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Kittens!!! Grr!
Chit Chat
Kittens!!! Grr!
<font color="#ffffff">Take a bridal break and chat about anything but your planning woes!</font>
My cat had kittens. There are 6 weeks old now. They started eating solid food but mama cat has not taught them to use the frickin' litter box!! I have kept one near them the whole time!! I clean up my
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Chit Chat
Kittens!!! Grr!
<font color="#ffffff">Take a bridal break and chat about anything but your planning woes!</font>
My cat had kittens. There are 6 weeks old now. They started eating solid food but mama cat has not taught them to use the frickin' litter box!! I have kept one near them the whole time!! I clean up my
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Forums > General Wedding Planning Topics > Chit Chat > Kittens!!! Grr!

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Forums  >  General Wedding Planning Topics  >  Chit Chat  >  Kittens!!! Grr!

Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 6/29/2009 2:32 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 My cat had kittens. There are 6 weeks old now. They started eating solid food but mama cat has not taught them to use the frickin' litter box!! I have kept one near them the whole time!! I clean up my last little poo and pee puddles this morning! I have locked them in the bathroom with food, water and litter box. I am hoping the small quarters will help them learn. But we only have one bathroom, so this isn't going to work forever! I guess having them in there is less gross then their accidents in corners and on the rug but I can't stand the idea of taking a shower next to their litter box or accidents on the floor. I am so frustrated right now!!

Anyone have any advice before I call FH's friend who I know owns a gun? I wouldn't really do that... but FH wants to me take the kittens and mom and drop them at the pound. I just don't have the heart to do this! But I can't clean up their poop forever either! And no one is going to take the kittens if they aren't litter trained. I neep help!!
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 6/29/2009 2:36 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 In Response to Kittens!!! Grr!:
My cat had kittens. There are 6 weeks old now. They started eating solid food but mama cat has not taught them to use the frickin' litter box!! I have kept one near them the whole time!! I clean up my last little poo and pee puddles this morning! I have locked them in the bathroom with food, water and litter box. I am hoping the small quarters will help them learn. But we only have one bathroom, so this isn't going to work forever! I guess having them in there is less gross then their accidents in corners and on the rug but I can't stand the idea of taking a shower next to their litter box or accidents on the floor. I am so frustrated right now!! Anyone have any advice before I call FH's friend who I know owns a gun? I wouldn't really do that... but FH wants to me take the kittens and mom and drop them at the pound. I just don't have the heart to do this! But I can't clean up their poop forever either! And no one is going to take the kittens if they aren't litter trained. I neep help!!
Posted by Bets0731


You're not going to like this one: why was that cat not spayed?

You already have a problem finding homes for the kittens -- and an intact female cat can present with a great many medical problems.

I very strongly suggest you call your vet and schedule a spay ASAP.

I am also inclined to conclude that since your cat sprung a litter she's most likely an indoor and outdoor cat, unless you have an un neutered male cat living in your home (and if that is the case, he should have been neutered eons ago, along with the spay that should have taken place but did not). Don't get me started on cats that are permitted to go out doors and what can happen to a cat that's allowed to do so.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 6/29/2009 3:08 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 I know and I agree with you. We were late on getting her spayed. We took her in as a stray and we didn't make it a priority to get it done. Unfortunately, what's done is done. We plan on getting her fixed as soon as the kittens are weaned and she is strictly indoors until then.

In the mean time I am going nuts! We have several people interested in giving the kittens homes, but I know no one really wants to take a kitten who isn't litter trained. I guess I always thought that the mama cat's taught them by example and even if she didn't the kittens, if shown a few times got the hang of it pretty quick. That apparently is not the case! As I said I enclosed them in a smaller space, thinking maybe they just had too many options before so didn't make the connection. But if this doesn't work, I don't know what to do! We only have one bathroom so I can't keep them in their forever!
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 6/29/2009 3:58 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 How old are they? You don't separate them from their mother before 10-12 weeks. They should have it straightened out by then.

