STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

RyanJ · Coach

Litterbox train a kitten?

Fireball · BCBG

I've never had to train a kitten, so I can offer no help. I would ask your vet.

Tati · Chanel

look it up in the internet or call a vet.
I'm sure its real easy, I have a kitten but it was already trained when I bought it.

RyanJ · Coach

I took her to the vet yesterday and talked to them about it. They made is sound like it was going to be really easy, but I just wondering how it went for someone who was not a vet.

Elle · Hermes

It's super easy - get a low-sided litter box and put it in a place that's easy for your little kitty to get to. Then, just go set her down in it and scratch her paw in the litter. Do it a couple times in a row, and then once every hour or two for the first day, and throughout the next couple of days until she gets it. She could be trained within the first day, or it may take a few more days depending on how young she is and her personality.

Cricket · Gucci

It is pretty easy. Did they tell you to put the kitten in a large box along w/ the litter box? That's what I did with my cat. They get the hang of it real quick. It's instinctual for them. After they go a few times in the litter box, put it in an obvious place for a little while, and put the kitty in there whenever you get the chance. Keep reminding her by digging her paws in the litter.

HTH

lsubatgirl · Gucci

Keep it in a certain room such as the bathroom for a few days with paper covering the floor and a litter box and every time it doesn't go in the box then have it smell the mess and smell the litter and they learn pretty quickly.

RyanJ · Coach

Thanks Girls. Sounds like it won't be much trouble.

dot · Marc Jacobs

Everyone has given great advice.. and yes it's really easy. Cats just know somehow...

When I first got my kitten, he only had him in one room and he went to the litterbox fine. But once we released him to the rest of the apt (which is a giant loft-style place)... I think he got lost. He peed on the couch a couple of times. I moved the litterbox closer to where he hung out.. and soon he got the hang out it. I think he just didn't really know how to get back to the litterbox once he got to other places in the apt.

Anyway, once his scent is in the box... he'll find his way.

I just wanted to suggest Nature's Miracle, an odor busting solvent for pet mistakes, in case there is an accident. It works well. They sell it at most bet stores.

RyanJ · Coach

I love the Natures Miracle to clean up. It works really well. I have a dog, so I know a little aobut accidents.

JackieO527 · Dooney & Bourke

Just put the kitten in the litter box, if the kitten makes a mess, put the kittens face next to it no in it, and then immediately bring the kitten back to the litter box. the kitten should learn very quickly. I only had to show my kitten once and she got the whole thing down pat.

dot · Marc Jacobs

quote:
Originally posted by: indiekitten
"hey, fyi, my mom trained our cats to use the toilet and it wasn't very hard at all - if you want i can tell you how.
and no, focker, cats can't flush! ;)"

OMG!!!! my bf is always busting me about how we should do this... personally, i feel a little weird about it. i love my cats, but i don't know if i want to share my toilet with them (esp. since i only have one). but i guess.. i scoop their poop so what's the difference?

Hermione · Kate Spade

hey, fyi, my mom trained our cats to use the toilet and it wasn't very hard at all - if you want i can tell you how.

and no, focker, cats can't flush! ;)

Elle · Hermes

OMG! That is too funny! I don't have a kitty to train but I'd like to hear how you did it anyway!

Hermione · Kate Spade

ok well this is what she did - she set a round plastic pan that had handles in the toilet seat and put litter in it, and set the cats (one at a time!) in it (pretty much what you do when teaching them to use a litter box - just put them in it) then after about a week of them using it, she cut a small hole in the middle of the pan. Over time she made the hole bigger and bigger until there was nothing left but the rim and the handles and then she took it off and they just balanced on the toilet seat itself. she did this b/c she hated changing litter boxes. i plan on also doing this when i get cats. of course, if you have a young kitten, you will have to use the litter box until they get big enough to use the toilet. then all you have to do is go in once in awhile and flush it.

RyanJ · Coach

quote:
Originally posted by: indiekitten
"ok well this is what she did - she set a round plastic pan that had handles in the toilet seat and put litter in it, and set the cats (one at a time!) in it (pretty much what you do when teaching them to use a litter box - just put them in it) then after about a week of them using it, she cut a small hole in the middle of the pan. Over time she made the hole bigger and bigger until there was nothing left but the rim and the handles and then she took it off and they just balanced on the toilet seat itself. she did this b/c she hated changing litter boxes. i plan on also doing this when i get cats. of course, if you have a young kitten, you will have to use the litter box until they get big enough to use the toilet. then all you have to do is go in once in awhile and flush it."

I am going to do this when my cat gets big enough. I have always wondered about that. I think it is kind of cool.Thanks!

Hermione · Kate Spade

no prob! i think everyone should do this. there just never seems to be a good place for a litterbox! (and i HATE ones that don't have covers - and some cats just won't use ones that have them)