this doesn't really work does it?

babykitten

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my mother told me that if my kitten uses the bathroom on the floor that i am supposed to rub the cats nose in it smack her but yell no at her then put her in the litter box i feel that it would be mean and i cant bring myself to do it any good advice good methods of correcting her?
 

callista

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Work?!! Heck no!

All it does is make the cat afraid of you... there's no way it's going to connect the "crime" with the "punishment" that way; she'll just associate the litter box with being smacked! And it's cruel...

--Put the cat in the box after feeding, show her how to dig in it
--Put any poo that she's made in the litter box
--Use pet-safe odor remover anywhere she's had an accident
 

momof3rugratz

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I put the mess that was made on the floor to the litter box while the kitten is watching then place the kitten in the box to notice the smell. Scratch there paws in the box to cover.
 

missymotus

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I'm glad you are not hitting your kitty, that would do more harm than good.

If you can find out what brand of litter they were using where you got kitty from that might help as she will know the smell and feel of it. Also try putting out several boxes so she doesn't have to travel too far when she needs to go.
 
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babykitten

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i got the kitten from my sister. she had to put the kittens in the laundry room when they were first born as they grew up she had to move them from the room, because her other cat had her babies and the laundry room is the only private place for her cats to nurture so they had to move although it was where the litterbox is they had to go in that room to use it they may have been intimidated by the other mother cat cause they stopped using it in there. then she put them outside because they were pooping all over the house. they used the bathroom in only one place outside. maybe i should use dirt but that would be hard to do and what if it dont work?
also i live in a small trailer so i think that there is only room for one litter box.
 

momof3rugratz

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that is true. Try feline pine litter or chicken scratch. Or the dirt then wean to the litter like we do food.
 

charmed654321

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Since it's a little kitten, you don't need big litterboxes. Maybe you can get some smaller plastic boxes at the dollar store, just big enough for the kitten until it gets the idea, then remove them one at a time.

Whatever you can do, what I would suggest is to collect a bag of dirt from where she used to go, and spread a handful or two on top of the litter for now. Try that before using all dirt. That might help, and you can slowly lessen how much until she's used to the litter.

Also, when you put her in the litterbox, take her paw and show her how to scratch a hole. In fact, scratch one yourself as she watches. She'll eventually get the message.

Please do not smack the kitten or roll it's nose in it. That will make things worse, and yes, as was said before, all you'll succeed in doing is to make her afraid of you, and MORE afraid of using the litterbox.

Cats are not "trained" to use the litterbox in the same way dogs are papertrained, or trained to go outsisde. A cat buries its business instinctively. If they're not doing it, it's better to find out the reason why and changing it, rather than just teaching them "bad!"

Don't forget if you do see her using it, or she uses it when you put her in there, give her a LOT of praise, pet her, make a big deal about it, even a treat. You know what they say, you get more flies with honey than with vinegar.

My Rockette (at about 4 1/2 weeks) was the first of her littermates to figure out how to use the litterbox. She had gone in there, dug about 10 holes (they all had been digging for days), but this time she sat down and actually went!

Not only did I praise her big time, I started doing the Rocky! Rocky! Rocky! chant and doing happy dance myself, clapping and saying Yay! What a smart Kitty! lol She got so excited that she rolled over on her back right in the litterbox and started kicking her arms and legs around to join in She was so funny and cute. But, knock wood, haven't had a days problem with her using the litterbox since, and she's 9 months old now.
 

hissy

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Sounds like you need to get a couple of cats spayed soon, or you will soon be overun with more kittens.
Allow for mistakes, without a momcat we are poor substitute for kittens when it comes to bathroom manners. Have patience and the kitten will catch on. You need several small litter pans for this kitten, not just one. Use the disposable aluminum foil trays at the grocery store in the bakeware section. You get about 4 or 5 for under $2.00
 

trouts mom

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PLEASE do not rub any animals nose in it if they have an accident..they do not respond well to this type of discipline!!
 

phenomsmom

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If you catch her mid poo pick her up and take her to the litter pan to finish her buisness. After a couple of tries with this they will associate bathroom functions with litter pan. It work for me after 2 tries with my sweet girl!
Good Luck!
 

zissou'smom

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Think about how you were pottytrained. I assume (hope) that if you wet the bed your mom didn't rub your face in it, hit you, and yell at you. The same principles of gentleness and patience need applied here too.
I know it will be frustrating cleaning up after the kitten until she figures everything out, but just take a few deep breaths.
 
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