# Blind Cat - serious litter training problem!



## Mikyla Smith (Jan 6, 2017)

I have just adopted an (approx) 16 week old blind kitten, who was found stray in early December in very poor condition. Now much healthier, he came to live with me (as an indoor cat) about a week ago and is an absolute joy in all ways bar his toilet habits.....He is extremely content, not nervous, boisterous and affectionate. Though he's had a lot of change, having been fostered by a friend of mine for 4 weeks, spending Christmas at the rescue centre, before returning to foster for a week and then coming to me, he seems to have dealt with it very well. 

Prior to joining me, though he had had many accidents, by the end of his foster stay he was hitting his puppy pads about 90% of the time. His training began with puppy pads because he refused to walk on wood chip or normal litter - immediately jumps off and shakes his feet. At my house, he chose to go under the dining table, ignoring pads that were in the bathroom. I then placed pads here at first to accommodate where he wanted to go (as he's blind this was suggested to me - then i could slowly move it later). This worked sometimes, but often he missed, so it was futile anyway. I abandoned this on the second night after pee and faeces went all over the floor under my dining table, even though there were around 4 free clean pads only a few inches away. 

On the advice of his foster I am now confining him to the bathroom at night and during the 6 hours i am at work to try to 'train in' that this is where I want him to go - unfortunately that means food and bed are in there also - but when he chose the dining area, to be honest that was almost just as close to his food as it is in the bathroom. He does not go however at night or whilst I am at work and I am convinced he holds it - yesterday he went 17 hours before peeing! Generally its 10-12 hours in between. When he does go in the bathroom he is successfully peeing on pads - but hardly ever on his own. I usually have to take him to the bathroom (after I catch him circling his old place in the living room), shut him in, sit in there and he will eventually go. In relation to poop, he did yesterday take himself off to the bathroom quietly and went (I was shocked). Unfortunately its the floor he uses for poop, but at least its the right room. This can't continue because he digs it, can't see and ends up digging the poop (then needed a foot wash). But still, at least its the right place roughly.

He also will still pee in the living room if i leave him for even a minute at the moment, so i know he's still hampering for his old spot, but its just not possible to be where he first went. 

Am I missing something, or does anyone have anything useful that can help - particularly relating to training a blind cat?? I have read so many forums about litter training generally, and I also realise its early days but it is so far proving to be really tough, so anything that anyone can suggest (other than the normal 'keep it clean' etc) I would be grateful. I do believe that his blindness is having a substantial impact on his ability to learn, as no doubt have his early experiences, but I really want to crack this but its already starting to get me down in how stressful it is!

Please help!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hello @Mikyla Smith and welcome. 

It is wonderful that you have been able to adopt this little fellow! 

I think the whole business of learning to use a litter tray must be terribly confusing for the poor kitty and it is great you are being patient and compassionate with him.. Cats learn so much of their behaviour (such as litter tray training) from watching their mum and siblings and copying.. If your little guy has been blind from birth he has missed out on all that training.

It is really important to be methodical with his training and for that reason I recommend using a crate to litter train him. Being in the same quite small space with his food, water, litter trays, bed, toys etc will make his world smaller and enable him to form a mental pattern of where things are.

I know you're shutting him in the bathroom at present but it is not as effective as using a crate. If you use a crate you can set it up in a busy area of the house where kitty will have company and can be part of the household, so he won't feel lonely. Also the idea is that he will live in it 24/7 for the next few weeks whilst you train him.

It may seem a bit cruel to keep him in a crate all the time for now, but the problem is if you keep allowing him out into the house it will be confusing for him and he will go back to peeing and pooing anywhere because he will lose the mental image he has formed of where his toilet is. .

So I would buy a folding dog crate from amazon. They are not expensive. Get one big enough for you to crawl inside with kitty sometimes, as it will enable you to play with him and give him lots of fuss so he doesn't feel isolated. A 42 inch crate is quite a good size for a kitten.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ellie-Bo-F...=1483761250&sr=1-8&keywords=folding+dog+crate

Put his bed, food and water at one end of the crate and the litter tray at the other end. Buy a clumping litter that is fine granules, like sand. Put just a shallow layer in the litter tray, so it doesn''t shift about under kitty's feet when he stands on it. Worlds Best is a good litter. I wouldn't use anything like wood pellets at this stage.