As for ideas, corral them into a corner of the kitchen with pet or kid gates, like these : http://www.discount-pet-mall.com/pet-supplies/pet-gates/

Sorry about the mess, but that's how baby animals roll. Should've thought of that when you put off spaying her.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 6/29/2009 4:37 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 When we got my cats, they weren't litter trained. It took awhile, they didn't even like the litter box. Pretty soon I noticed that they were going in the same spot, actually a different one for both of them. So I bought 2 litter boxes, put one behind the tv where the boy was going, and one in the hallway, where the girl was going, and they picked up on it right away!

It was a couple very frustrating weeks tho. I feel for you. If they are always going in the same spot maybe you could try that
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 6/30/2009 6:26 AM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Oh no!  I have no idea what to tell you. I thought the mother cat just taught them.  I got my cat when he was about 8 weeks old and, never having had cats before [I had dogs growing up], thought I'd have to train him how to use the box. I was a bit freaked out about it.  Imagine my surprise and joy when I discovered that he was already box trained!  Thank God b/c I have no idea how you'd train them.  They don't exhibit 'gotta go' signs like a dog does. 

I'd contact a pet store [like PetCo] or a shelter and see what they suggest.  They may have a cat in who just had kittens too and you could foster your kittens until they learn how to use the box, and then find homes for them? 
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 6/30/2009 2:14 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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Most kittens take naturally to the scent of the litter box, the momma cat doesn't show them how to use one. If your are having a problem maybe the litter box is too tall for them? Try a top of a shoe box for now and take one kitten at a time put into the litter and scratch their front paws on it, that usually helps too. Good Luck and please spay your cat, also make sure that when you give the kittens away you have the new owners sign a form that they will spay/neuter the kitten, this can be done at 8 weeks old.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 6/30/2009 11:40 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Hi,
Yes my suggestion was going to be to get a beer or soda flat and use that as a litter box as most litter boxes are too tall for kittens than young. And a plus on that is you can throw the entire thing away (you could recycle it but well ewww) lol good luck and keep us updated
Cindy
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/1/2009 9:00 AM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Oh, see I was just assuming you weren't expecting young kittens to use a regular box. Definitely rock the box lid or soda can flat for a while. I didn't use a regular litter box with my cats until they were 6mo. old or so.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/1/2009 3:09 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 All the cats I had growing up pooped outside. No litter box or litter to deal with lol 

I know they work well with puppies, but what about piddle pads? Maybe put a couple here and there to prevent carpet stains? 

I wish I could help more, but as almost everyone here knows, I'm more of a reptile person Laughing
Take this pink ribbon off my eyes
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/2/2009 12:02 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Boooo outdoor cats, booooooooo.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/2/2009 2:55 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Danadoll, I had outdoor cats growing up too and they all did their business outside too! I grew up on horse property and it was normal to have outside cats that got all the little rodents. We didn't declaw them or anything and then make them live outside! It was just the norm. Sorry Ridley!

Well, the kitties have been in the bathroom for a few days and they seem to get it! As long as they are in there they use the box! (BTW a very shallow box they can easily get in and out of. I don't know if it is a litter box, but I found a plastic bin on sale and grabbed it.) I let them out to play after the first day and they had accidents. But then today I woke up and they were running around the house (I think FH didn't shut the door when he got up in the middle of the night) I watched them and two of them went back into the bathroom to do their business! So we are definitely making progress!

We are having people over for the 4th, so I am going to make them a little area by our washing machine in the basement. Normally the basement isn't a good place, because we have all our tools and there is an access to under the house. But I am sectioning it off with gates. I will watch the the rest of the day today to make sure they can't get out.

