Our kitten hasn't been to the toilet

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Hi everyone, we adopted a little kitten yesterday around 5.30 pm; he’s already weaned. He was born on 31st July, and his mum hadn’t been feeding him for a week already, so he’s eating really well from his bowl. His previous owner told me they were all using the litter tray, but since he arrived last night, he hasn’t done anything, not even on the floor... no wee or... I don’t understand it and I’m starting to get a bit worried. Otherwise, he seems healthy enough (I’m going to book an appointment with the vet next week). He isn’t crying (I was worried he’d feel lost without his mum), but not at all, he’s settled right into his new environment... I keep putting him in his litter box, but he just plays for a bit and hops back out... Do you think this is normal? Should I really be worried?

Food-wise, it’s just water and dry food (which I bought from a pet shop, not a supermarket)...

Thanks in advance for your help...

Marine

Translated from French
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Looking at my cat who wasn't properly weaned (adopted from a rescue), it definitely affects her behaviour. Being taken away from their mum so early is never a good idea.
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    G
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    Hi, your kitten was born on 31/07, so legally you shouldn't have had him before 31/09, and ideally not until 31/10. Your kitten is too small and hasn't been properly weaned; he's at risk of developing major behavioural issues. The best thing would be to take him back to his mum until he's 3 months old.

    Hi @Matilda1, being out by 8 days or so isn't an exact science either ;) No need for any alarm bells just yet :) but it's certainly a possibility if his socialisation doesn't go well in the long run...

    My own kitten was in the same boat with the weaning timeline (around the theoretical 2-month mark) and everything went fine, except she had a bit of diarrhoea (down to the quality of the dry food we were giving her, but switching to Royal Canin "Kitten" sorted it out straight away)

    Hi,

    That’s what everyone says who got their kittens before they were fully weaned and didn't have any issues. On the flip side, there are people here, myself included, who could write you pages and pages about the behavioural problems their cats have because they were taken too early. It's a total lottery, and for those of us who've been through it, it would be irresponsible to say "it's all fine, a week doesn't make a difference".

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Even if your kitten is fully weaned onto solid food, they aren't socially weaned yet and are far too young to be separated from their mum. If possible, put them back with her until they are at least 3 months old.
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    Caroline9244
    Caroline9244 Icon representing the flag French
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    In the meantime, help him out and step in for his mum: use a damp cotton wool ball or gauze pad to stimulate his bottom several times a day so he can go to the toilet. This is what the mother cat does with her tongue. Do this for a few days and then you can start litter training him. Apparently, the kitten is nearly 2 months old, so he should really be house-trained by now!
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, your kitten was born on 31/07, so legally you shouldn't have had them before 31/09, and ideally 31/10. Your kitten is too small and hasn't been properly weaned, so they risk having major behavioural issues. The best thing would be to take them back to their mum until they're 3 months old.

    Hi @Matilda1, for the sake of 8 days, it’s not an exact science either ;) No need to be so alarming :) but it is a possibility if their socialisation doesn't go quite right in the long run...

    Mine was in the same boat regarding the weaning timing (at the theoretical 2-month mark) and everything went fine, except she had a bit of diarrhoea (due to the quality of the dry food we were giving her; we switched to Royal Canin 'Kitten' which cleared it up straight away).

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    In the meantime, help him out and act as his mum: using a damp cotton wool ball or gauze pad, gently stimulate his genital area to help him go to the toilet, several times a day. This is what his mum would do with her tongue. Do this for a few days and then start introducing him to the litter tray.

    Translated from French
    Matilda1
    Matilda1 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi, your kitten was born on 31/07, so legally you shouldn't have had them before 30/09, and ideally not until 31/10. Your kitten is too young and hasn't been properly weaned, so they are at risk of developing some serious behavioural issues. The best thing to do would be to take them back to their mum until they are 3 months old.
    Translated from French
    Caroline9244
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    Yes, that’s not unusual at all! You just need to pop him in the litter tray every now and then, and eventually, when he needs to go, he’ll do his business!

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi,

    I don’t think it looks too concerning for now. If it carries on, you’ll need to see a vet. But after just one night, they might not do anything yet.

    Translated from French

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