I need Kitten 101

[Deleted]

It's been so long since I've had an indoor cat that I've forgotten a lot, plus I want to do things better this time.

1) How often do I need to do a complete litter change? I clean his box daily.

2) Right now we have a small pan for him, how soon can I go to a pan with sides and even put the top on? I'm not crazy about the litter getting all over, he's rather vigorous in his covering.

3) Can I ever move his box to where we would like it, vs where he demanded that it be?

4) I have kitten cleaning wipes, he's great about me cleaning his paws, but hates having hit bottom wiped, anything to make that easier, and when is he going to do a better job of taking care of that himself?

5) How early did you start using softpaws and what would you suggest to making it easier on both of us?

[Kore]

I change the entire box once it starts smelling. It depends on the type of litter you use. I use Fresh Step Extreme Odor litter, and it stays fresh for quite awhile. Like, a month, probably.

I think you can start using a new box whenever you'd like. They're pretty quick about figuring it out.

When you move his box, try to keep him confined to that area for a few hours or whatever so he's familiar with the spot.

I noticed my cats getting better about cleaning themselves around 12 weeks. Before that, they don't seem to get it.

I haven't used softpaws, but I'd start ASAP so he's used to it. They have kitten sizes, I believe.

[Mrs.Beagle]

How old is he?

1) I would clean it once a week or so.
2) I think you'd be able to start at anytime.
3) You might be stuck on this one. What happens if you move it?
4) Probably soon. I know my parent's cat went from not caring to suddenly being verrry fastidious quickly.
5) My cat was an adult when I started using Soft Paws. Can you clip them often?

[Deleted]

He's 10 weeks according to the lady I got him from, but I'm not sure that's true, I think he's probably more like 8 weeks. He peed in a specific place twice, so I moved his box there, and he's used it perfectly since.

[SpicedApplePie]

Clean the spot that he peed on with Nature's Miracle. Then I would put the box where you want it and confine him to that area for a day. Cats get it. But cleaning the spot with an enzyme cleaner is the most important step here.

You can use any type of box if the cat is 8 weeks. Our cat's foster mom had a box with a little hole in the top that they had to jump into and out of. It was not a problem. Honestly, I would change earlier rather than later.

Congrats on the new kitten!

[eightangryreindeer]

I scoop the poop 1-2 times a day and change the boxes (2) about once a week (we have two cats).

Pretty soon, I would think on the bigger litterbox - it kind of depends on how big kitten is and how agile.

I have always put the box where I wanted it to be, scratched the cat's paws in it and never had an issue (knock wood).

I don't clean my guys unless it's serious - like having walked through their soft poop. I don't wipe their butts, have never considered it... is yours a long hair?

Never used softpaws but it's never too soon to start with something like this.

[RitzyHeifer]

When I've needed to move a litter box (kitten or adult) I just moved it gradually - a few inches one day a few more the next, and so on until it was where I wanted. It takes a while depending on how far you move it but seems to work.

One time was moving from upstairs to downstairs so there was a week or so you had to step around a litter box on the stairs bc I moved down a step every couple days...

[litasail]

1) How often do I need to do a complete litter change? Not very often - Jackson Galaxy only does it every six months or so (http://jacksongalaxy.com/2012/01/18/the-politics-of-litter/)

2) Right now we have a small pan for him, how soon can I go to a pan with sides and even put the top on? Not sure, all my cats have been adopted as adults.

3) Can I ever move his box to where we would like it, vs where he demanded that it be? If you try this, I would do so SLOWLY - literally moving six inches a day.

4) I have kitten cleaning wipes, he's great about me cleaning his paws, but hates having hit bottom wiped, anything to make that easier, and when is he going to do a better job of taking care of that himself? Again, I don't have any experience with this b/c my cats have been adults.

5) How early did you start using softpaws and what would you suggest to making it easier on both of us? We have tried softpaws twice, having our vet put them on both times. Unfortunately, our cat is an ace at pulling them right off.

[womet]

The others have great advice, but I want to tell you about our litter boxes. We bought 2 large clear tubs from Target, and I used DH's multipurpose tool to cut out an entrance for them. Thus, the sides are really high and prevent a lot of litter escaping the box during vigorous covering.

[Deleted]

A lot of this depends on the specific cat. Everyone has already given you good advice about the litter box.

Cats do not need to be bathed and don't use kitten wipes on them. Cats use their own saliva to cleanse themselves. Using wipes and chemicals on their fur will only give him a bitter taste when he tries to clean himself, if anything it will detour him. If he didn't get enough time with his mom to pick up her grooming habits you should use a soft cloth with water on it, and gently clean him as his mom would.

Also, unless he's a holy terror, soft paws aren't necessarily the best option. I would try out some scratch boxes before resorting to soft paws.