litter training orphaned kitten

Question
I have an orphaned 6-7 wk. old kitten. I got a litter box and set her in it after I massage her belly, but I am not sure what else I can do to teach her to use it. do I just keep encouraging her? Shouldn't she be using the litter box after each meal?

Answer
Ali,

She should be put in there about 5 minutes after she eats. She needs her tummy massaged if you are bottle feeding her.

You may want to try dirt at first, or regular sand. The kitten may not know what litter is for, but instinct will kick in with dirt.

If you have a large carrier you may want to put her in that with a litterbox for a couple of hours after she eats so she basically would be forced to use it.

She may be scared to go until she is more acclimated to her new home and people. Or she may be constipated. You may want to get her examined.

It's best to have 2 kittens when they are that age. A kitten needs  the security and companionship of another kitten and they learn from each other too. Plus they need the company of another kitten when they are scared, and to play kitten games with that a human can't do.

Tabbi

Suggestion: put a little stripe of butter down her front legs (she will lick it off) and a little oil in her food. That will help grease her insides.