Also buy a litter tray product called Kitten Attract - a special fine grain litter of which you can sprinkle a layer on top of the normal litter. You can use just Kitten Attract on its own as litter but it is expensive so adding just a layer on top usually works just as well.

Litter trays - ideally it would be good to have two trays, so kitty has one tray to poo in and one tray for pee. However as he is blind I am concerned he may find it confusing to have 2 trays and perhaps therefore he would be better with one large tray. And there may not be room for two trays in his crate.

I'd provide an open tray and I'd use a large white plastic catering tray rather than an actual litter tray as catering trays have the advantage of low sides. There a chance that your kitten can see shapes or shadows and a white tray will be easier for him to spot ( litter trays often being darkish colours)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Large-Whit...0591&sr=8-3&keywords=large+white+plastic+tray

I'd buy a couple of these trays so you can easily swap them over when they need cleaning.

You will have to judge how often to scoop. There is some advantage to leaving the clumps of pee for a while so that kitty can get the idea from the smell that this is were the pee belongs.
The same might apply to the poo but I'd be reluctant to leave poo in the tray for long as it may deter kitty from using the tray again until it has been scooped. It may need a bit of trial and error to find what works best..

If he does pee on the floor in his crate mop it up with kitchen paper towel and put it in the litter tray for a while. Same with poo if it is done on the floor.of his crate.

Praise him if you see him using his tray but make no reaction at all if he misses and uses the floor.

For bedding in his crate I'd use vet bed and put either a puppy pad or an old towel underneath.. Moisture wicks right through vet bed leaving it dry for kitty to lie on. So if he does make a mistake and pee on his bedding he will still have somewhere dry to sleep on.

I'd buy a few pieces of vet bed (or a roll is cheaper) ; buy from ebay. It washes well and dries quickly but if you want to keep it fluffy it's best to launder it inside a wash bag or pillowcase and only use a short spin on a low rpm.

A regular routine is going to be your best friend in training kitty, so I would establish a routine in the crate that kitty eats his meal whilst you sit with him and then as soon as he has finished eating you gently place him in the tray. Don't leave food down for him all the time, but give him set meals so he can learn to make the association between eating and then toiletting. This is how his mum would have taught him - eat first, then toilet.

Feed him only wet food, no dry food so that his volume of urine is as high as possible and he is peeing a more diluted pee. This will encourage him to pee more often which is what we want. What we don;t want is for the little fellow to hold on to his urine for hours and hours concentrating it (as cats are able to do) because that way can lead to burning discomfort when he pees (or feline cystitis) or even crystals developing in the bladder. This could even be partly the reason he is peeing on the carpet.

If he does pee or poo in the wrong place in his crate clear it up a.sa.p. using an enzymatic cleaner or even a solution of bio laundry liquid.

Please let us know how things go.


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## Mikyla Smith (Jan 6, 2017)

Hello,

Thanks for your reply - I did read it at the time, but haven't had a chance to respond. Last week I was so stressed by the idea that he might never get it, that I really needed someone with some suggestions, so thank you for making me feel like I wasnt alone. All of the other forums out there have these threads but no-one ever comes back to tell you what the outcome was, so you just seen all these panicked people and think you might not get a solution. I've left messages on them to say PLEASE tell me how this turned out, but to no avail.

