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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/litter training orphaned kitten

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 7/17/2009


Question
I have an orphaned 6-7 wk. old kitten. I got a litter box and set her in it after I massage her belly, but I am not sure what else I can do to teach her to use it. do I just keep encouraging her? Shouldn't she be using the litter box after each meal?

Answer
Ali,

She should be put in there about 5 minutes after she eats. She needs her tummy massaged if you are bottle feeding her.

You may want to try dirt at first, or regular sand. The kitten may not know what litter is for, but instinct will kick in with dirt.

If you have a large carrier you may want to put her in that with a litterbox for a couple of hours after she eats so she basically would be forced to use it.

She may be scared to go until she is more acclimated to her new home and people. Or she may be constipated. You may want to get her examined.

It's best to have 2 kittens when they are that age. A kitten needs  the security and companionship of another kitten and they learn from each other too. Plus they need the company of another kitten when they are scared, and to play kitten games with that a human can't do.

Tabbi

Suggestion: put a little stripe of butter down her front legs (she will lick it off) and a little oil in her food. That will help grease her insides.  

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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