Help with litter training!

How can one litter train a feral kitten? She seems about 5-6 months old. She refuses to use the box and will go in shoes. I am guessing she is used to using the sand/dirt outside, I did get sand type litter - but to no use.

I know of a method to put them in a small closed space (like a bathroom) and keep them in with their with food, water and the box, but we cant do that because eveyone will keep going in and out of the bathroom and we dont really have any other small places (we have dogs, so everyone opening the door might cause her to run out or the dogs to go in).

Any suggestions?

Try cat attract litter - also, have you tried to place her inside of the litter box? You can also pickup her poop, or the dirty socks she went to pee on, and place it inside the litter box. good luck!

If you cant use the bathroom, perhaps use a big dog crate?

If you have one, or can lend one, it is worth a try.

Also / or perhaps mix a little of her wastes in the litter, so she recognizes it as her own: Some cats prefer a completely fresh litter, but many do wants it marked, ie somewhat used. (No cat likes an apparently well used litter).

All very good suggestions. I second the kitten attract litter. You can get it at any big box pet store. It's pricey - but so is replacing pee-and-poo soaked clothing and shoes. Lots of folks here in TCS have had really good success with it.

Thank you for rescuing this kitty!

I don't know how many are in your family, but if the only room she could be confined to is the bathroom, I'd at least give it a try. She really should be confined to one room at first. Otherwise a large cage like they use at shelters really is a good idea.

What we've done is to buy potting soil (no fertilizer additives!!!), put an inch or two on top of the litter, and sprinkle Cat Attract additive (we don't use the cat attract litter) over the top of that. (Before that existed we just used the potting soil). Also, ferals often do not like to pee or poop in the same place, so you pretty much need two litter boxes.

And we've also done exactly what Stefan advised - once she goes pee in a box, we mvoe that to a box that has just litter in it. That usually does the trick.

Has she been spayed, and has she been to a vet?

Laurie

she has not gotten a vet visit yet, but we are working on that. Shes had worm meds though, at least.

I did try putting her in the box and even mimicking moving the sand around, but its a no go. I will try the attract litter.

The other thing is, is it weird for a persian cat to be stray? she has a very long furry coat (that is matted), seems like a persian to me. she doesnt have a super pressed-in face, but I know not all persians are like that. she does have a runny nose and sneezes a lot, which I know persians can get respiratory problems easily (we are working on that vet visit though).

we have other strays outside (theres 6 regulars that come here to eat, with a few others that show up once in a while), but this the only kitten and one with a long coat (Ive never seen another stray kitty that wasnt short-furred). and the only one who has a cold as well.