I was ready when I wrote the post on Friday to try anything, but I had previously ruled out a crate for 3 reasons:


He's between 4 and 5 months (we dont really know of course), and although still has lots of kitten moments, the adolescent stage is creeping in. In the evenings (if in the mood), he zooms and charges around (in that scary 'bouncing off the walls' young cat way), hunts his toys, is learning to navigate furniture etc and I just can't see how he could have burned that kind of energy/ got that kind of stimulation in a crate. And I like that energy burn because he does sleep at night which I am grateful for.
I didn't see how that would help me to get him to go where I actually needed him to go. I only have one open plan living space (he's not allowed in the bedroom until Im sure he's potty trained) so i felt that this may have continued to train him to go in the living room, exactly where I didn't want him to go. I have a flat, so the space he has access to isnt massive anyway. Bathroom is very close by.
I think ultimately as I didn't know what he would do when he got here, I didn't direct strongly enough to start with (I should have literally repeatedly taken him to that litter tray/pad like I've done since), so he himself chose the living room - under the dining table. This started us off on the very wrong foot, so instead of me just teaching a behaviour, I was trying to do this at the same time as breaking an established one. I knew that I needed to be really consistent moving forward, and had already started bathroom confinement in a fairly routine way (at night for bed time, break for breakfast and run around then back for 6 hour work day). I didn't then want to switch it up until I was sure bathroom confinement wasn't working.
In relation to your other suggestions:

I was doing a lot of praise when he got it right, ignoring mistakes (not that it seems to register with him at all!) and he got a treat whilst still on the pad (after raking) because more often than not (as I was watching like a hawk) I could catch him in the process.
Because he would only get it remotely right on a puppy pad, he has an old large dinner tray covered in a pad, so he does have something white that's clearly demarked from the black floor as suggested. You are correct that he can see something, but its only in one eye and I believe its some sort of shadow or movement and only at certain distances. The lip on standard litter trays is too high at the moment and the smaller kitten trays he's completely rejected (potentially because of the size?) He also paces before any wee at the moment, so the tray allows him to do this without trips. I would like to change this as he grows so will certainly look for a catering tray as suggested.
He does actually have two down (the other is an old box lid), but he hasn't gone in this one. I did this because he is peeing and pooing in different spots (sometimes) - see below.
I couldn't get Cat Attack in any stores - try as i might! Had to buy one of those stupid sprays that probably don't work at all.
I did take your suggestion to cut the dry food. I didn't quite cut it out, but I majorly reduced and relied on wet for the bulk.
Have been using enzyme cleaner.
Had also been scooping mistakes and putting them in the trays, allowing him to smell the trays, leaving a very small amount for smell, etc.

I am thrilled to say that from Saturday morning he has really turned a corner. First, he stopped holding it and is weeing now approx every 6 hours - it was more like 12 minimum (I credit becoming more comfortable and the increase in wet food). Second, he hasn't had one pee accident since Friday morning, no longer paces around the foil in the living room and returns to his litter tray in the toilet without coaxing and goes straight on his pad/dinner tray. The set up isn't totally ideal at the moment, as the pad means that he's standing in its as he goes and then walks it about, but everyday Ive been able to put more and more litter on top and he is finally going on this too! So when I am sure we are really there I will remove the pads. I did buy a finer grained litter (some of its on his dinner tray along with the bigger chunkier one, but the other tray that he's not using is full of the fine grain) but he seems to play in it rather than use it. He is certainly no more attached to it than the bigger granules. He does walk through the fine grained one during his circling/ pacing ritual though.

The last thing we have to crack is the poo. I am still thrilled that he goes to the bathroom to do it - hasn't been in living room since Wednesday or even remotely looked like he was thinking about the living room, however at the moment every _other_ time its on the tiled bathroom floor. It's either next to the second litter tray (that he doesn't actually use) or he gets it right and goes on his wee tray. There seems to be no pattern. Because its on the floor, at first I thought he preferred the smooth surface, so tried with a tray with nothing in, but didn't work. He has however started to really rake that fine grained litter after going, so I do wonder if he thinks he's in it.

I am even feeling confident to take the rubbish downstairs or take a shower without thinking he will take the opportunity of my disappearance to go in the living room - long may it continue!

I plan, unless you have other suggestions to wait until we've had 14 days of consistent bathroom toilets with no living room accidents (and to have tested for a few days by removing the foil that cuts him off from his old areas) before I end toilet confinement during work time and at night.

Thanks again,

M


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi Mikyla, I am very pleased and impressed to hear that the little one is making progress! That is such good news! 

I will add a few more comments when I have a bit more time, but just wanted to say the litter product is called *KITTEN ATTRACT *and can be purchased on line at Amazon. It is well worth getting for a kitty who is blind and needs to learn mainly by smell where the ltiter trays are located.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-Attract-Kitten-Litter-9-08/dp/B000PKSW5A

I am not sure what the spray you have is, but I have not heard of anything that works as well as the Kitten (or cat) Attract litter.


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## Mikyla Smith (Jan 6, 2017)

Sorry just a mistype - I've got the name. I will get some off Amazon - but had tried shops this weekend to no avail. I will say though, we've had even more success today. I knew he needed to pee as it had been a while, and wanted him to go before I had a shower tonight. He didn't, so thought I would use it as a test to see if he would go in living room. He didn't, must have waited whilst I was in there, then took himself off to his tray/pad to go whilst I was in my bedroom for 15 mins. So I think we have nailed the peeing and where that should be. With regards to poo - again all good as still in bathroom - but both on the floor today next to trays, so whilst happy to try to kitten attract, he knows where the trays are, but just doesn't seem to associate them entirely with poo - well at least not all the time.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Mikyla Smith - sorry I haven't managed to reply sooner. 

I am delighted with the progress your litte lad is making - in fact I'm chuffed to bits!!  It occurred to me he might be uncomfortable in his bladder if on a lot of dry food and so it has turned out to be.

So now he has shown he has learnt the pattern he needs to follow to find his trays when he wants a pee. He needs to learn a similar pattern for when he needs to poo.

Most cats like to poo and pee in different places and your boy is probably no exception. I think it is confusing him to be expected to use the same trays for both pee and poo as it may not seem right to him instinctively. So he really needs a different location for his poo trays.

Poo trays should be not be in the same room or same part of the room as his pee trays. I don't know how practical this is when he is shut in the bathroom, as unless the bathroom is big it is probably too small for both pee and poo trays. They need to be quite separate toiletting areas, not near each other. .

I would also use a different litter for the poo trays, one that you don;t use in the pee trays. Or if you prefer, just put puppy pads in the poo trays for now. If you decide to use litter make it a fine granule one.

He should have 2 poo trays (and 2 pee trays). and they must be in te same position all the time just as the pee trays are. Pick up any poo off the floor and place it in a poo tray and leave it there. You can put some litter over it to absorb the smell, Kitty will still smell it.

I would sprinkle Kitten Attract Litter in the poo tray. (But not in the pee tray as he has the hang of uf using the pee tray) but we want him now to begin to associate a set of smells with his poo trays. Hopefully he won't decide to just pee in all the trays and use none for poo.! Less likely to do that if they are in separate areas. But this is a work in progress!

I expect you already know with a blind kitty not to move any of the furniture now he has learned his route around the rooms he has access to.

Also if you pick him up for any reason always put him back on the floor in the exact position he was in when you picked him up, and facing the same way. Otherwise he will be disorientated.

It can be useful to put strips on the floor across doorways to help him orientate hmself. e.g. a strip of thin plywood nailed to the floor perhaps, so he can sense a difference as he leaves one room and enters another. .

Once you have consistent toiletting in the trays (at least with the peeing) yes, reintroduce him very gradually to a larger area. Too much freedom all at once could set him back because remember he has to incorporate the new route into his memory. It would be sad for him to have a set back as I fear it might damage his growing self confidence, bless him.

Good Luck. I shall look forward to your updates.  A photo of the litle fellow would be nice too if you can.


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## Mikyla Smith (Jan 6, 2017)

Hmmm he wasnt really on a lot of dry food - I'd say he was on predominantly wet, with just under half dry. I just upped it a bit for a few days. I think it was more about confusion over where he should be going (like I said - the difficulty of me both ending up trying to 'train-in' the bathroom location and 'train-out' the living room. Ive gone back to our half and half now with food (for teeth and variety), and he's going very regularly so I wouldnt say he is in discomfort. Who knows, but the wet food really helped solve the issue initially, so thanks for that. This isn't a long term food plan for him anyway, but I dont want to make any food changes until I am sure he is fully toilet trained (though I thin I am now confident), especially as he had stomach issues when he first arrived at the rescue centre. 

The poo situation seems to have turned itself around also (clearly I underestimated him in that first week - but it was such a nightmare). He's now generally - more often than not - opting for his pee tray to poop also. Re the two trays, I do have the two (always have) but he's never used the other one, just ignores it and has consistently done so for actually going to the toilet. He does get in and out of it seemingly just to see whats going on in there. I've tried different types of tray and litters in there, but he's just not interested. Frankly that's fine by me, I'd rather he just has the one and that seems to be what he's gone for. He is still sometimes missing this tray only when pooing (like Ill find its sort of fallen of the side of the tray), but I really think this is about confusion over where the tray is (given lack of sight and how, being a dinner tray, the low sides dont clearly define it as an enclosed area). I have now bought a larger 'big boy' tray and plan to introduce it - he seems to walk in and out of it no problem so hopefully he should accept this as a replacement for his old impractical dinner tray. I think the need for Kitten Attract has passed - which is fortunate because at nearly £70 including delivery that is not really affordable for me (and Im sure a lot of people) although if he has still been going everywhere - I may have stretched to it. 

I think perhaps I haven't given a good sense of how he is or his routine because he has full roam of the flat when I am home - he just has too much energy and curiosity for it to be appropriate for me to have made another decision. Bathroom confinement is only when Im out and at night, and after 3 days of it he nailed the potty training so that completely worked for us. I should have done that the first day and then slowly introduced him to the flat after he'd gone on his tray and spent a few days in there. In my inexperience (and because I wasnt given any such advice by the rescue centre or vet) I didn't, and I think thats what caused me the issues in the first 4 days. I guess I will know for the next kitten! 

Having got to know him, this is not a cat who is ever disorientated and moves across the whole house with ease. The only bumps Ive seen are when he is literally racing (during bursts where he zooms and zooms at about 20 miles an hour burning off energy) and even those are rare. Id read advice about blind kittens etc, but I dont really feel like the advice applies to him personally in relation to being disorientated. I won't be moving furniture, but its impractical to never move anything at all. For example, when I sit at the dining table, the chairs will inevitably be in different places, or the doors will be in slightly different positions as i move through the house, or when people come their feet are in places they wouldnt be. His toys are also all over, from him playing about. He clearly uses whiskers to navigate around and does so with ease, even if something is placed differently, he will never ever bump it or appear confused. He may be able to see more than I think, or it may be improving - the vet said this was possible as we dont know what caused it. 

The bonus of the week was that yesterday I left him alone the whole day - out of bathroom - and all toileting was done on his toilet tray so I think (thank goodness) we are there! Now just to introduce the bigger tray and have our first nail trim. 

Thanks again for all the time you've taken responding to my cries for help. Photos attached and in profile pic

M


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi Mikyla, thank you for the photos - what a very cute boy he is, I love tabby and white cats! 

I am very pleased to hear things are working out so well! I feel thrilled this dear little fellow has such a promising and happy future with you.

I love the fact he has so much irrepressible energy, and zooms around your home without his impaired vision seeming to limit him much, if at all. Bless his little heart, he does sound like a live wire as you say! 

It is wonderful you have been able to resolve the toilet situation. Well done! That is a real achievement. Glad you didn't need the Kitten Attract Litter, as you're right, it is expensive, but very effective when needed.

Sorry to hear the vet and the Rescue were not much help with advice on raising a blind cat but perhaps they had no experience of such a situation. I am very glad to have been able to offer help, advice or support in whatever way I could.

It'd be lovely to have an update when little one has grown a bit, if you have the time and remember the forum.

Very best wishes to you and the little guy. 

EDIT - just to add, I'd keep him on mostly wet food, as it will be better for his bladder and kidneys in the long term.


