How do I stop my 4 week-old kittens from eating cat litter?

Question

I have a problem with my 4 week-old kittens. They are consistently trying to eat out of their mommie's litter box. If I take them out, and leave the room, they start up again. What can I do? Sick answers will be reported to Yahoo!

Answer 1

Kittens, like human babies/toddlers, go through an oral phase where they will put anything and everything into their mouth. This does NOT mean you're not feeding them enough, or feeding them wrong.

There's not a whole lot you can do to stop them - they'll eventually outgrow the phase (should be around 6 months at the very latest, hopefully sooner).

However, and this is very, very important: do NOT use clumping clay litter while they're doing this! It can actually clump inside them, and you can imagine the results are not pretty - expensive surgery if you're lucky and possible death.

Either use a non-clumping clay litter (they are a pain because you have to completely change them a lot (every other day or so), but this is only temporary), or a digestible litter - there are a few that are made from corn or wheat - they do clump, but if a kitten swallows them they'll just be digested and passed. Go to a pet store and you'll find them. "World's Best Cat Litter" is a brand many people are very happy with.

Answer 2

Clumping type litter is murder to a kitten's intestines. Kittens will normally experiment with eating litter and becuase this is so, pellet-type NON-CLUMPING litter should be used until kitten is a year old. Clumping clay litter, which forms a hard ball when it gets wet, is
one of the most harmful types on the market. Several brands use this
clay to make thier litter easier to scoop. What makes it clump? It's anatural clay ingredient called sodium bentonite. In this case,"natural" is not always safe. Here's the problem: When this clay getswet it expands and forms a hard mass. So when your cat or kitten digs in the litter box it's stirring up clay dust and breathing it in. Once it gets into their lungs, it expands from the moisture, and in timebuilds up, causing all sorts of lung problems like the ones mentioned
above.
Change your cats litter to crystals or recycled paper pellets for the purpose.

Answer 3

It's very common for kittens to eat the kitty litter that is why it is recommended that you don't use the clumping litter until they are at least 10 weeks old. Regular litter can pass through their digestive tracts, but clumping litter will block them up and make them very sick.. It's not always easy to find non-clumping litter, but try PetSmart. At four weeks they probably have not ingested too much..Keep an eye on them to be safe...

Answer 4

4 week old kittens should not really be in the moms litter box. If you are trying to little train them it is a little early.. But maybe you can get a pop flat and put in a tiny bit of litter in it and let the kittens check it out for a few minutes and then put them back where they sleep. It might help.

Answer 5

Aer they fed regulary, kittens need at least two meals a day and also biscuits left out for them to snack on! I mix my cat litter with the glade carpet cleaner(its a powder) i only use this to make it smell nicer - they wouldn't like the taste of this although it may harm them!

Try changing the cat litter you can get a pine based one!

Answer 6

Get a natural litter. Clump litter is bad for them if they eat it.

Answer 7

all you do is get rid of the litter and have newspaper at the bottom of the box!

Answer 8

See the link below 2 all your queries

http://www.freewebs.com/bringing-pet/

Answer 9

Sorry to say but I think if they are properly fed the would not do this, good luck.

Answer 10

leave all your questions to the experts

http://www.justanswer.com/JA/ASP_ASK/FID_23/K_587/P_0/TR/kitty-litter.htm