One of the main things that every new kitten owner worries about is litter training . but dont worry! with a little patience and proper guidance you will be able to achieve this milestone in no time. lets learn more about how to litter train kittens.
New born Kittens do not urinate or pass stools on thier own the mother stimulates them by licking thier lower belly area to help them pass urine. A new born kitten will not pass more than a few drops at the most. Incase you are raising an orphan kitten you can help them stimulate by gently massaging the lower belly with your finger for about 30 seconds two to three times daily. Make sure to be gentle.
when and how to litter train kittens.
things you need.
- Litter Box: Make sure the litter box is the right size so your kitten can climb in and out without any difficulty this should not be much of a problem as you can find many sizes available.
- Litter: There is an ample variety of different kinds available in the market choose the one that best suits you. You can find clumping, non clumping, crystal and many others as well. I personally prefer Purina Tidy Cats Non Clumping Litter System, as its easy to clean and has no odor. Where as the other clumping litter can get messy and smelly as well which is not a great thing for your and your cats hygiene.
- Lastly you need a Scoop and gloves to scoop out the solid pieces every now and then to keep the litter box cleaner.
- you can purchase the whole set from the following link.
how to:
- Simply lift your kitten and gently place her on the litter and leave her there for the next few minutes 90% of the time her natural instincts will lead her and you will see her dig with her paws and go!
- If by chance you notice your kitten is not getting the hang of it don’t worry patiently keep putting her back in the litter box frequently say about 5 minutes after she has eaten to make her understand the message.
- Place the litter box in a quiet place not too far from where she sleeps so as not to instil fear.
- Also make sure to place it in the same place she might have soiled previously.
- As they will always try to soil in the same place.
REFUSAL TO USE LITTER BOX/SOILING OUTSIDE THE BOX.
There could be many reasons for your kitten to refuse to use the litter box.
- Firstly check with your local vet to rule out any under lying medical condition such as urinary tract infection. [UTI]
- Other than that maybe the location of the litter box might be making it uncomfortable if it’s in a very noisy or populated place, or it’s too far from the kittens regular hang outs.
- Litter box is not cleaned regularly or is very soiled.
- Do not use any strong smelling detergents to clean the litter box or the area nearby as cats repel the smell of disinfectants and try to stay clear of it.
- Multiple cats using the same litter box. Cats are very particular about thier personal space while doing thier business and usually dont prefer to share the l itter box with each other.
spraying and soiling.
Nothing matches the horror of any cat owner who comes home only to be greeted by a foul smelling couch or sofa cushion sprayed on by urine!!! if you see your male cat standing in an erect position with his back slouched and his backside facing your couch, tail vibrating while spraying urine, or your usually well behaved female cat peeing on your pillow. This behaviour is called spraying or soiling.
There are a lot of factors that lead to this kind of behaviour. the most common being the heat period. This is when your male or female cat reaches sexual maturity and is ready to find a mate, in the absence of whom your cat will start to not only act aggressively but will also start to spray the house with his urine.
One way to deal with this is to have your cat neutered or spayed in which case they wont be able to reproduce and hence thier heat cycle will come to an end. However in case you are not intending to get then neutered for what ever reason it may be here are a few tips that might help.
- Find your cat a mate. This will most probably help in making them less aggressive and usually helps in stopping him from spraying around.
- Get a Cat Repellent. These are sprays sprays that contain smells that repel cats in general such as most citrus smells like lemon and orange or even tea tree oil. these are harmless and come in quite handy in stopping your cat from getting into places you dont want them to be in.