4 month old kitten...Litter-training help

Ok well Storms kittens are now 4 months old. I only have 3 of the 4 kittens (one was given to my moms friend).

I was almost 100% sure that all 4 of them were using the litter box at 6 weeks, and I'm sure they all were. But for the last 2-3 months, Midnight (the only female) hasnt been using the litter-box, tha I no of. Come to think about it, I dont think I've ever actually seen her use them. Shes been going on my clothes, or behind the t.v, and its really getting frusterating.

I've tried what my moms told me to do, smaking her bum, gentlyish (no where near enought to hurt her) and saying a "No!" at her then putting her in the litter box, which she just jumps out of. I've tried putting her face down near where she use the washroom, saying a "No!" and smaking her bum,and puting her in the litter-box. I've tried keeping the litter-boxes extra clean but that doesnt help.

But since I've noticed her going to the washroom everywhere but the litter-box, I've been thinking that shes scared of it. As soon as I put her in, she freaked out about being in it and jumped out right away.

Does anyone have some advice on how I'd get her to use the litter-box...and if she is scared of it, how to get her unafraid?

It sounds like you are trying to do your best, but the techniques you are using would not help teach a kitten to use the litter box.

She needs to be contained in a small area, like a bathroom, where she has a totally clean litterbox, so she can relearn to use it. Currently she has trained herself to go behind the tv or on your clothes.

Some cats quit using the litterbox due to health issues, so she needs to see the vet to rule out a health problem. (My cat Festus was once pooping in bedroom corners, and it was due to a very bad case of worms.) After the health problem is managed, you just need to let kitty relearn that the litterbox isn't scary.

Also, most cats don't like a dirty litterbox. If your boys are anything like my boy, they may not always bury their poos. She may not like sharing with the boys. Or some kitties like to pee in one box and poo in another. I have 3 cats inside, with 4 litterboxes. One is HUGE! A big rubbermaid container made into a litterbox. They are scooped daily.

Best of luck with your girl. At 4 months, it is time for all the kitties to be spayed or neutered if they aren't already done!

Shes going back to the vet August 14th for her boster shot, while the boys get fixed (the vet wont fix kittens until there at least 5 in a half months old..Getting her, her mom and Mischief [that looks just like your Jasmine, same coller as well] fixed Sept, Oct and Nov if all goes to plan) so I'll talk to the vet then about health problems. She had a check up done last Monday with the boys, and the vet said she was healthy, but I'm not sure if she was checking for anything that could be wrong to make her go to the washroom not in the litter box. She felt all there stomachs and said they were fine though. How do you tell if a cat has worms? I havent seen anything moving in there poo, so my mom said they likely dont have them.

I have 3 litter boxes for my 5 cats/kittens, and I'll be getting 2/3 more in the next week or so (with the kittens growing as they are! My babies are all growing up *tear*). But how do you make one out of a rubbermaid container? That sounds like a great idea.

Thank you for replying! And I'll try putting her in the bathroom with a litterbox, food and water. How long would she have to stay in there. Knowing me, I'll end up staying in there with her, feeling bad that I locked her up in there.

It is a good idea to deworm them anyways, a lot of time you won't actually see the worm come out. They would probably be dead when they come out in the litterbox so you won't see much movement. There are a few different types of worms and you really should just have them dewormed to be safe.

I would already be seperating the female from the males so she doesn't get pregnant. It can happen at 4 months of age. It is a shame that your vet won't do it until 5.5 months when cats can get pregnant and go into heat long before that. I would personally find a vet that isn't so old fashioned and a little more up to dat ewith teh times and reality

Where would you get deworming stuff thats safe for kittens? I'm just nervous about giving them something if they dont need it. I dont want anything to happen to my babies (yes I worry a lot).

Storm and Mischief both didnt go into heat well into there first year, and with the boys being fixed in 3 weeks I'm not so worried about them getting someone pregnant. I still keep the males in the basment when Mischief is in heat (which isnt very ofent for some reason) and they havent showed an entrest in her while she was in heat.

Its not just the vet, my mom doesnt want them fixed so soon, while she did want them all fixed by 4 months, she thought anything sooner was way to early..Me, I dont want them going anywhere near the vet. Every time I leave a pet at a vet, they usually dont come back. I've come to not trust vets because of it, even though its only been two. I just cant loose another one of my babies, or I just worry to much I dunno.

Thanks for commenting I'll look up information on worms now *nods*

Originally Posted by SilverPhoenix69

Where would you get deworming stuff thats safe for kittens? I'm just nervous about giving them something if they dont need it. I dont want anything to happen to my babies (yes I worry a lot).

