Litter Boxes and Kitten Instincts

A common question I get is, 'How do you litter train your foster kittens?'  The answer is very simple: I give them a litter box.  Yep, you heard me!  Cats' and kittens' instinct is to bury their poo, so if they are provided with a place to do that, they'll gravitate towards it.  Of course, kittens also learn from watching their mom, so for this litter of kittens the fact that M was such a good mom helped!

Some of my past fosters haven't had their mom around, though, but even then they've been quick learners.  For kittens who are old enough to use a litter box, it usually only takes a couple days for them to figure out that litter boxes are just perfect for pooing in, and the rest is history.  I did have one pair of boy kitties who, for whatever reason, liked to poo in the bathtub... but they definitely could've picked a worse spot, so I wasn't too mad!

For kittens who are just learning to use a litter box, I like to use something like Yesterday's News for litter.  Young kittens are curious little things, and they inevitably try to eat the litter.  The newspaper litter is usually in big enough pieces that the kittens can't actually eat it, although they do like to bat it around on the floor.  As they get older and more sure of their litter box skills, I transition them to something that's nicer for me to scoop and a better for clumping, such as World's Best Cat Litter.  I like this litter because it smells nice and is less dusty than traditional clay litters.  For cats or kittens who are having trouble with picking up good litter box habits, giving them clay-based litters can help.  This seems to be more true for kittens who lived outdoors at one point; the clay litter must be more like soil, so using that (at least at first) helps them learn what the litter box is for.

M didn't understand the litter box at first, but she quickly caught on when I provided a clay-based litter.  By the time the kittens were old enough to start using a litter box she was a pro, which helped as they learned!

Here's Randy, showing off his skills.  He was also the main culprit for picking up pieces of the newspaper litter and batting them across the floor, silly boy!  To kittens, everything is a toy!

Obi-Wan Kittenobi

'These are not the kittens you're looking for...'

Kitten Photo Shoot: 1 Month Old

Ah yes, another look back at the kittens when they were younger, thanks to Jason and Ella.  These were taken before the kittens' pen was dismantled and they were given free rein over the whole room.  It's obvious they were more than ready to be out of there, and they were definitely happy to be able to sprint around the whole room... all day and night.

Vlad, showing off her climbing skills and her white spots, and also making a plea to be let out.

Elektra uses her big kitty eyes to say 'pleeease open the door?'

Once it's open, Randy is the first one out of the gate!

He takes a quick sniff of the floor...

...then he's off to explore, leaving Vlad and Elektra in his dust!

Vlad and Elektra aren't quite sure about this strange guy with the camera.

Vlad is gone in a flash, leaving Elektra tentatively deciding whether to stay put or go explore with her siblings.

'Hm. No thank you, I think I'll stay here for now.'

Kittens in Training

The kittens are getting older, which means they are more playful by the day!  It's funny how they've paired up, too.  The girls, Vlad and Elektra, like to hang out together and go exploring.  The boys, Hugo and Randy, also like to hang out, and can most often be found engaging in rigorous kitten training exercises.  Here they are now, practicing their smacking skills.

Randy: 'I'm going to smack you, hold still!'

Hugo: 'Not if I smack you first! Hah!'

Adventuring Kittens

During the second kitten photo shoot with Jason Putsché Photography, we took advantage of the nice weather and went outside - with kittens! Randy and Elektra got to have a short outdoor adventure, and Jason and Ella got some great photos of kittens in the grass.

They were curious and a little unsure about things at first.

But they became comfortable quickly and started meowing and walking around!

Randy and Elektra stuck together on their short walks around the yard, and by 'short' I mean about 5 feet before we picked them up for some cuddles. We humans were never far from them, and they seemed to like walking through the grass toward the sound of our voices...

...and then yelling at us to pick them up for more cuddles once they reached us.

Elektra's Face

Look at it. She's so ridiculously cute. Ok, Randy is pretty cute, too. And we all know that M is a great mama cat. But seriously, look at Elektra's face.

Kitten Photo Shoot: 3 Weeks Old

Even though the kittens are now almost eight weeks old (!!!), we can all take a look back at them when they were just three weeks old thanks to Jason and Ella of Jason Putsché Photography. It's fun to look through the photos that Jason and Ella took, and see how M's little babies have grown. It's especially entertaining to see the same expression on the kittens' faces now as in the photos from when they were even younger!

Randy Frost looks like he's wearing a fancy evening jacket that is not quite fastened. Give him a top hat and a monocle and he's set.  His startlingly white whiskers and that little white stripe down his nose are also exceedingly cute.

Elektra King was such a tiny thing, and she still is!  I don't think she's grown into her eyes yet either - they are still big... and able to get her whatever she wants with a single glance.

Vladimira Scorpius is such a fierce, tough, brazen little kitten, who lets nothing stand in her way. You can definitely see that attitude, even in these photos from a month ago.

Little Hugo Drax wasn't feeling the best* for this photo shoot, so he didn't get as much time in front of the camera as the other kittens. He had a case of the goopy eye, but don't worry - he saw his veterinarian and we got that cleared right up! There are plenty of photos of him from their next photo shoot, which I'll be sharing soon! *It should also be noted that he wasn't as sad as this photo makes him look! He was just sleepy and comfortable in Ella's hands, and looking out the window.  :)

Thanks again to Jason and Ella! We'll see you again soon.