Kitten Adoption: Tips for Litter Training and Scratching

In trying to decide whether or not to adopt a kitten, one generally contemplates two issues which can and do arise with having a pet kitten: litter training and scratching. In the attempt to domesticate a feline, it is important to remember that one fact. Cats are animals, and with that come their inherent nature to revert to habits of the wild and instinctive behaviors which assist them in the wild. By keeping this in mind, it will help the new owner approach teaching and training with patience.

Litter Box Training

Once the decision to adopt a kitten has been made, it is important that you find out some information about your kittens life up to that point. If you adopt from a shelter or pet store, you may want to ask where they got the kitten from. If you adopt from someone whose cat had kittens, again ask what their life was like up to the point you adopt. It is important to know whether or not the kittens were born and raised as indoor or outdoor kittens, because this knowledge will help you in your efforts to litter box train once you have them in your home.

If the kitten was born and raised outside, they may have a tendency to want to maintain those outside habits inside your home. You may find that they might try and use your plants as a litter box. A kitten that was born and raised, for the first several weeks, inside by its mother will have the advantage of its mother's help in the litter training process, and other domestications. Kittens, generally, can begin to use a litter box at about four weeks of age, and a kitten being raised without its mother or adult cat will take slightly longer to litter train; so, keep this in mind when you begin the task of litter training your kitten.