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## Mikyla Smith (Jan 6, 2017)

I hope this feed will help someone else who feels as desperate as I did last week. KEY MESSAGE: Confinement training, whether crate or a room, it absolutely is that that got us here. Long may it continue. My only remaining issue is he often scrapes the poo as he buries and it smells so bad and stays in his feet trapped in toes and claws. I dont think theres much i can do (apart from foot washes), I just really hope he will grow out of that as he becomes less, clumsy kitten and coordination improves as he becomes an adult.....

Food: I'd really like to switch from nasty whiskers generally, but i really am going to hold off on that for the moment, just until we are definitely used to our toilet and new home. I will keep in mind your wet food comments in my choosing moving forward. 

Do you have any tips on training out/ not scratching furniture and dealing with the biting? He's not a terrible scratcher generally but he is testing the new sofa a lot....I expect that its inevitable that he will continue to do this, but anything thats worked for you might be helpful?? He is also constantly testing boundaries with biting right now - all to instigate play (including a lot of attacking/ chasing feet etc). To an extent its his age and i know that we will grow out of this, but I am trying to establish good habits. For example, my techniques right now are to either say 'that's me' as he clearly makes mistakes between things to play with and my body parts or if he's being really wild and skittish and that doesn't end the behaviour (sometimes it hurts!), I hiss and walk away as his litter mates would have done with too rough a play. He gets it at the time, but often in his frantic play moments will carry on....anything that I should try or just let him grow out of it?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

It is quite possible he may grow out of the biting of his own accord, but there is nothing wrong with a bit of guidance to help him along.  . Hissing is fine but if he really hurts you I would 'up the ante' and give a short squeal in a high pitched voice just as his litter mates would have done when he hurt them. I still need to do this sometimes with my 7 yr old boys when they get a bit over enthusiastic in their play with me!

Re: the biting, buy a few Kong Kickeroo toys and leave them handy around the home so you always have one nearby no matter where you are in the house. When he bites you slide the Kickeroo in between his paws and he should then start kicking & biting it instead of biting you. Most cats/kittens love them.

If he has hold of you don't pull away as it will make him think it's a game. Instead keep your hand/arm still and push very gently against his mouth with it so he lets go of you.

If you can read the signals of when he is in a bitey mood you can be proactive and give him a kickeroo before he treats you as a toy. With my adult cats I have little tugs of war - I hold the tail of the kickeroo and they kick and bite at the body of it.. They get very excited!  Buy the adult size toy not the kitten one, which is too small.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KONG-Kicke...&qid=1484424974&sr=1-1&keywords=kong+kickeroo

Re: training him to use a scratch post, it is going to very much a case of training him by smell. First buy a mix of scratch posts and scratch pads, different textures (sisal, compressed cardboard, DIY ones of carpet offcuts nailed to planks of wood) and some to stand vertically, some to lie horizontally on the floor.

The cheapest ones are often liked best by the cats because they are easier to get claws into. But ensure that any vertical ones are sturdy and do not wobble when scratched.

Place the scratchers around the home, several to a room and especially place one near the places where he has been scratching furniture etc.

Next, buy powdered cat nip (Amazon). He may still be too young to react with excitement to cat nip, but it is still worth using it because the idea is that he is to associate the smell of cat nip from now on with somewhere OK to scratch.

Rub all the scratchers with the dry cat nip every day.

When he goes to scratch furniture, say nothing to him but immediately lift him up, carry him to the nearest scratcher, put him in front of it and gently paddle his little paws up and down mimicking the movement he makes himself.

Consistency is important for this training to work. When he goes to his scratchers of his own accord give him lots of praise.

Also to try and discourage him from scratching furniture etc. - throws over leather sofa/arm chairs kept in place with heavy books. Double sided sticky tape can be used as a deterrent on fabric sofas. Cats hate the smell of citrus so you could buy a citrus spray deterrent and spray some on a cover or throw and put it on your sofa. Do not use citrus products direct on fabric or leather as it will stain, or bleach.

However I hate the smell of citrus so would not want my home smelling of it. And tbh down the years I've trained all my cats not to scratch furniture and have done so by focusing entirely on redirecting their attention to acceptable forms of scratcher rather than spending time trying to deter them from places I don't want them to scratch. As you know from your experience, cats are wonderful adaptive, so if they are offered an attractive alternative they're usually happy to accept it IME

Good luck


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## catloveryes (Jan 15, 2017)

I'll be honest, I don't know a lot about litter training a blind cat, but I'll tell you how I would go about litter box training a normal cat who didn't pick it up from her mother. First of all, take the cat to the vet to make sure the cat has no injuries (declawing can cause issues). Next, when you are not where you can supervise the cat, put her in a crate with food, water, and her litter box. Ideally, she'll quickly learn what it's in there for, as well as how to cover her stuff. If she seems sensitive to the litter, make sure you have a litter that is fragrance free and safe for her if she ingests it. It should clump. You may have to experiment to find the right kind of litter if she's sensitive to it. Some people use sand or shredded newspaper, but if you opt for this, you may have to clean the litter box very frequently. Once she gets used to using the litter box consistently, allow her a little more freedom, like maybe lock her in one room when she isn't being supervised, instead of the crate. 

If she has accidents, pick it up and put a little bit of it in the litter box to reinforce the idea that this is where she is supposed to go. If she refuses entirely to use the litter box, you have other options. 

I've heard you can use puppy pads in the litter box to train kittens, but I've never tried it personally. Usually, though, crate training works. Normally, most cats instinctively want to do their business in a place where they can cover it up. 

If kitty-style crate training doesn't work, though, you might want to try doggy style crate training and just start taking the cat outside after meals, if you live in a place where that is an option.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@catloveryes - I am very happy to say that @Mikyla Smith has resolved the toiletting issues her kitten had, and he is now using his tray!  She has posted about the progress he has made, above in this thread.

EDITED - btw, declawing a cat is fortunately illegal in the UK.


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## catloveryes (Jan 15, 2017)

chillminx said:


> @catloveryes - I am very happy to say that @Mikyla Smith has resolved the toiletting issues her kitten had, and he is now using his tray!  She has posted about the progress he has made.


Sorry, I was late to advise. Thanks for letting me know.


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## catloveryes (Jan 15, 2017)

chillminx said:


> @catloveryes - I am very happy to say that @Mikyla Smith has resolved the toiletting issues her kitten had, and he is now using his tray!  She has posted about the progress he has made, above in this thread.
> 
> EDITED - btw, declawing a cat is fortunately illegal in the UK.


That's good to know. I'll admit I skimmed a little and was just mentioning it as a common cause of litter box problems and other issues in cats.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@catloveryes - yes, declawing is a revolting, disgusting, cruel and barbaric practice, like something out of the dark ages. I cannot understand how any nation that calls itself 'civilised' can think of allowing it! :Banghead .

I have relatives in the USA who tell me it is still permitted in many states.  As you are a devoted cat lover are you involved in one of the campaigns to have it banned ?


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

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wonderful progress on the litterbox, congratulations & well-done to both! 
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I'll add re the biting, i didn't notice any mention of neuter status - that helps tremendously with boisterous boys who bite or claw enthusiastically in play, & U'll be forever grateful if U do it before he's 6 to 7-MO, as there's a super-aggressive period around 9-mos age in toms when they ambush ppl: leap from cover, rip legs or bite, & flee.
It's "play" to the teenaged male, but frequently bloody for the recipient.
I'd schedule desex soon, if he's not already neutered. 
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## catloveryes (Jan 15, 2017)

chillminx said:


> @catloveryes - yes, declawing is a revolting, disgusting, cruel and barbaric practice, like something out of the dark ages. I cannot understand how any nation that calls itself 'civilised' can think of allowing it! :Banghead .
> 
> I have relatives in the USA who tell me it is still permitted in many states.  As you are a devoted cat lover are you involved in one of the campaigns to have it banned ?


I need to get involved, but I probably need to approach this at the state level first. Unfortunately, I don't even know of any movements in my area. I guess I could Google or ask my local animal shelter.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Great idea! Or even start a campaign yourself!


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