I need help litterbox training my kitten!?

Question

He is about four months old now. He usually stays outside because we cant get him to use the box but we bring him to visit, eat some extra snacks and play with our other house cats. We really want him to be a house cat because he is just the sweetest kitten ever.
I don't know what to do. All of our other cats, we just show them the box and they know what to do.
My grandma says to get a crate, put a little shoe box with some litter in it and then lock him in the crate and then he will learn wear to go because he wont want to have it where he sleeps. Does this sound cruel to anybody else?

Please help! He is such a sweet kitten and we will be getting him fixed soon. I really want him to be trained by then because then we can get him declawed at the same time. He can't go outside if he's declawed.

Thanks for all of the answers. These are great but I've already tried showing him how to dig in the box, I've had him watch other cats go especally the one that he likes so much.

Please don't judge me for having the cat de-clawed. I feel bad about it and I know it's cruel but thats my parents rule and I still live at home so unless the cat is de-clawed, he can't be a house cat. We live in a rural area so if he stays outside he will be more likely to get attacked by wild animals or get on the road.

Thanks for all of the answers. These are great but I've already tried showing him how to dig in the box, I've had him watch other cats go especally the one that he likes so much.

Please don't judge me for having the cat de-clawed. I feel bad about it and I know it's cruel but thats my parents rule and I still live at home so unless the cat is de-clawed, he can't be a house cat. We live in a rural area so if he stays outside he will be more likely to get attacked by wild animals or get on the road. I know that it is dangerous for a declawed cat to go outside so we are very careful not to let them get anywhere near the doors when we are exiting.

Well, he's been in the crate for about 24 hours, with time out to eat, and he finally used the litter box in the crate! Before he was going everywhere else in the crate BUT in the box.

Answer 1

You need more than one litter box. Your Grandmother's suggestion is a good one. I've had cats all my life and I've usually put a litter box in a room where he won't be distracted by the other cats. Put him in the litter box and take his front paws and make him scratch in the litter. Do this a few times then shut the door and leave him there all night...by morning he should be trained. It's never failed me yet.

Answer 2

I know that if kittens are left with their litter box trained mother for 8 weeks they learn automaticly from the mother what to do - that's why it's so important to leave kittys with mom as long as possible.

I agree with your grandma somewhat - get a crate large enough for a blanket/sleeping area and a litter box - pick up some of his droppings and kinda bury them under the surface of the clean litter. This will help him figure out what to do. Its ok to take him out but make sure you watch him very very closely because if he has an accident anywhere it will make him go back to that spot. If he does then clean it really well. Eventually he should learn what to do. Sometimes you have to watch and when the kitten goes to the bathroom take one paw gently in your hand an sort of 'cover' his mess with his paw so he sees what he's supposed to do.

I have a slight problem with you asking "is it cruel to lock him in a crate" when only one paragraph away you talk about mutilating a sweet kitten by having his claws removed. Don't you know that declawing a cat can cause some horrible behavior problems, is NOT needed, is CRUEL, and if your house ever caught fire, or there was a family emergency and he got loose the kitten would be completely defenseless. I have heard of many, many cats who had their claws removed and then became very mean and started biting - it can happen to any cat when you put them through such a trauma. Please recondsider and think of how you would feel if you were him!

It's great that you want to keep your cat indoors, it's wonderful that you are having him fixed, but it's cruel to declaw a cat.

Answer 3

PLEASE DON'T DECLAW!!!!
Why Cats Need Claws
http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm
Try Soft Claws http://www.softclaws.com/

Make sure your kitten knows the location of the litter box in her new surroundings. Make sure the box is not in a noisy or hard-to-reach place. Soon after you bring your kitten home, take her to the litter box at a quiet time. Place her into the litter box, gently take her front paws and show her how to scratch at the litter once or twice. Don't worry if she jumps right out again. Place her in the box at the times throughout the day when a cat would normally go to the bathroom: first thing in the morning, and after meals, playing, and waking up from a nap. Remember that cats prefer privacy when using the litter box, so once you see that she has used the box, leave her alone.

Most cats will make the adjustment to a new litter box without any problems. However, if there are any accidents, don't scold or punish your cat. Yelling or using a squirt bottle will only confuse and scare your cat, and she won't understand why you are upset. Instead, clean up the accident with an enzyme cleaner to remove stains and odor. Then go back to square one, placing the kitten in the litter box frequently until she starts using it. If the accidents continue, or if you are noticing any diarrhea or straining, have your kitten examined by your veterinarian to rule out any possible medical problems. Cats with urinary tract disease or intestinal parasites may stop using the litter box.

The rule of thumb here is that you should provide one litter box per cat, plus one extra. While this may seem excessive to us, cats are very fastidious and some cats will not use a litter box that other cats have used. Some cats also prefer to use one box to urinate in and another to defecate in. If your house has several levels, make sure there are litter boxes on every floor.

