- Joined
- Sep 12, 2015
- Messages
- 15
- Purraise
- 1
I have a feral kitten , about 6 months old that I took in.. How do I liter train , kitten won't let me near yet so I cannot pick up yet to put in liter.. House smelling
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Liter training feral kittens
- Thread starter alycia12
- Start Date
Try to keep the kitten confined to one room for now. He'll feel safer that way and it's much easier for you to keep things clean. You can buy a litter called Cat Attract that encourages them to use the litter box.
http://www.preciouscat.com/cat-attract/
If the kitten has an accident put the poop or the tissue you use to clean up with in the litter box. If he can smell himself there he will know what to do.
The best thing to clean with and get rid of the smell is an enzyme cleaner. This breaks down the smell of cat pee better than anything else.
http://www.preciouscat.com/cat-attract/
If the kitten has an accident put the poop or the tissue you use to clean up with in the litter box. If he can smell himself there he will know what to do.
The best thing to clean with and get rid of the smell is an enzyme cleaner. This breaks down the smell of cat pee better than anything else.
Cats learn very quickly, kittens learn even faster. I recently took in a feral who was a little older (about a year and a half I think) and she took up residence under my living room sofa. I put the litter box right next to the sofa so it was closeby, but she didn't use it for the first 24 hrs. The first time she pooped I picked up her poop and put it in the litterbox, uncovered. She smelled it, and came out to cover it up. Never had a problem with her using anything but the litterbox since.
If your kitten is extremely young they may need help. How old / big is the kitten? When they're really small their mothers normally expel their waste, and when kittens are orphaned the rescuer has to do that manually. I think you're talking about an older kitten, though. Make sure the litter box is something they can actually get into, the sides aren't too tall.
As far as getting the kitten to trust you, there's a lot of good advice out there on the web and here on this forum. The kitten needs to learn that you are not only safe but a reliable, non-threatening source of food and affection. First order of business is to establish a routine, feed at certain times (even if the kitten doesn't eat when you put it down, establish a routine that 'the food gets placed out at these times').
Sit in the room, low to the ground, lie on the floor if you can, even while the kitten is in hiding. That puts you on their level. If you do that and you ignore them, they get used to your scent and learn that you're not there to harm them. If the kitten makes eye contact with you, try slowly blinking, then look away. That communicates affection. To feral cats, holding direct eye contact usually signals a threat, so don't stare. This sounds goofy but I promise it works.
Watch the kitten's body language. If it's hunched up tight with a rounded back and the feet and tail close, it's feeling fearful. When it seems the kitten is starting to relax more, use a wand toy to try and initiate play. Once the kitten starts playing with the toy it will feel less fearful and you can use the toy to start drawing them out to get closer to you. Let the kitten decide when it's ready to be pet, picked up, etc.
When that trust is established you'll have a very loving kitty on your hands. My feral I rescued less than 2 months ago slept on my chest last night, and is my constant shadow now.
Good luck!
If your kitten is extremely young they may need help. How old / big is the kitten? When they're really small their mothers normally expel their waste, and when kittens are orphaned the rescuer has to do that manually. I think you're talking about an older kitten, though. Make sure the litter box is something they can actually get into, the sides aren't too tall.
As far as getting the kitten to trust you, there's a lot of good advice out there on the web and here on this forum. The kitten needs to learn that you are not only safe but a reliable, non-threatening source of food and affection. First order of business is to establish a routine, feed at certain times (even if the kitten doesn't eat when you put it down, establish a routine that 'the food gets placed out at these times').
Sit in the room, low to the ground, lie on the floor if you can, even while the kitten is in hiding. That puts you on their level. If you do that and you ignore them, they get used to your scent and learn that you're not there to harm them. If the kitten makes eye contact with you, try slowly blinking, then look away. That communicates affection. To feral cats, holding direct eye contact usually signals a threat, so don't stare. This sounds goofy but I promise it works.
Watch the kitten's body language. If it's hunched up tight with a rounded back and the feet and tail close, it's feeling fearful. When it seems the kitten is starting to relax more, use a wand toy to try and initiate play. Once the kitten starts playing with the toy it will feel less fearful and you can use the toy to start drawing them out to get closer to you. Let the kitten decide when it's ready to be pet, picked up, etc.
When that trust is established you'll have a very loving kitty on your hands. My feral I rescued less than 2 months ago slept on my chest last night, and is my constant shadow now.
Good luck!
