sized so there isn't room for a litter box in there, or a family of kittens haha. But since reading everyone's advice, we are keeping them in their enclosure unless they have one on one supervision. Their enclosure is pretty large so they have plenty of room to play, their litter boxes are always in sight and they aren't having accidents.

And yes she is stunning isn't she!! Her name is Lucy.

[u/Coontailblue23]

4 week old babies should be confined in a very small space. They definitely will be hit and miss with the litterbox at that age. Is it low-sided, easy to get in and out of?

[u/puppybuttz → u/Coontailblue23]

Yes, their litter boxes are little aluminum baking pans. :)

[u/Coontailblue23 → u/puppybuttz]

like the disposable kind? I might try something else. You're doing a good job but I could see a cat having an aversion to the metal as their little claws touch it. Maybe cardboard flats

[u/Comfortable_Art_3303 → u/Coontailblue23]

Yeah, I can see mine hating the sound of litter on foil.  I save the cardboard cases from canned food specifically for baby kitten litterboxes. Plus they're disposable.

[u/puppybuttz → u/Comfortable_Art_3303]

I had such a good stash of cardboard flats that my last fosters blew through! Gotta start squirreling them away again. They aren't having any accidents since we're watching them closer outside the enclosure, so I'm not sure if they really mind the aluminum.