Thanks for all the advice! Hopefully we will be 100% trained soon!
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/2/2009 3:17 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Just a thought, my cats were scared of the washer and dryer when they were little. Now they could care less, but when they were kittens, the noise bothered them.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/2/2009 3:23 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Hopefully I won't have to do any laundry on the 4th. After that they will prob be back in the bathroom... but thanks for the heads up! They have been in the bathroom with the toliet flushing and shower going and they seem fine. So if I have a few loads to do before Sat I'm hoping they will be ok otherwise if they freak then I can keep them in the bathroom for a bit.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/2/2009 3:24 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Just wanted to say that because especially if they are still in the process of being litter trained then they might get spooked and not want to go there.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/2/2009 5:38 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Our cats were indoor/outdoor cats, but the one that stuck around the longest would bring us "gifts" in the morning. I left to walk to the school bus, and there was a dead bird on the front step. She would leave us the mice she found, too. I don't think she'd eat them, but they were always left for us in the morning lol

We have all kinds of stray cats in the backyard every morning. They like to sleep on the covered wood pile in the sun. I started leaving a water dish and some lunch meat out there. One cat in particular looks like he's had it really rough. Part of his ear is missing :( I wanted to take him to one of the ASPCA shelters around here, but if we get within 20 feet of him he bolts. 
Take this pink ribbon off my eyes
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/2/2009 6:23 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 It's poor form. Outdoor cats live half as long (on average) as indoor-only cats. So you do a cat a disservice by letting it out.
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/3/2009 6:18 AM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 We had lots of barn cats on the farm when I was a kid.  Many of them lived well into double digits, and DH and I have had to put down an indoor cat 2 years ago at the age of 8 b/c he had cancer.   Our two living ones are 11 and 5. 

One of our barn cats was absolutely magnificent.  We named her "Mama Cat" (we were never very original with their names, always naming them after some physical characteristic: Giant, Yellow, Cali for a calico, etc. . . . lol).  

The farm is on a busy state highway, but Mama Cat knew how to cross the road safely.  We would watch her walk down the driveway, and you'd see her suddenly sit down.  Within a few seconds, a car would go by.  She'd wait a few more seconds and then start walking again.  She'd sit down again each time she heard a car coming.  When she actually got to the road, she ran across.  It was a truly amazing thing to see. 

She even had several of her litters of kittens across the road at our neighbors' house.  Evidently, there were some tomcats on the farm she didn't totally trust.  She singlehandedly moved her litters of kittens across the road safely to our house when they were of the age where we needed to start helping her feed them (around 4 weeks). 

It was really astounding. 

Mama Cat was born when I was a senior in HS in Spring 1996, and she just passed last year.  My cat, Runtly, the 5y.o., is her granddaughter.  My parents' indoor cat, Flakey, who is almost 6, is her daughter. 

Barn cats are a necessary thing for farms.  They keep the rodent population down.  It's a truly symbiotic relationship. 



5,445 posts gone in The Big Change of '09

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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/3/2009 5:11 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 Our cat I was talking about before was at least 10 years old when we gave her to my dad's friends, who kept her as an outside cat. Last time I heard, she was still bringing home mice :) 

I understand what you're saying Ridley. I was too young to have a say, but she's lived a long life and has always been healthy. She had one litter, then we had her spayed. I remember all the kittens went to good homes of my parent's friends. But we took care of it and didn't let it happen again. 
Take this pink ribbon off my eyes
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Re: Kittens!!! Grr!

posted at 7/3/2009 10:18 PM CDT on weddingchannel.com
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 3 years ago my daughter found a kitten outside. He  was dirty and very hungry! We took him in. Took him to the vet and found out he has lukimunia. Although he was doing well, they didn't want to do any procedures on him. We kept him in the house, but from time to time he gets outside and runs around and then comes back in. (we don't let him out, but we have 3 kids in the house and he's pretty quick!) Last year a farmer asked me if I'd take in a cat who was pregnant. It was close to winter. We took her in and she had 8 babies!! It was tough. Since she could only feed 6 at a time, she refused 2 of them. We bottle feed them but still ended up losing one. Training them to use the litter box was awful! 2 of them would not use the same box as the others. We ended up with 4 liter boxes! The farmer took the babies when they were old enough, but we still have the momma. She is now fixed because of the male we have. She is inside/outside because she begs to go outside! She never leaves the yard. Just lays in the sun!
I feel your frustration! Keep working with them. They will get it!
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