Feral kittens and their litter boxes

by Pamela
(Portland, Oregon)

A nice neighbor GAVE us two feral kittens. I introduced them to the litter box first thing even before food and water.

They pooped and peed on our bed. So I re-introduced them to the proper litter box, washed the quilts, and kept the door shut.

They've since pooped and peed on another bed, a carpet runner, and (I hope) no where else.

Repeat first set of measures, plus putting some of their poop in the real litter box, changing the litter from pine pellets to clay (it's hard to find non-clumping litter, and clumping can kill kittens), have bought two more boxes and placed them in the upstairs bathroom (they sleep upstairs) and a small box close to where they eat.

So far, so good (I hope). I've never had a litter box problem with any of our previous cats or kittens, going back 60-plus years.

My thoughts: I'm glad to hear that things are going more smoothly. Some readers have had luck with cats that have previously used outdoor bathrooms when they've placed a bit of grass and dirt in the box.

Others have told me that adding Cat Attract to the litter helped, but obviously, not all kittens respond the same way.

Some cats seem to dislike the pine pellets and may refuse to use the box because, the theory goes, they have sensitive feet and don't like the feel. It also doesn't match the sandy substrate that cats would normally gravitate towards if left on their own outdoors.

There are some recycled newspaper litters that may be more appealing than the pine pellets to some cats. Unfortunately, it's trial and error and the "errors" are always a pain to deal with.

I hope the good things continue for you and your new kittens.
-Kurt