Need Help with Litter Box Training for Brain Damaged Kitten
 

Hello,
I have a 5 month old kitten who recently sustained brain damage. He
stopped breathing during his neuter surgery 3 weeks ago (and was
revived).

He is blind but is finding his way around. He has learned to walk but
is still weak esp in his back legs. He sometimes walks in circles and
sometimes seems a bit agitated, walks alot around the perimeter of
rooms, over and over again. He doesn't seem interested in toys anymore.

Anyway. My main problem is that he does not use the litter box much. He
has used it a few times but mostly he has accidents. Sometimes the
accidents are near the litter box and sometimes not. He seems to have
problems with balance. Sometimes he just kind of falls over. He has
gotten alot better from what he was like just after the surgery,
though.

Can you give me some suggestions to retrain him?

I have gotten a different litter box, a low to the ground litter pan. I
used to have a larger one with a cover and flap door on it but he
cannot get into that one. I keep the litter box very clean. My other
cat (who is 5 years old) is fine using either litter box. She doesn't
bother my little kitten although she doesn't really help him either.

I have tried putting my little kitten in the bathroom with the small
litter pan but what he does is have an accident (not in the litter
box), then spread it all over the floor. He is not fastidious anymore
and doesn't clean himself up; I can give him baths to take care of that
problem.

I am running out of patience as I clean up his accidents every morning
and every evening. I am a single parent, have a toddler, and work
fulltime. I am not home during the day for probably 8-10 hours. I have
thought about putting him down but I would like to give it a few more
weeks to see if he can get the hang of the litter box again. Before his
brain damage, he didn't have any accidents (at least that is what I
remember).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you have. Do I just need to have
more patience? Just keep showing him the litter box and putting him in
it?

In article .com,
enlightened us with...

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you have. Do I just need to have
more patience? Just keep showing him the litter box and putting him in
it?

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about this poor guy.

This is just my 2 cents as a layperson, but is it possible he has damage that
makes him not have enough control to make it to the box? Perhaps he doesn't
know he has to go? If he doesn't have full control of his legs, maybe he
can't control his bladder / bowels, either.

Some disabled pets can never regain control of their elimination functions.
A very special lady wrote an article for my site about her disabled cat,
Weaver. Weaver wears a diaper and has no control over her rear legs.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHea...cialNeeds.html

Please don't put your kitty down before checking to see if someone who has
more time can adopt him. Special needs pets can live very rewarding lives,
but they do require a time investment that some people just don't have.

I hope he gets better. Purrs to all concerned from me and my furkids.

--
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~kaeli~
A man's home is his castle..., in a manor of speaking.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace