Bad Habits In Kittens

Kittens can often be fascinated with faecal matter. They can become overly interested in their cat litter and may even try to eat it. This can be because the litter tray is too clean, so try to leave a little urine soaked litter in the tray after changing it. This should help the kitten to understand what the tray has been put down for. You can also use shredded newspaper until the kitten can manage to use the litter tray. If the kitten ingests litter the stomach will swell up and the blockage could require medical treatment.

Some kittens can be very dirty, and this can be a hard habit to break. Once the behaviour has been initiated by one kitten it is not unusual for the whole litter to follow suit. The most common reason is that the litter tray is not clean enough and so the kittens feel the need to defecate elsewhere. It is possible to buy cat repellents but you should not use these where very young kittens are around. Cats and kittens do not like to eat in the area that has been soiled, so try putting a bowl of food over the preferred area of defecation and the problem should stop very quickly. If the place is inaccessible to food bowls, try covering it with tin foil or plastic sheeting; few cats like the the sound of the excrement falling on these surfaces.