Storm and Mischief both didnt go into heat well into there first year, and with the boys being fixed in 3 weeks I'm not so worried about them getting someone pregnant. I still keep the males in the basment when Mischief is in heat (which isnt very ofent for some reason) and they havent showed an entrest in her while she was in heat.

Its not just the vet, my mom doesnt want them fixed so soon, while she did want them all fixed by 4 months, she thought anything sooner was way to early..Me, I dont want them going anywhere near the vet. Every time I leave a pet at a vet, they usually dont come back. I've come to not trust vets because of it, even though its only been two. I just cant loose another one of my babies, or I just worry to much I dunno.

Thanks for commenting

I'll look up information on worms now *nods*

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ONLY use a dewormer from the vet, anything else can really get the cat sick and even kill the cat, same with flea treatment. ONLY FROM A VET!!

Also, your cats and kittens do not only get pregnant while in heat! They can get prego ANYTIME. SO you really need to seperate them now. By 5.5 months, the boys can get the females pregnant and they don't care if it is their mother or siblings. Pkus if you do the boys first and you wait until then, you will have to keep them seperated from unspayed females for an additional 3-4 weeks afterwards until their active sperm die since you are waiting so long to neuter them.

Oh and your females probably were in heat or at least CAPABLE of becoming pregnant until well before the 1 year mark. They can have silent heats, but no matter, like I said they do not have to be in heat to get pregnant. Yours that didn't go into heat until over a year could get pregnant all along and you are just very lucky they didnt

Ok!...Vet it is! Lol.

Arrgh, your making my life harder!.. Naw, I new most of that, I'm just to tired to think. I didnt no that cats can get pregnant anytime, I thought it was only females that just had kittens. Thanks for the info, now I just have to try not to feel so bad about locking them up in the basment. I thought it was 5-6 weeks before all the active sperm died....3-4 sounds a lot better though. Thanks again Jen

Edit: All my cats are indoor cats...Storm just likes to play "run out the door while people go in/out" which is how she got pregnant. I usually get her, but I was sleeping while she got out and my mom and her friend lost track of her.

Originally Posted by SilverPhoenix69

Where would you get deworming stuff thats safe for kittens? I'm just nervous about giving them something if they dont need it. I dont want anything to happen to my babies (yes I worry a lot).

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I would take a poo sample to the vet. They can check for which worms the kitties might have, and give you the right medicine. Over the counter worm medications are not at all safe.

Originally Posted by SilverPhoenix69

Storm and Mischief both didnt go into heat well into there first year, and with the boys being fixed in 3 weeks I'm not so worried about them getting someone pregnant. I still keep the males in the basment when Mischief is in heat (which isnt very ofent for some reason) and they havent showed an entrest in her while she was in heat.

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Cats are induced ovulators, meaning they don't have to be in heat to get pregnant. If one of the males decides to mate one of the females, she will get pregnant. Since they are related, you could have birth defects. And remember that the boys can still impregnant a female for a month after being neutered, so you should keep them apart for a while after the surgery.

Originally Posted by SilverPhoenix69

Its not just the vet, my mom doesnt want them fixed so soon, while she did want them all fixed by 4 months, she thought anything sooner was way to early..Me, I dont want them going anywhere near the vet. Every time I leave a pet at a vet, they usually dont come back. I've come to not trust vets because of it, even though its only been two. I just cant loose another one of my babies, or I just worry to much I dunno.

Thanks for commenting

I'll look up information on worms now *nods*

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Read through some of the posts here, about cats losing an entire litter of kittens, or having trouble giving birth and needing a c-section. My rescue fixes all kitties before adoption, once they weigh 2 pounds. I can understand waiting until 4 months, but not a moment later!

Also, your vet would not know to check the girl for urinary or bowel problems unless you told the vet about her symptoms.

To make a rubbermaid litterbox, buy a large, deep rubbermaid container. Make sure the lid is not wobbly, so kitty can stand on it and feel secure. Then you can cut a hole in the top or the side, so the kitties can easily get in and out. Make sure the container is tall enough that kitty can stand up on top of 3-4 inches of litter.

Edited to add:sorry for the duplicate info...I'm very slow at posting sometimes, so didn't see some of the other posts!!

I have read them, and it upsets me everytime I do. I no they need to go, I just dont want them to pass away when they get fixed. I have no idea why they only do it at 5.5 months, the Toronto Humane Society fixes them before they leave, or by 3-4 months if they're to youge when they're giving a way for free.

Thanks about the rubbermaid container, sound very easy to do

and its ok, same info read over again in a different way helps me to remember things

Thanks for all the info!

You might try a different kitty litter when you start the confinement training because they seem to have preferences. We started my kitten on plain inexpensive clay litter and recently when I went to change to (same brand) scoopable that has a scent he wouldn't have anything to do with it or the new litter box.