Bathroom Business

The fluffiest of little beans

When caring for a foster you'll have to deal with the nasty business of cat pee and cat poop. From newborn waste help to litter box training, poop is going to be a big part of your life with kittens. 

When a kitten is newborn they are unable to eliminate waste on their own. Mama cat stimulates them to pee and poop by licking near their bowels. If you are caring for orphan kittens you will need to help stimulate them. This should be done before or after every feeding (depending on the kitten). 

• Hold the kitten firmly (but not tightly) with belly in the palm of your hand. You can hold them on their back as well, orientation is not as critical for this part. 
• With the tissue or soft cloth (avoid using paper towels or products that are too rough), gently massage their lower abdomen and hindquarters area in circular strokes (you will be recreating the full tongue bathing that is performed by his mother).
• They should begin peeing — this normally takes under a minute.
• Then, stimulate the kittens anus area — this should prompt the kitten to poop — continue the motion until they are fully done eliminating, this will help keep their muscles going and help them until their finished with their business.
• Gently wipe up all the waste with a clean washcloth — but just use warm water (do not use soap!). Make sure the area is cleaned well. Urine left on a kittens' sensitive skin can cause urine scald. 

Urine should be a light yellow color and there should be a fair amount at each feeding. If the kitten does not pee, or the pee is a dark yellow or brown the kitten is dehydrated and will need to get some fluids into them immediately. 

Make sure to thoroughly clean the kitten's backside once their done by cleaning them with a wet wipe or moist cloth. No one wants to have poop sticking to their fur, and just as with urine, poop stuck to their skin can cause scalding and skin problems on their delicate skin. Be prepared for the occasional poop-splosion butt bath post feeding.

Poop Problems

A kittens poop should be firm, but not dry. While kittens are bottle feeding their poop will be a mustard yellow color. This will transition to brown as they move onto solid food. Kittens will likely poop once or twice a day, but if they don't poop for a day it's nothing to worry about. If the kitten goes more than 48 hours without pooping then you should begin treating the kitten for constipation, and consult with a vet or your foster coordinator for the next step. 

Diarrhea is, unfortunately, a problem you will encounter while fostering kittens quite often. It should be taken seriously as it can quickly lead to dehydration in their tiny bodies. There are a lot of things that can cause diarrhea in your kitten fosters. Typical problems you encounter are parasites, like worms, food issues, or an underlying medical issue. If a kitten's poop is ever green, black, grey or white, contact a vet immediately.  

Here the Kitten Lady talks about dealing with diarrhea in your kittens. 

Other Resources

http://www.kittenlady.org/diarrhea

https://www.catster.com/kittens/how-to-make-a-kitten-poop

https://www.hartz.com/going-to-the-bathroom-kittens/

Litter Box Training

At about their third week kittens start being able to eliminate on their own. This is when you want to introduce a litter box into their environment, as well as keeping plenty of puppy pads down to catch any mistakes as they learn to use their box. 

Start with a small, shallow pan. Shallow, disposable cooking pans (the kind you use for pies and have low sides), or the cardboard boxes that kitty wet food get to the store in, work really well for this and can be thrown out between litters. Look for a litter that is specifically for kittens. Don't use your regular clay litter. Kittens are still learning what is and what is not acceptable to eat, and can eat the litter (gross, I know). It can lead to constipation when the clay clumps up in their gut. 

Here are a few tricks you can use to encourage your kittens to use their new litter box. 

• Place the litter box in a corner (particularly in a corner they might have already chosen to go in). Get multiple boxes and put them in multiple corners. 
• Set the kitten into the box and encourage them to scratch at the litter by picking up their paws and showing them the motion. Kittens have a natural drive to cover their waste, so showing them that the material there is good for that will encourage them to use it. 
• Give praise and encouragement anytime the kitten successfully uses the litter box. 
• Never scold or punish a kitten when they fail to use the litter box (you probably had some accidents during potty training too, the goal is to lead through encouragement and reward). 
• Keep the box clean. Don't leave waste to sit in the box. Not only will this deter the kitten from using the box, but there's a high likelihood with kittens that they will walk in it or play in it, and lead to poop on everything. 

Remember to stay positive, and keep it clean. Puppy pads are a life saver, and should be used liberally in and around the kitten area. Change them out as soon as their dirty to prevent kittens from continuing to eliminate there. Anywhere the kittens continue to go to do their business, put a litter box there. It's better to err on the side of too many at first, and then start reducing the number of boxes once they are using them consistently.