As for the potty training, you can discourage him (her? I'll use him here.) from doing its business in the wrong places by punishing them when they do. Though, you do need to be very specific that you're punishing them for that and that alone. If you catch him red handed doing it in your sight, you can try squirting water at his face with a spray bottle, or give him a sharp slap on less vital places. (i.e. Stay away from the head, rib, stomach, and tail. I went for the upper thigh for my two cats. And of course, not so hard as to actually hurt him, but more for the purpose of scaring and frightening him.) If you didn't catch him in the process but knew that it was him (since there's always the possibility of dog XD ), bring him over and make him stare at the spot/poop, then do it. Of course, you can positively reinforce his potty behavior by rewarding him when he does it right, maybe by giving him a little treat immediately afterwards. Though with this you do have to be immediate, otherwise they may think they're getting rewarded for something completely different. (Once with a reward by mistake, my cat continued hunting and bringing dead birds from outside to us for two days straight until we finally punished him for it... OTZ ) As for the making them friends part, maybe have them eat together at the same time? Of course you'll have to make sure that they both behave themselves when they do. And have them sleep/rest together helps as well, I think, and of course, under your supervision to make sure that it doesn't turn into a fight. (But, probably not a good idea to have them play together, since dogs and cats have a very different definition of what `playing' entails exactly.) Good luck~!
It may be surprising, but when cats are older, their feces are huge. They also tend to hold it in, to dry it faster.
Omg it look exactly like the 'little shit' a kitten we picked up once overseas. Yes we named it little shit because it shit everywhere in our temporary office.
> As for the potty training, you can discourage him (her? I'll use him here.) from doing its business in the wrong places by punishing them when they do. Be very careful: cats tend to interpret punishment as "I have no idea why, but this person is just being a massive jerk right now." Very often, they don't really understand us well enough to get that we're being mean to them for a reason.
Thank you~ I actually read that they are better rewarded for good behavior that punished for bad ones. Even when teaching dogs, being careful with punishment is necessary.
And so hyper. That kitty has been tackling me all afternoon! Hahahaha ... Even my phone recognize her paw as its master. I can't count how many times I lost what I was reading because she kept putting her paws on the screen
She's only crazy because she was raised as a wild. You'll probably sometimes see her run away whenever you approach, and she might slam into a window.
Oh my goodness, your kitten looks just like my new kitten! Kitten care is pretty easy compared to raising a puppy. After a certain point, they will instinctively use the litter box so you don't have to worry too much about potty training them. From what I've read, the only reason they'll go the the bathroom outside of the litter box would be because something isn't working for them (litter box is in a high traffic location, they don't feel safe there, they don't like the litter, etc.) Kittens under 1 year of age, and weaned off of milk, usually eat canned kitten food specifically marketed for kittens. Kitten food is supposed to be more nutritional than regular adult cat food, which is supposed to be essential for a kitten's well-being down the road. You can also give them kitten kibble (the dry food) with wet food, but the wet food is more recommended for its higher nutritional value, according to my vet. They're also pretty active and don't respond well to negative reinforcement so things like punishment won't be as effective as giving them things they like when they're doing something right (treats, pets, etc.) You can't really train them like you can a dog, although some cats will choose to perform tricks for treats, but you can get them to not use claws or teeth on you when playing. Kittens usually learn to be gentle when growing up with a companion or an adult cat to teach them that claws and teeth hurt. If you plan to keep the kitten, you'll need to supplement this by rewarding it when it uses its paws with no claws out, and making crying out and ignoring it when it bites you. You really don't want the kitten to think its okay to use claws and teeth on soft human skin when it becomes an adult. As for having your dog and kitten get along... sorry, I've only ever had fish before my kitten but I hear it has to be a process of them getting used to each other. Maybe give you dog treats when it's gently with your new kitten? Anyway, good luck with your new baby girl/baby boy! They're really silly as kittens and I hear they don't really calm down until they're 1 or 2.
That may be, but back then, other than reinforcing the message that pooping in the litterbox is good, I also want to make clear that crapping in on the dinner table is a no-no... @@ (That and the dinner table is off-limits to them under any and all circumstances.)
Is that something hard to teach? The cats from my hometown don't go to the dinner table even without chiding.