My cat gave birth to three kittens

Yes, it's most important that you use a non-clumping litter. The risk is that kittens can eat is and it can solidify in their digestive tracts. Scary!

T the catsage

It helps to put the kittens in the box and take a little paw and show them how to dig. I put mine in before and after every meal and at various other times during the day and evening. I find this to be the best way to litter train, and when kittens are ready, they learn very quickly!

Do you have a shallow baking pan you can use for the kittens? This will make it easier for them to get in and out. It costs nothing and can be sterilized later. Or you can cut down a cardboard box so the sides are low.

The kittens are 4 weeks and a half now, it's been a while since they've started sniffing mother's food. She sometimes refuses to feed them, they have to fight a lot to get her to sit down. I tried to give some chopped ham pieces to one of the kittens, accidentally missed a pretty large piece, almost killed him. Thankfully he was able to spit it out. That's where I realized they can swallow but not chew at all (kinda expected but thought he could chew a bit or pick small enough pieces to eat), good to know for future reference, I just overestimated their teeth. 

So my question is, when can I start feeding them solid food properly, and how? They eat it if I offer it to them but otherwise they will just sniff the mother's plate. The fact that she is beginning to feel uncomfortable feeding them seems to be a sign that they need to start eating elsewhere. I've tried wet food, they won't eat it. They will only eat ham, or chicken, or whatever has pure meat content, I am making the pieces very small but it's a long process plus I have lost confidence on doing it since almost choking the kitten to death.

Also, how do I litter box train them? They are not using it, they do their business wherever they can when the mother doesn't do it for them. They did it on my pants on the sofa, they do it on the carpet (ugh, don't wanna think about this part), and in their own bed. I don't know where else but I'd rather not know. I've tried putting them on the litter box after being fed by their mother but they just lick the litter. The box is hidden behind the toilet seat which is inside the bathroom so they never get to see their mother using it, they can only hear it when she goes in. Do I have to expose the litter box a bit more? I'd avoid relocating them or the box but will do if necessary. Can I train them myself? Or will the mother send them to the box when the time comes for them to use it? I have absolutely no idea 

At the moment I am letting their mother feed them, I've stopped giving them anything since about 24 hours ago. They haven't eaten much from me, one of the kittens has eaten a bit more (the one that almost got killed), another a bit and another hasn't tasted solid food yet. 

First need to state that what I say is based on what I've read here and on other peoples experiences and that I have never had kittens that young (just always prepared for the what if scenario).

It's likely been said before but they need many small boxes that they can easily get into. If they only have their mothers than it's not surprising that their going wherever poor things have small bladders and an inability to hold it in at the moment. I imagine seeing their mother do it would help as well so the placement for her is likely not helping matters.

Try rubbing the pate on their mouth so they have to lick it off that's one tip I've seen before. Feeding them nothing but what I'm guessing is cooked chicken is not going to be good in the long run. It just takes time for them to get the idea sometimes.

Are the kittens contained in a small area with mom and litter boxes?  

I recommend that you mix pate-style chicken wet food with some kitten formula, called KMR, until it's soupy. Put it on a flat plate and show the kittens. Put some on their mouths, and your finger, to let them taste it. Offer this several times a day. I prefer Fancy Feast classic pates as the first ingredient is MEAT. They also need kitten chow available 24/7.

You need kitten-sized litter boxes they can climb in and out of easily. You put them in before and after meals, and other times throughout the day and evening. Take their little paws and show them how to dig. Most kittens catch on quickly! You'll need to use an enzyme cleaner such as oxyclean to completely get rid of odors where they have already gone, so they don't go there again.

Remember that they are babies and may have an occasional accident. I put doggie pee pads around the box for that.

As for weaning, they are also young, and may transition better at 5-6 weeks. Some kittens even take 7-8 weeks, but begin offering the mush and kibble. I would discontinue the meats from your kitchen until they are much bigger. If you plan to re-home them they also need to be eating cat food.

Let me know how it goes with eating and litter training over the next week. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Ok thanks for the replies.

I got some paper boxes that Im not using, I'll add some cat litter to them and where should I place them? Next to their bed? Or a bit further? Also is there a risk of the mother using them? Cause they are too small to support her urine, she'd piss my carpet if I put the boxes in the kitten room or the other if I place the boxes there. 

Also the kitchen food was just an attempt to see if they eat anything other than mother food, they are rejecting cat food at the moment, including wet food. The fact that I have to spend 20 mins slicing the ham to small pieces shows they are not ready for it. I suppose I can get the kitten formula at the vet store? Is it mandatory or can I simply let the mother feed them a bit more then go straight to wet canned food?

The kittens are not contained in a small area btw, well kind of. We are allowing them to go to 2 rooms at the moment, cause they have way too much energy for a single room. We have removed all clothes, closed all electric outlets, removed all stuff that could fall and get them killed, closed all holes where they could go in etc. The "most dangerous" place they could go in is under the sofa which is ok. It usually takes less than 5 minutes to find all 3 of them

Put the boxes near their bed and in other places they go. Line them with newspaper to absorb pee.

KMR is available at pet stores and vets. It's not required - you can use water - but it's good for kittens and they usually like it. But get the powdered, not the liquid. Pet Ag is recommended.

