Litter Training

Question
I have 2 kittens ,a brother and sister. I got them when they were only six weeks old. They are now 14 weeks old. They have been litter trained and do quite well if they feel like it. They have a habit of going potty on a tarp in my living room where we are doing some remodeling. I can't seem to stop them. I grab them up and place them in their box when I catch them before they go. I always keep their box clean and somewhat private for them but they still wont always go to it. Is there something I can do to stop this behavior?  I'm so tire of cleaning up their messes.

I am aslo worried about my little Purrl. She nurses on my shirt every chance she gets. Is this something I should make her stop doing this or will she stop on her own?

Answer
Hi Amy,

As far as the suckling, it isn't harmful. It's very common in kittens that were weaned too suddenly (before 10 weeks is often too abruptly). These kittens will suckle on "surrogates." Most kittens grow out of it in the first year of life, but they do have a tendency to slip back into the behavior for a moment or two when feeling sleepy or very affectionate. I would try to be tolerant for now - allowing her to satisfy the desire will usually help her give it up more quickly. But if the behavior bothers you, it's okay to put her down and make yourself unavailable. See if you can redirect her onto a cotton t-shirt that you have worn.

Regarding the litter habits, I would encourage you to try a training litter like Cat Attract (see www.preciouscat.com). If you can't find a retailer near you, you can order just the additive online, but it must only be used with unscented clumping litter. This litter uses an herbal attractant to make the litterbox the most appropriate place in the house to eliminate.

If that alone doesn't do the trick, I would suggest placing a litter box on top or next to the tarp while you are not working in the rennovation area. I know this is very inconvenient. It's probably better than cleaning up accidents, though. Once the project is finished, you may need to slowly move the litter box to a more appropriate spot, or start reducing the amount of litter until it's empty, and hope they stop using it.

Good luck!
Jessica