u/-tamxcore

I recently adopted a kitten after losing my cat about 2–3 years ago. He’s honestly such a sweet boy — super cuddly, friendly, and adjusting really well overall. We’ve had him for about 2 weeks now.

The only issue I’ve been struggling with is occasional accidents outside the litter box. The day we brought him home, he had 3 accidents within the first 24 hours and didn’t seem interested in using the litter box at all. We had originally started with Tidy Cats litter, but even though it said unscented, it definitely seemed to have a scent to it, which I don’t think he liked.

I spoke with someone at the pet store, and they recommended Cat Attract litter. As soon as we switched, he started using the litter box right away. Ironically, that same day, the previous owners messaged me and mentioned he had been raised using wood pellets instead of traditional litter, which explained why he may have been uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the clay litter.

After hearing that, I bought two stainless steel sifting litter boxes along with the same wood pellets he was used to. I stopped using the Cat Attract because I thought switching him back to what he knew best would make him more comfortable, and it was also much more affordable.

It’s now been about a week since the switch. Up until this weekend, I hadn’t noticed any accidents. Then I started smelling urine in the bathroom and realized it was likely coming from the rug. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was an old accident, so I tried not to panic. But tonight, he peed on a plastic shoe mat with Crocs and sandals on it right in front of me.

I’m feeling really confused because I see him use the litter boxes all the time, so he does seem comfortable with them. I live in a small 2-bedroom apartment, and he has 2 litter boxes set up exactly the same in different rooms. Both are inside cat enclosures with motion lights for him at night. I scoop poop daily and sift the pellets/pee twice a day as well.

Tonight I removed all the rugs from the apartment just in case textures are triggering him. I’ve also recently started harness training him outside, so I wondered if maybe that could somehow be contributing, since he has peed and pooped outside before. I’m worried he could possibly be getting confused between outside and inside.

I would really appreciate any insight or recommendations you may have. He is honestly such a well-behaved, loving kitten, and I’m just very scared of this turning into a long-term habit of peeing on things. He’s around 11 weeks old now and not fixed yet — my vet recommended waiting until 4–6 months. He had his shot appointment at the vet last week and I did not mention it due to the accidents stopping. I will be reaching out to the vet as well for guidance. He also has his next shot appointment in a few weeks for me to touch base.

Thank you so much in advance. I’m really hoping with your help I can figure out what’s causing this. 🤍