A Troublesome Kitten

Question
Dear Amanda,

Just yesterday, I got a new kitten we found and that seems to be stray. She
was hiding just up in the bottom of my co-worker's car. She has yet to see
the vet, but we've got an apointment. Either way, she doesn't appear to be
housebroken, and I'm afraid that if we don't find a way to train her to use the
litterbox, then we'll have to give her up. =( Any advice on training methods?

Answer
Most cats train themselves.  Its going to depend on how old your kitten is as to how fast they're going to pick it up.  If she's very young, then you'll have to give her a little more time.  Anytime you find her using the bathroom somewhere else, make a big deal of it.  Don't spank her, but yelling "NO!" should startle her long enough to get her to stop going long enough for you to carry her to the litter box to finish.  If you find any feces outside the litter box, it may help if you put it in the litter box so she can smell it.  Also, if you notice she has picked a particular spot where she prefers to go to the bathroom, try moving the litter box to that spot until she is going there regularly, then you should be able to move it wherever you want.  Also, cats generally prefer a finer textured litter, so if you are using something that has big pieces (such as Yesterday's News) then you might want to switch to something with a smaller grain.  I hope that helps.

Amanda