Try this litter Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Cat Litter
* Designed to make it easier to get cats of all ages trained or re-trained to use the litterbox.
* Unique herbal scent which is proven to attract cats.
* Each bag includes a booklet with step-by-step instructions for using Cat Attract and useful tips for getting any cat to use the litter box.
**You can purchase at your local PetSmart or Petco**

Answer 4

It's not cruel to keep the kitten in a crate over night or when you can't "watch" him.. no

If you dontt have a large crate, maybe you can borrow one. Consider using one of those disposable cake pans for the litter. cardboard boxes might leak?

Putting the kitten into a crate at night or from time to time during the day, will protect your furniture and carpeting from "accidents" and wont' hurt the kitten a bit... you can put a catnip toy into the crate with him... and a small container of water if you like.

You can also do a yahoo search for LITTER TRAINING A CAT. I'm sure you will find a lot of helpful advice...

take care and all the best.

Answer 5

What cats want
The majority of cats prefer:
- a large box that is easy to enter, with a low to moderate level of litter;
- an uncovered box;
- either the type of litter on which they were trained on or clumping litter;
- unscented litter;
- a box that is located in a quiet but not “cornered” location—i.e., the cat likes to be able to see if someone is approaching, and they like to have more than one exit;
- above all, cats want a CLEAN box.

WHAT TO DO:
1. It is imperative to evaluate and rule out a medical cause for the problem. Have your cat checked thoroughly by your veterinarian first.
2. Remove covers from litter boxes.
3. Give the cat a choice of litter types. Cats generally prefer unscented clumping litter with a medium to fine texture.
4. Scoop at least once a day. Once a week, clean the entire box with warm water (no soap) and completely replace litter.
5. Clean “accidents” thoroughly with an enzymatic cleanser designed to neutralize the odor.
6. If the cat is soiling around just a few spots in the home, place litter boxes there. If it is not possible put a box in one of these spots, place the cat’s food bowl, water bowl, bed, and/or toys in the area to discourage elimination.
7. Offer different types of litter in boxes placed side-by-side to allow the cat to demonstrate his preferences for litter type.

WHAT NOT TO DO:
- Do not rub the cat’s nose in his elimination.
- Do not scold the cat and carry or drag him to the litter box.
- Do not use an ammonia-based cleanser. Urine contains ammonia, and cleaning with an ammonia-based formula could attract the cat back to the same spot to urinate again.

Special Tips for Multi-Cat Households
As a general rule, the number of boxes available should be at least one more than the number of cats in the home (i.e. 3 cats = 4 boxes).


please do not declaw until you have tried training first

this will help you train the cat not to tear up the house
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_bytoothandnail

this will help you with the cat scratching people
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_scratching

this will help teach you how to keep your cat from getting bored resulting in clawing
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_enrichment

this will help with controlling claw damage too
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_claws

Answer 6

well its really easy just make sure he knows wear the litter box is keep setting him in it every lil bit....my cat got the idea really easy and she was over a year old and she was inside and outside
and ya know what i understand declawing is "mean" but ya know what im getting my cat done he is about 4 and half months now i want to get him fixxed first at a clenic to see if that clams him down but if he doesn't i figure hes an as shole now it can make him mean when you get them declawed they say...but it would be nice for him to be declawed so he can't hurt us any more and won't hurt a baby later
just make sure you get him fixxed soon (im calling the vet in about an hour lol) b4 they start spraying

Answer 7

Cats are usually drawn to kitty litter to do their business, but in this instance, I would set him in the kitty box and hold his front paws and move them like he is scratching at the litter (and do it often). I do this with new kittens and it has always worked. I have never had a problem with a kitten not continuing to use the box. Good luck!

Answer 8

I actual have had a lot of journey with kittens as we used to strengthen Siamese cats. They take differnt cases to income to apply the clutter container, and their mothers at the instant are not all the comparable opinion approximately while to instruct them to apply it. For some this is a tremendous problem in the event that they circulate on the floor for others it is no longer. you may attempt to instruct them with the aid of having them smell the poo, treating the kitten very gently and not scaring it, then take them to the container and help them dig with the front paws, exhibiting them that this is the placement. This now and returned works. some cats, with the aid of their very own selection, no longer by way of fact they have been taught, do no longer prefer to have one container for the two pee and champagne, they like 2 separate packing boxes.

Answer 9

Every time he finishes a meal take him to the litter tray You should have one litter tray per cat. With younger kittens it should take about 5 mins to train them (it did with our kitten)

Good luck! And dont Declaw

Answer 10

Did you try taking its foot and scratching it in the litter box so they know that they can move it around and that is where they should go. Cats like to bury their deposits lets say, if you show that it can bury it there then it should always go there.