Crate Training for Kitten -anyone else try it?

I'm just curious. I know it's almost standard for puppies these days (though when I was a kid, it was like 'crate training?! what's that?' ) but I've found for the new kitten I got it really helps there too. Especially at night when I am sleeping. He seems to have taken to it just fine and doesn't mind being in his crate much at all, and freely enters it to drag out his favorite toys or go get a drink of water (his litter, food, water and a few toys and a towel to sleep on are in the crate right now, which is actually a medium sized one for dogs, so there's quite a bit of room)

Has anyone else done crate training for kittens? I wonder if it will become standard in the future like it is now for puppies, I think it is a practical idea and helps keep them safe while they can't be supervised, and also gives them their own space to relax in too.

Well I don't believe in a small crate, but would agree on a large cage (like you'd use for a stud). Give them a small room for a minimum size. Charlie was kept in the library room for about 2 weeks before allowing freedom all the time.

Now he sleeps in our bed most nites, but free to roam.

I kinda had a foster kitten who was crate trained, but that was to protect her from our dog (or quite possibly the other way around LOL) so she slept in the extra large dog crate when she was big enough to jump and play. I've also had foster kittens who weren't crated- I really don't think it makes much difference to a cat, unlike a dog. Personally, I missed the snuggles ! But we did get to sleep most of the night, because there was no kitten jumping on the adult cats in the bed in the middle of the night (we tried to uncrate her at night, but no one- human, cat or dog- was getting to sleep all night ), so it has it's uses .

Well, I've two older cats in the house as well, and a lot of computer stuff meaning a lot of wires kitty could chew on if no one is there watching him <_< so it's a saftey thing from my standpoint, both for the kitten and my computers! And my older cats, who aren't quite comfortable with having kitten roam yet (only had him 3 days)

And yes, it's a rather large wire dog cage, not a carrying crate. It was meant for med-large dogs/puppies. Hence why I can fit everything in there so easily

How far away does a litter box need to be from their sleeping area/food? I've heard that if its too close they won't use it. It seems like a crate would put the litter too close, but I guess if its a large one it would be fine.

Would keeping a kitten in a small bathroom be the same general idea?

i have never thought about crate training a cat. it sounds like it would be a really good idea. when i get another kitten i think i will do that. i only have a little carrying case, but i am gonna get a bigger one so it will be better. and i am gonna take the top of of it off and put a blanket in it so she has a place to sleep because my honey seems to have an adverson to being steppd on.

Small bathroom would work. The reason I don't like the smaller cage (even a mid-size one) is the fact that the litter box is in close quarters when sleeping. Most cats do NOT like sleeping next to the litter box (especially if its used).

Only if its necessary for health reasons - confined to get a stool sample or kitty's sick, I can see putting in a smaller cage.

I had one of the "tokeyo" cages (similar to the big ones you can get for ferrets now) the mom/babies were kept in or confined for health reasons - it had 2-3 shelves to play on and you could keep the litter box on the bottom; cats didn't sleep next to it.

Unfortunately bathroom is not an option for us as it's being remodeled. That's what I did with my 2 older cats, who managed to shred all the toilet paper.

Kitten's food is far enough away from the litter box it won't become contaminated. It is a fairly big crate.

However, he prefers to sleep NEXT to his box for some reason, even with all the room. Then again, I've known cats that want to sleep IN the box <_<; which is odd.

Some cats will sleep in a CLEAN litter pan. I've seen it at cat shows - then you have to get all the litter out before going to the rings. Nothing worse then a longhaired cat wanting to sleep in the pan!

I can't keep the pan in Charlie's show cage - he's too much of a digger !

I have raised numerous kittens in a medium sized dog crate and they all did just fine. In fact Melody lived in her crate for the first few weeks I had her because we were living with my parents at the time and they have allergies to kitties. Uno started out in the crate when I wasn't home to make sure that Melody did not kill him while I was away and that way they could still get to know each other and no one could get hurt. Squeeker spent a good portion of his kittenhood in a crate mostly because he has severe seizures and it was just safer for him-now all are free to roam the house at all times but not one of them has had any bad side effects from being in a crate. I also had no litterbox issues other that the fact that they spray litter everywhere outside the crate, because you cannot fit a covered litterbox in there. I think it has also helped with the carrier issue-those that were crate trained are less likely to fight me when being placed in a carrier than those of mine who were not. I say go for it as long as your kitty is willing to put up with it, I think it gives them a place all their own and they feel more comfortable.

when i fist took in four feral kittens they weren't allowed to roam the house because some members of my family were worried about diseases, no matter how much i assured them that the kittens didn't have anything dangerous. so for awhile they were kept in a couple of crates. i would take them out for exercise and clean out the crates a few times a day and they did fine. so when i kept one of those kittens (Peanuts) she was used to being in a crate. she sleeps in there at night because people in my house don't like her racing around the house and waking everyone up. it doesn't seem to bother her at all, as long as i let her out right away in the morning. when we got socks he was ok with the crate, so he sleeps in one at night, too.

PJ and Otto love their carrier. I have a comfy pillow in there and they go in there to sleep during the day. They woke up when I tried to take their photo. I don't usually have the door closed, but they were attacking my new eternal hdd powercord for my 3TB drive that just came in today. I have been thinking of crate training my babies at night. Then we wouldn't have to worry about all our wires during the night. I have a xl crate that I use to use for my golden retriever when house breaking him, but he hasn't used it in years..