How to Litter Box Train a New Kitten
Training a newly adopted kitten how to use the litter box may be challenging, however, with patience, time and with the aid of a few tips, kittens should fairly quickly learn where to finally do their business.
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Instructions
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Small kittens need small litter boxes. A large litter box may be quite challenging for a small new kitten to climb into, causing the kitten to look for alternative places to use. For very small young kittens, a shoe box may be a good start. The choice of litter is also important. A scent free litter is generally preferred and most kittens do much better with small grain litter.
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A common mistake new cat owners commit is allowing their new kitten the run of the house. A home in a small kitten's eyes may appear overwhelmingly large causing the kitten to sometimes get lost and be unable to find her litter box. New kittens should be placed in a small room the first days along with its litter box, until the kitten appears to become more familiar with its new environment.
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Kittens need peace and quiet when doing their business. For this very reason, busy hallways, crowded or noisy kitchens should be avoided. The ideal room would be a closet or a bathroom. Loud noises, commotion of people and any general distraction may cause the kitten to look for quieter places to use.
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Kittens tend to have bowel movements within half hour after eating. For this reason, after feeding the kitten, place her in their room with the litter box and watch carefully for the first few days. A kitten that is meowing, pawing at the floor or looking for corners, is very likely looking for a place to use as a rest room. At this point owners must be swift to pick up the kitten, place it in the litter box and praise lavishly when successfully used by giving a treat.
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Should your kitten still have accidents regardless of your eagle eyes, do not despair. Litter box training may take some time. Just as human toddlers, some learn quicker than others but all eventually get it sooner than later. If your kitten seems to have a favorite corner, you can try to place its litter box there, or as an alternative, put its food there. Cats naturally dislike using the areas where they eat to go potty. Try not to get frustrated, with time and patience eventually kitty will get a hang of it.
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Tips & Warnings
If you find a bowel movement around your home, place it in the litter box so the kitten will notice that is where it should be. Keep the litter box immaculately clean so kitty will not get upset using a dirty litter box. Always praise lavishly when kitty goes in the box, use your voice, pet the kitty and give a treat.
Never punish the kitten when it goes in the wrong spot. Rather place him gently in the litter box. Scolding a kitten minutes after finding an accident is useless. Kittens have very short term memory.
- Photo Credit Adrienne Farricelli
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Comments
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starlingbird
Aug 17, 2009
Some people will say to put the kitten's nose in their waste when they have an accident. It is not necessary to put any animal's nose into their waste! Especially a sweet little kitten! Always be patient and kind. Put the kitten into the smaller litter box and scratch their two front paws in the litter to stir their natural instinct. You may have to do it a few times until they learn the process. Never scold, hit or force their faces into their accidental waste. They learn from example and kindness...
