Coming when called
Teaching your kitten to come when called is an important training to start now. Treats can be used to reward your kitten for responding to your call. This training is especially helpful when your kitten is ready to explore the outdoors.
Using a litter tray
Many cats have the opportunity to go outside and use the bathroom there. However, until your kitten is ready to go outside, they will need a litter box inside the house. The litter box should be placed in a location far 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
New cat owners often make the mistake of placing the food, water, and litter tray together for the cat's convenience. However, cats prefer to drink water away from their food and use the litter box far from where they eat and drink.
The carrier
Encouraging your kitten to view their carrier as a safe and secure space is important. You can do this by placing familiar towels or blankets inside the carrier to make it more inviting and comfortable.
To help your kitten become comfortable with the carrier, it's recommended to keep it in an accessible place within the house. This will give the kitten the opportunity to investigate and accept the carrier as a familiar object. Over time, the carrier may even become a comfortable place for the kitten to rest.
To acclimate your kitten to traveling in its carrier, it's best to take small steps with rewards at the end of each one, especially when the carrier isn't moving. This will help your kitten associate positive experiences with movement in the carrier.
Move, stop, reward – step-by-step and build this process up all the way to the car.