litter training kittens with mama

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Laura Burchard - 10 Aug 2003 18:49 GMT

I'm fostering a mother cat with two kittens, about six weeks old now. In
most respects everything is going well, the kittens seem to be socializing
well and are very healthy. But I'm a little concerned about litter training.
I didn't expect it to be a problem, the mother is litter trained and I
figured that that and instinct would do the job.

But while they do seem to be using the litter box for peeing (mostly), at
least one of them and possibly both prefer to defecate in the shower stall.
While I don't mind that much -- it makes for easy cleanup! -- I want them to
be ready for adoption in 2 to 4 weeks, and litter training is an obvious
requirement for that.

Any ideas on how to encourage them? I've tried putting them in the box after
they've eaten, and I even once caught one of them squatting in the shower
stall and put her in the box. Where upon she hopped out and ran back to the
stall, and I repeated the cycle to no effect.

I'm wondering if a box with a very shallow layer of litter in the shower
would be a good idea.

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Laura Burchard -- lhb@radix.net -- http://www.radix.net/~lhb

"Good design is clear thinking made visible." -- Edward Tufte

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Barb 1 - 11 Aug 2003 16:41 GMT

Maybe an extra litter pan, and how about closing the bathroom door or is
that where you keep the litter? Is there some way to lock the kittens out
of the shower stall?

Barb

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-L. - 11 Aug 2003 21:03 GMT

> I'm fostering a mother cat with two kittens, about six weeks old now. In
> most respects everything is going well, the kittens seem to be socializing
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Any ideas on how to encourage them?

Leave the pee and poop in the litter. They need to be able to smell
it. Use a fine scoopable litter - if the grains are to big, they just
don't "get" it.

Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter helps in potty box training:
http://www.preciouscat.com

I have potty trained dozens of kittens on the regular Precious Cat
brand cat litter.

I've tried putting them in the box after

> they've eaten, and I even once caught one of them squatting in the shower
> stall and put her in the box. Where upon she hopped out and ran back to the
> stall, and I repeated the cycle to no effect.
>
> I'm wondering if a box with a very shallow layer of litter in the shower
> would be a good idea.

Yes, but not shallow. Young kittens like to dig.

-L.

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