Litterbox training

[pawpurrints]

So I read that it's around 3-4 weeks of age when kittens can be litterbox trained.  Right now, they often have accidents in their crate in between meals.  We help them pee and poop before and after meals, but they still have their accidents.  Do they learn on their own to "hold it in"?  And how do we know when we no longer need to stimulate their genital and anal areas to go potty?  Is it something we wait to train them on for after they start eating solids?

Our kittens are just 2 1/2 weeks old, so it's early still, but we want to be ready and know what signs to look for that they're ready.  

 

[mamabirdy]

Do you have a litter tray in the crate with them, with non clumping litter? We have a pen that our kitty's went into at 3 weeks and put a tray in there and they started using it by themselves. We also had a tray outside the pen so that when Mommy needed to go she used that and the babies watched her and when they were let out if the pen, they would go and sniff what Mommy had done.

 

[pawpurrints]

Thanks for the reply, mama....

They are just 2 1/2 weeks old, and are still sleeping in a small plastic cat carrier with the heating pad and blankets of course.  We have a large dog kennel (the kind w/ bars for labradors - our lab hasn't used it in years, so it's just been collecting dust).  When the kittens were old enough, we were going to move their little cat crate in the kennel, then just remove the door so they can go from their sleeping warm area and wander around.

Our kittens were orphaned, so no mamma kitten to show them the ropes.  Should we go ahead and set up the large kennel for them?  I can set up a litterbox.  I know we should use non-clumping, but is there a particular brand that's safest? I do worry about them eating it.

 

[catsallaround]

Watch those metal crates they will find a way out. I had thought it was ok put them in left came back to find a kitten out with the cats.  My cats were all semi used to them as I had left them out in room while I was there after eyes opened for short periods but the poor kitten was crying.  They were about a month or so when I made that mistake.

I would not leave a litter in just yet as they are still in the eat everything and sleep anywhere.  Continue to offer the box to them with a tiny layer of non clump litter
 

I always found tidy cats red label to work well.  And if you go to  bj's or club store they have 40/50lb bags very cheap. 

When I had that litter they got the idea of the litter but still had many accidents till 6-8 weeks.  Take a poop or two and add it to the litter box(cardboard trays from canned food worked well for a few weeks for us)  if you find pee absorb a little with some litter and add to the box.

The mom teaches them alot so expect them to be off a few weeks but keep trying!  They will get it sooner or later.  Especially once the sharp one picks it up the others follow.  I had mine watch the adults and try to get in the huge boxes I had set up for them.  

 

[pawpurrints]

We had one kitty leave a nice untouched pile of poop earlier  LOL I should have saved it because I just now went out and got litter.  i ended up getting pine.  I got a nice shaped box from Costco to use for the box.  Also some cat liners.

Thanks for the advice on the dog crate.  I guess kittens are like ferrets -- if their head fits through, so will the rest of them  LOL  I've had ferrets fit through a hole the size of a quarter!  Maybe we'll just let them lose in the dog crate if we're in the room, then lock them up in the smaller crate when we're not around.

 

[catsallaround]

Pine is one of those litters that some cats just do not see as litter.  If they take to it great but if rehoming they may be particular to that brand so something to keep in mind to tell potential adopters.  Cat liners and those kitten claws probably will not last to long and the shreds will turn into fast toys.  Not sure if you have clipped nails yet-I know that was thing I did first as darn those nails are sharp and when they eat they get fiesty demanding the milk coming in faster as they get older!

I always found that a plastic dog crate worked wonders.  Or even a spare ferret cage maybe-I picked up a ferret cage someone was dumping.  base was plastic with tiny wire spacing.  Looked odd but worked wonders. 
 

 

[pawpurrints]

OOOOH yeah you're right, those ferret litterboxes would have been great!  After our last ferret died last year, we donated all the ferret cage and litterboxes to the shelter.

Yes I've clipped their nails.  I never had problems clipping all of my pets nails  I got the liners just for now.  I know our cat used to tear up the liners, so I stopped using them.  But I figure, the kittens won't be unsupervised in the box the first few times, so the liners should suffice until they're older.

I actually wanted to use cat crystals.  That's what we used for our cat since he was a kitten until he passed away.  Love the stuff, but I wasn't sure if it was safe for the kittens.  We'll see how the pine 

We don't plan on adopting them out...originally, when we had the 4, we thought of adopting out 2.  But now that there's only 3, we can't picture splitting them up.

Worse case, we'll attempt to switch to crystals gradually.  Our cat that passed away had no problems going from clay to crystals.  Guess we were lucky.

 

[catsallaround]

Yeah I know how it is with 3!!!  We had 6!  then 2 died minutes apart and 1 a week after.  You can't split 3 up.

I used crystal when kittens are older and past that eat it stage but still young enough to be open enough to try it.  If they eat the wood it will expand/dehydrate them I would think?  The crystal was always accepted easily in my house-but think that it feel to them like litter as opposed to switching to wood or pellet paper litter.

When I took one to the vet the vet tech was surprised nails were not sharp and I was like oh yeah I trimmed them already.  I feel bad for when I have a mom and litter just cause they hurt!  All my cats are fixed for the record-I took in a few over years already pregnant or was "gifted" a mom and her 6 babies.
 

 

[pawpurrints]

Ok, so, odd how excited I am....I got some non clumping litter (Tidy cats as was suggested). I put Blue in there, he squatted and pee'd!  then I put Leo in there, nothing...but a few minutes later, Leo went back IN the box on his own, squatted for a while, adn when he left, PEE!!  LOL!!!

I know accidents will continue, but I'm so thrilled that they even had a clue what to do in there without me stimulating them

 

[catsallaround]

WOOHOO!!! They are getting it!!! Great job!

 

[pawpurrints]

I do worry about them swallowing.  I watch them carefully and if their head dips, I block it.  But once, with Leo, I don't know if he wanted to lick it or if his head just dipped by accident, but I picked him up and brushed a piece off his nose.  He also looked like he was trying to spit something out.  Should I worry if he swallowed a bit?  Blockages and all.  It's the non-clumping kind.

 

[catsallaround]

As long as he is not head down out right eating it I would not worry.  You are doing fine with how your watching them.  I had an ex friend that always had kittens at her house.  They would just let moms use regular clumping litter and never watched  
 

The kittens we took from bush all had mouths packed with dirt.  They were there a few hours we found out and either tried to nurse or just crying/rooting got it packed.  I was using qtips and my finger to get it all out.

 

[pawpurrints]

Thanks for the reassurance.  With these little guys, I'm always worrying about every little thing.  I have a large saltwater tank that I'm also very cautious with...researching everything!

 

[pawpurrints]

Is it sad that I got excited when Leo pooped one super long perfectly formed poop?  

  LOL  I mean, it was textbook poop!  One...long...strip.  Too bad it wasn't in the litterbox, but it wasn't his fault...my little one had put this mesh hamper on him, and before I could tell him to take it off, Leo squatted and pooped  LOL

They've been doing more or less really well about going in the box to pee, but their sheets still get pee'd on, but definitely not as bad as before.

 

[catsallaround]

I ran into the issue that the pee was more easily stimulated by them being with siblings but the poops had more control.  I picked one up one night in dark and was like hmm its wet...ugh its pee!!!