bottle baby and litter box?

Any hints on getting bottle baby to use the litter box? She is about 4 weeks old now, weighs @15 oz (up from 9 11 days ago ) and doesn't seem the least bit interested yet, but is strong enough to boing and run. Have scratched feet in litter, squeezed tee tee cotton ball in litter, any other ideas? She kinda strikes me as being a little big to still be getting her bottom wiped, and weaning is going to happen soon.

4 weeks is still a little early. I think at 4 or 5 they try mush food. Have her follow mommy to the bathroom. Maybe that will work, but I still feel at this point it is young. Others may differ.

Use several cotton gauze pads instead. If you are still stimulating her to poop, place the soiled gauze in the litter, slightly covered and put her in the box straightaway afterwards. Don't bother squeezing the wet cotton out, just place the whole thing in the litter. Always place kitten in the litter either as you are stimulating or immediately afterwards. It is probably a good time to begin introducing her to solid foods now as well.

I'm afraid that the sound of the toilet flushing will scare her to death ! Just kidding ! She's an orphan, so I am the only "mommy" she has right now . The kitten rescue site said she would start eliminating on her own at about 3-4 weeks, I think, but she is always full when I stimulate her to go potty and I was wondering what else to do to encourage her to go on her own, particularly in the litterbox. My vet did agree with me when I told her I thought she was about 3 weeks on April 8th.

I use a slightly warm, wet washcloth to make her poop; that was what the trip to the vet was about-not pooing, but the vet said that (getting a little vivid here, beware )the poop on the thermometer was fine, and to give her another enema the next day and stimulate with the thermometer if necessary (of course, it was) and call if I still needed them, so pooping is already an issue-every other day if we're doing good, but probably more of an issue for me than for her. I have baby food (chicken and gravy Beechnut, doesn't say onions and sometimes she's interested, sometimes not. I also have canned "Natural Life" for all life stages-chicken and veggie platter that I haven't tried yet. She runs, plays, bows up at the other cats, and sometimes just for the heck of it, and her eyes started changing color yesterday or the day before. Any suggestions?

Don't worry too much!!

I had a bottle baby as well, and it took until she was around 5 weeks before she started to use the litter box.

You will know when you don't have to eliminate her anymore! She'll just start doing it on her own whereever she pleases!!

Just keep on putting her in the box after eliminating her and scratch her feet in the litter and she'll get the hang of it.

As far as weaning is concerned, just offer her mushy wet foods and she'll take it when she wants it! It can take a while to wean off the bottle, but she'll let you know when she doesn't want it anymore!!

Good luck!

kittens are like babies they all develop at different stages and times

Okay, working on day three without a poop (smudges, gas, enema water ) but no real poop. I was thinking of calling my vet, again. Is this normal for a 4 week old kitten? She seems fine, but I know how quickly that can change, so...

I guess I will wait for her to start leaving me "presents", then and keep stimulating her until then. Thanks! That was what I needed to know. I guess I will try the mush from the vets that they give to kittens and sick cats (can't remember the name, but the kittens thought it was great). She is turning her nose up at the canned food and the baby food, though when I first gave her the baby food, she ate it.

And thanks, it has been almost 7 years since I had a bottle baby, and I don't remember alot about the day to day stuff, especially because she got sick from inhaling milk that the people I got her from tried to give her on a plate (at 2-3 wks ) and then had a problem doing it with her formula, so we were at the vet getting tiny lasik and antibiotic shots! Just in case it helps anybody, I knew there was a problem quickly because I could put my ear up to the side of her little chest and hear the rattly breathing. By the way, she (Smoochie-our kitty kisses machine ) is the black and white one in the middle of my signature !

A call to the vet when ever there is a doubt can never hurt.

When we had Chance at four weeks he was already eliminating on his own.

Well, just like a kid, I get all worried to the point I start asking for help and what does she do? Scratches around in her litterbox when I wasn't looking and finally poops after her meal (with my help-not alot, but enough to know she is fine-added some water to her formula tonight to help). Thanks everybody!

These little cats sure do keep us guessing, don't they? *grin* Glad to hear she has taken to the box and done her doody business!

WOOHOO do the poop in the litter dance.........

Thanks again, everybody! Today I am going to have to change the litter box !

Its so satisfying when they go poopy on their own isn't it!!

You can't believe how excited you get over a poop!!

It is ridiculous how excited one can get over that ! And now she is also eating mush food with dry kitten food bits in it, and using her litter box regularly like a big girl . Thanks, everybody!

And then I realize, she is almost ready for her new home, and I have to think about putting the flyers up at the vets . Bummer.

ROFLMAO!! My last bottle fed litter turns 3 years old today. We had friends that adopted 2 of them and I remember calling them on the phone the first day that they pooped on their own in the litter box, then calling them up again one day as Elwood was pooping and put him on speaker phone for them to hear him grunt (he was noisy about it).

Aren't we the good moms & dads when we get excited about pooping! LOL Congratulations on your poop experience!!!!!!