New kittens: how do I get them to use the litter tray?

[slayerette]

We picked up our two rescue kittens today - gorgeous little boy and girl; settled in well already - playing, eating, etc. However, we have just found a little gift behind the chair which has thrown us a bit. They've been in RSPCA care since birth, in a big cattery pen with a litter tray, so we assumed they would know where to go in that sense.

Is it just nerves/uncertainty and will they go back to using the litter tray? Or will I have to 're-housetrain' them, do you think? We showed them where it was and have popped them in there every now and then but clearly they didn't make the connection!

Confine them to one room with their tray, then in a few days make it two rooms, then three etc, with the tray in the same place It shouldn't take long. It's usually just a blip

if they do another solid little gift, put it into the tray and put the kittens in with it. Leave it for a short time, so the litter absorbs the scent and they realise what they're meant to do.
Are you using the same litter that the shelter used? If it's different they may not recognise it as litter iyswim

Thanks for that - we are going to confine them to the kitchen tonight and see what happens overnight. That's a very good idea about putting the mess into the tray - we hadn't thought of that.

Unfortunately, we thought to check what food the shelter was feeding them but forgot about litter! But I think you may be right about them not recognising it; I put them both in there after the accident and they're now curled up in it as if it's their bed

pmsl @dullard kittens.
they sound cute.

Oh, they are! One is a marmalade tom with white vest and socks (Arthur) and the other is a little white girl with black ears and tail and a black splodge on her back (Guinevere - can you tell what DS was watching when he named them? )

DH (Man In Charge Of Poo) has put the offering in the litter tray and they are mightily put out that it doesn't seem to be their bed after all..They're just hanging round it now in a pathetic way.

I wouldn't mind but they have a fab bed with a blanket that I'm quite coveting myself in these days of not being able to afford the heating...

one will appropriate the laundry basket and the other will develop a fixation with shoes and will try to sleep in them. If this happens to be the same kitten, then the other will claim a human bed and hiss wildly when human owner tries to reclaim it.
Can you tell this is what happened when I first had my 2?

Just looked at your pics - your cats all seem to have a distinct air of - er - ownership Did you ever get the bed/shoes/laundry basket back?? Cos I don't think I'd fancy arguing with them there kits - they have a look in their eyes!

well, we have trained them to not sleep in the bedrooms when there are humans in there.So she lies in wait for unsuspecting victims making their way to the bathroom in the dark and meows at them.
He is better about the laundry, but will quite happily sleep with his face buried in a smelly trainer.
However if they don't want to move/ aren't given a good enought reason to move(food), then they won't.
Oh, only the top 2 are mine- the tortie and the short-hair are my mothers.