Litter training feral kittens

Question
Help! I just adopted an adorable 8 week old barn kitten. Shes settling in nicely and appears to only have one behavioral issue - she refuses to use a litter box. I doubt that shes ever seen one, let alone used one. I thought that litter training was "built-in" in cats... where do I begin?

I found a box with low sides for easy access, used unscented litter and found a secluded spot.... Nope! she's not having it!

Answer
Betty,

Use dirt at first. That is what she is used to and it will be familiar. She probably doesn't have any idea what litter is for. Cats are creatures of habit and routine. You can gradually add litter to the dirt until you finally have all litter. By then she should not have a problem with it.

I am including some links to good articles about improper elimination. They have information that you should find helpful in dealing with the kitten's behavior.
(copy and paste or type the whole links into your address bar)

http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/a/outsidebox_two.htm

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

http://www.apbc.org.uk/article10.htm

My personal opinion I'm just throwing in is that with a kitten that young, you should have two for companionship and play. It makes a kitten more well-rounded and well-adjusted, and not so dependant on humans for attention, to have a companion. Plus they can teach and learn from each other...like using the litterbox!

Tabbi