I suggest you follow what I recommended in my post above. It provides a transition from mom's milk to wet food.

Ok I will go to the vet tomorrow and see the prices, if it's affordable I will get some powder.

To update about the litter box question, I made a few small litter boxes and put a kitten in one of them, he started to lick the litter, again! I picked him up and took it out of his mouth with my fingers, he just doesn't get the idea behind the litter box. He (or another kitten) peed on the kitten bed. I sent him to the bed, showed him the pee, then moved him to the box, scratched the litter with his paws and repeated like 10 times. Is this a correct procedure, or did I simply do nothing by showing him the pee and then scratching the litter with his paws? 

Showing him the pee did nothing. Putting him in the box and showing him how to dig was good, but needs to be done not ten times in a row, but before and after meals, and every few hours throughout the day and evening.

Use non-clumping litter in case they swallow it. It won't clump in the intestines and cause a blockage.

Sounds like a good start though. They really will catch on soon! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

You didn't do anything.  Sorry.  If the kitten poops in the kitten bed, move that to the litter box so it has it's smell and he will get the idea.  Try putting the kittens in the litter box before and after eating or after waking from a nap.  It's normal for the kittens to taste the litter.  You need to use non-clumping for this reason.  Clumping can clump in the kittens intestines and cause blockage. 

You also need to clean the areas the kittens go with an enzyme cleaner to get rid of the urine smell or they will return to that spot and use it again.

Well the kittens are no longer sleeping on their bed, they are peeing on it. I haven't removed the smell yet cause I'd rather have them doing it there than elsewhere for now, still no poop. Any idea of what I can do to transition from bed to litter box? Maybe put a litter box where the bed currently is? I caught a kitten peeing and immediately took him to the box, he didnt stay in though cause it was a bit too late. But the fact that they are peeing in the same place and that place is not a carpet of the floor means there is a bit of progress, just need to shift their attention to the box now somehow.

Another update:

The 2 rooms where the kittens have access to will need thorough cleaning after they learn how to use the litter box. Just caught a kitten peeing on a corner of the room, picked him up and put him in the litter box where he finished it. The problem is, he started to chew on litter and didn't even bother to cover anything. At least some smell is there now though, I'll clean the corner with vinegar, hope that works.. Two kittens are peeing in their bed, this one apparently has been doing it on the corner all the time, we just didn't notice. Ugh.......I'm glad nobody sleeps in that room. 

So basically we have 3 kittens peeing wherever they please, haven't seen any poop yet but I will eventually. 

I am tempted to lock them in the bathroom, should I do that? There is no carpet etc but I could improvise something, use some old clothes or something for them not to be cold. I could lock the mum in with them as well, put a food dish, a water dish, the litter box is already there etc and hope for the best?

It is very possible to keep them in the bathroom until they are litter trained.
Right now they don't realize the optimal place to go potty is the litter box, and the room might be a little too big for them to get to in time since they get the urge to go quickly and they wanna go "right now".
Plus, since their scent (even if it doesn't smell like it, cats can smell it) on the carpet, they will continue to go there
If they are locked in a smaller area, they will likely pick up on using the litter box much quicker. You may want to try several other litter boxes as well when you move them out in the room again after you use an enzyme cleaner, so they have options

The bathroom is perfect - it's what I recommend, in fact. Except that you only put their food, water, and litterbox in there - no clothes or towels to pee on. They usually learn in just a day or two.

Okay soon as I put them in the bathroom I saw liquid gathering up under one of them on the bathroom floor, I wiped it out immediately and sprayed some white vinegar on it and then wiped it out to dry the floor off. Not sure if that is what I should be doing but I used the vinegar to cover the urine smell. Should I do this every time or is wiping it out enough for now? 

How is locking them in the bathroom going to help them learn how to use the litter box if all they ever do in there is eat litter and pee wherever they like? Or will the mother using it teach them?

Thanks.

How often are you putting the kittens in the litter box?

Next time wipe up the pee and put it in the litter box so the scent is in the box.  use a different cloth to wipe up the vinegar.  They are just tiny kittens they will eventually get the hang of it but it takes time.

Well I saw one of them going to the corner and meowing, obvious sign that he was going to pee (cause that's what he does when he pees). I put him on the litter box, he licked some litter and jumped out, I repeated like 5 times. I knew for sure he was going to come but he didn't feel like using the box at all. That is the one who did it on the bathroom floor. I am trying to do it a routine, whenever they wake up, or drink, or go to their (ex)-bed (which in their eyes is litter box now), I put them on the litter box but no result. They just jump out after licking some litter. They started to lick the toilet seat so I'm definitely going to have to clean the bathroom thoroughly first, I've allowed them to go out of the bathroom for now, we normally do not clean behind the seat very often but that's exactly where they started to lick...going to have to move things around a bit, gonna have to be careful to kill the bacteria etc but at the same time make sure the smell doesn't hurt their tiny noses.

There is plenty of pee on the litter box from me moving two kittens while they were peeing, but I understand the idea behind putting it on the box.

Also, should I scoop the litter box when they pee or simply ignore it for now? Maybe the scent is more important than hygiene?

What kind of litter are you using?