Training Kittens

Question
Hi Tina, we took in a pregnant feral cat some 2 months back. Although we were reluctant at first, as we have a cat-chasing dog, we relented and gave in to her pleads.  She now stays indoors most of the time and her 3 kittens are almost 5 weeks old now. The kittens have been raised indoors so far.
About a week ago, 2 of the kittens have taken great interest in mom cat's kitten biscuits and so we prepared some soaked ones and they are eating them eagerly. So much so that we're limiting their consumption so that they still need to feed on their mother's milk to get all the natural nutrition they ought to have at this stage.
So now I'm wondering how to litter train them. The mum cat goes outside to poo and pee, but the kittens will still need to do it indoors for now. Without an example to follow, how do I train them?  The 3 kittens seem to have unanimously agreed that their toilet is beneath the cupboard. How do I change that?

Answer
HI Alice,

Kudos to you for taking in this pregnant kitty and her babies! It's very wise of you to make sure they get as much milk as they can, because it is so important for growing kittens. When they are old enough, I recommend canned food over dry food - it is much higher in meat protein and much better for all cats and especially growing kittens (www.catinfo.org has more info on this).

All cats need a litter box even if they are allowed outdoors. It's not a good idea to only allow them to go out for their business because when it is raining or cold they will be reluctant to go to the bathroom, and holding it in (especially urine) can be very bad for their health leading to urinary tract problems or house soiling. If you have problems with the dog getting into the cat litter, try enclosing the box in a toy chest with a hole cut in the side, or put it in a room such as laundry room and install a cat door so the cat can access it but not the dog.

So set up a litter box for the mother cat, I recommend placing a handful of outside dirt into the litter to give her the smell she is used to. Place a little piece of the kitten's feces into the litterbox too. Once the mother cat starts using the box (most cats will do so automatically) she will teach the kittens to go in it as well.

If the mother cat doesn't start using the box right away, begin by confining the kittens and mother in a small room with the box, and place the kittens by hand gently into the box after every meal (after nursing). Kittens usually pick up the idea very fast! Make sure they can easily get in and out of the box - you may need to set up an old phone book or something as a step for them. Make sure you also thoroughly clean the old "bathroom" area. I use Nature's Miracle, it removes cat urine smells well - you need to clean up the mess and then soak the area with the NM and allow it to dry slowly by air (do not wipe up the NM after applying it).

With a cat-chasing dog it's also a good idea to have a tall cat tree where the cat can get away from the dog if necessary. More tips on introducing your dog to the cat(s) here:
http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/introducing_cats.html

I strongly recommend against allowing any cat outdoors loose but especially any kittens under 8 months of age. Young kittens get into far too much trouble and don't understand how to get away from wild animals, get run over more often by cars etc. Please consider keeping all the cats inside but especially do not allow the kittens out. I assume you are going to look for homes for them, if so make sure the adopters plan to keep them indoors for at least 8 months preferably 1 year or always.

Here are some great ideas about cat-proofing your yard so the cat