# NOW how do we encourage foster kittens to use their litter box???? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 7, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609 "2011-06-07T07:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Presidente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@El\_Presidente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Presidente)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/1 "2011-06-07T07:20:35Z")
My wife—EEEEEEEER “we” have agreed with a kitten adoption agency to offer a foster home to two kittens, one 4 weeks old the other 6-8 weeks until a permanent home can be found for them (I have to be honest, I think my wife has been scammed, and there is little chance a permanent home will be found, and we will be stuck with these little bastards, but thats just a side note). Anyway, after a week or so of keeping them in a cage when unsupervised, we started to allow them to roam the room we are keeping them in unsupervised, and all seemed well until a few days later, my wife and I detected an “odor”. We assumed, that maybe kittens being kittens, someone had a little accident. Then, earlier this evening, we uncovered the horror of horrors. See, the sloppy motherfuckers that we are, left a pile of papers sitting in the corner of the room we keep the kittens in, said kitten(s?), of course, shit and pissed on EVERYTHING, leaving a tremendous mess in the corner of the room, which may I add, was not the highlight of my day. My wife has since put the kittens back in the cage with their litter, with the theory that if forced to do so, they will learn to use the litter box in their cage as a bathroom. I pointed out to my wife that they knew no better, saw some media on the floor, and used it as a litter box, and did what cats do. In my mind, locking the little furry fuckers in a cage seems to be an unjust punishment: that said, I don’t want them releasing their bodily functions all over this room, either. My wife and I decided the best course of action is to let them loose only when we are in the room with the fantasy being that we will catch them in the act of peeing or shitting in the corner or elsewhere in the room (the corner has been cleaned of anything that might be mistaken for feline fecal receptors), but does anyone have any better strategies? One idea I had was to put a bowl of food near the offending area, so the kitties know not to do their business there (the old ‘don’t shit where you eat’ theory). Keep in mind these are very two very sweet kittens, and we are looking to avoid traumatizing them as little as possible for their so-called future owners! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/2 "2011-06-07T07:47:17Z")
> [@](#): > > My wife has since put the kittens back in the cage with their litter, with the theory that if forced to do so, they will learn to use the litter box in their cage as a bathroom. We too have foster kittens, and this is exactly what the shelter owner ordered us to do today to train them. She was quite adamant that if we didn’t, they’d be unadoptable. Keep them in there until they are using it regularly. If it’s a large crate, it shouldn’t be a punishment. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/3 "2011-06-07T08:53:28Z")
A trick that worked with my cat was to _thoroughly_ clean all the mess, but leave a bit of soiled paper in the litter tray. It should be the only thing in the room that smells of toilet. Each time you clean it out, wipe up a smelly bit and half bury it in the clean litter. The fact that they went for the paper suggests that they’re at least partially trained, so they should learn the new ‘rule’ within a few days. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/4 "2011-06-07T15:19:39Z")
Great idea! ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/5 "2011-06-07T15:49:51Z")
Why not put a litter box in that corner of the room? Pick the little guys up, put them in the box and gently move their front paws to show them how to dig in the litter. I’ve never needed more than that to litter train a kitten. Also, use some of that enzyme stuff to clean the area you don’t want them pooping in. That will remove all the odors. ---
**Author:** ![G-SE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@G-SE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G-SE)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/6 "2011-06-07T16:19:34Z")
Like Finagle said. I’ve had cats all my life, and all I’ve ever done is dig with their paws in the litter to show them that it is diggable, and presto! I’ve also done a little praise/reward in the beginning if I see them using the litter correctly. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/7 "2011-06-07T16:22:59Z")
Dude, you are so screwed. Get out now while you still can. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Presidente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@El\_Presidente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Presidente)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/8 "2011-06-07T16:38:42Z")
I should point out they have been using their litter box since day one. They were using the corner of the room for a second “litter box”. I let them wander around a bit, and the good news is they sniffed around the corner of the room my wife and I cleaned up, and have not used the area for their business, so maybe we are on the right track! ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/9 "2011-06-07T16:54:04Z")
I also easily trained the kitty I had by showing her how to dig. I also started out the litter box where kitty was most comfortable. Then slowly I moved the box, little by little each day to the location in the utility room. It might help also to take the cat to the box right after eating and show the kitties how to dig. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-how-do-we-encourage-foster-kittens-to-use-their-litter-box/584609/10 "2011-06-07T21:35:29Z")
Don’t forget the little guys are still learning how far away they can go before needing to get to a litter box. If they’re using it fine in the kennel, they may have just lost their way while in the larger room. People I know who foster (a LOT of people! I work for a shelter!) will place extra boxes, like two or three, around the room where the kittens are roaming outside the kennel. Also make sure the boxes are short-sided enough for little ones to get in and out easily. The rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one, anyway, so two kittens should have three boxes, except when in the kennel of course. Thanks for fostering, shelters need all the help they can get!