Coming when called
Now’s also the time you want to start training your kitten to get used to coming to you when called. Treats usually work best to get your kitten to respond to you. This is helpful for when your kitten is ready to explore outdoors.
Using a litter tray
Most cats have access to the outdoors and will do their business somewhere private outside. Until then, your new kitten will require an indoor litter tray positioned well away from their food and water.
Things to think about:
Provide your kitten with access to suitable toileting facilities:
- Constant access to the tray day or night
- Location of the tray is important - even minor adjustments could lead to house soiling problems
- Away from playing children and the dog
- Your kitten needs to feel safe when using the litter tray, so position it somewhere private
- Hygiene – maintain a clean litter tray, cats don’t like being anywhere that’s dirty. They’ll choose somewhere else if their tray is not clean
It is also essential to have at least one litter tray per cat plus an extra one in a different location to ensure they feel safe and comfortable.
Placement tips of food, water & litter trays
Lots of new cat owners make this mistake: line up the food, the water and the litter tray so that they’re all close together and convenient for the cat to find and use. Given a choice, a cat will drink well away from where it eats and will definitely eat and drink far away from where it goes to the toilet.
The carrier
You want to encourage your kitten to recognise its carrier as a safe and secure place to be. Placing familiar towels or blankets inside the carrier can make the carrier more inviting.
Have the carrier available in the house where the cat is likely to visit and investigate, this will allow it time to accept the carrier as part of the furniture. With a bit of luck, you may even find your cat uses it as somewhere to relax!
The best way to get your kitten used to travelling in its carrier is to break it down in small steps, with a reward at the end of each step when the carrier is not moving. This will help your kitten to learn that movement is a positive experience.
Move, stop, reward – step-by-step and build this process up all the way to the car.