This is my very first blog and I decided to do it about the thing I had been having the most problems with: Litter box training kittens.
Okay, so recently me and my friend just acquired a pair of kittens. A gray salt and pepper boy (he was the biggest in the litter) and a black and white girl (the runt). Now, my friend who had the cats first told me that they wouldn't use the litter box. She knew the signs of them having to go but they just wouldn't relieve in the box. I went through a whole list of reasons why they wouldn't go in the box.
1) Too many cats using one box
2) Wrong size box
3) Wrong type of litter
4) Not enough litter boxes
So, when we brought them home we had one litter box in a corner complete with litter box liners with sufficient litter and plastic trash bags around it so they wouldn't mess up the floor. For the first 3-5 days we did the typical training methods. Repeatedly placing them in the box when they did the telltale signs: suddenly running off, scratching at the floor, circling an area, squatting. I would catch them a lot of the times but, of course, sometimes I didn't. From what I had researched, it was said that kittens can learn to use the litter boxes in a few days, but they just wouldn't do it unless I put them in it.
I noticed something about the kittens when they would use the box. They would scratch at the garbage bags around it and go or when they were in the box they would scratch at the liner. I figured that the plastic was confusing them as to where they should go potty. So, I took away the bags, dumped the litter, removed the liner and put fresh litter in. It helped a bit. They started realizing that they were supposed to go in the box, but then I noticed that they would want to potty together or right after each other. This wasn't working because they move around a bit to use the bathroom. I decided it was time for a second box with different litter. Maybe this would help....it didn't. At least not really. I put them next to each other because I read that some cats like to urinate and defecate in different boxes and that some wanted their own boxes period. Yeah. Sooooo did not help. I thought that placing one in a different area would work.....no help there either.
Finally I had had enough. They didn't seem to fully understand what the box was for and when to use it. So, I researched more methods of training. I finally ran across one method that no one really seemed to talk about. I can't remember the website right now, but when I find it, I'll post the link. Anyway, the method stated that one way to make sure your kittens learn what a litter box is for is to place them and the box in a room together for a while, check on them every hour and award them either with treats or playtime, and then put them back in the room. Don't give them total free run off your house until they are using the litter boxes on their own. As of right now, I followed the rules and after about 3-4 hours I checked on them and one of them used it.
So, I let them both out for a few hours and put them right back in about 3 hours later. When I took them out the girl was out for a little bit and then had to potty. She went to the box 1st box (near the patio door) without any form of provocation! I left them out and a few hours later the boy ran into the bathroom where the 2nd box is (the one I had them in the room with) and used the potty! You're talking about one proud pet parent and the best thing is THEY HAVEN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT ALL DAY! I'm going to keep this up for a few more days until I'm certain that it has stuck and then we'll move on to water training and chew training. Meaning, getting them used to taking baths and stopping them from chewing on wires. Oh, and keeping them off the furniture, but I might be a bit more lenient on that one.
Well that's all for tonight! Ja ne!
