Most adult cats will naturally seek out a sandy, granular place to eliminate, but young kittens might need a little help figuring out proper litter box habits.
When to Start Litter Training Kittens
How to Litter Train Your Kitten
Choose a Litter Box
Pick the Right Type of Litter
Place the Litter Boxes
Introduce Your Kitten to the Litter Box
Reinforce Good Litter Box Habits
Keep the Litter Box Clean
What to Do If Your Kitten Won’t Use the Litter Box
When to Start Litter Training Kittens
In the first few weeks after birth, mother cats stimulate their kittens to eliminate, and they clean them up afterward. During that time, kittens don’t need litter boxes.
You can start litter training kittens at around 4 weeks of age by offering kitten-friendly litter boxes. This coincides with the time that kittens start weaning.
How to Litter Train Your Kitten or Cat
Follow these steps for cat potty training success.
Choose a Litter Box
While deciding on a litter box may seem like a trivial task, it actually does make a big difference to your kitten.
Get the Right Size Litter Box
Full-size boxes may be too big and intimidating for a small kitten. recommends a litter tray that is 13 by 9 inches for kittens.
If your cat is older or you have other adult cats in the home, they will need boxes that are full-size, while your kitten needs smaller litter boxes to start with.
The litter box will need to grow with your kitten. Your cat’s litter box should be approximately 1 1/2 times its length. You will need to size up as your kitten gets bigger.
Provide More Than One Litter Box
At a minimum, there should be one more litter box in your house than the number of cats. If you have two cats, there should be three boxes. If you have five cats, there should be at least six boxes.
Uncovered versus Covered Litter Boxes
Many cats prefer to use an uncovered box.
Whether or not your cat prefers a restroom with or without a roof comes down to your kitty’s personal preference, says Dr. Foote, who has found that some cats prefer an open space to eliminate, while others prefer an enclosed space.
Pick the Right Type of Litter
Research has shown that most cats prefer fine-grain litters, presumably because they have a softer feel.
When it comes to clumping or non-clumping litters, cats have their own preferences. Of course, you might prefer clumping for the ease of scooping.
In terms of clay litter versus litter made from other materials, some cats won’t use a box that has corn- or wheat-based litter because it smells like food, Nagelschneider says.
Try out a few types to make sure you get the type of litter that your kitten prefers.
Plan Where to Put the Litter Boxes
Litter box placement and availability can be critical factors in encouraging your kitten to use the box.
Don’t Hide the Litter Boxes
If the boxes are all in the same corner, they are effectively one big box, which can lead to trouble if your kitties don't want to share.
It’s tempting to put litter boxes in closets and corners because we don't want them to be visible, but this should be avoided. Remember that cats also don't like to feel cornered or trapped during toilet time.
They’ll also need some sort of light to see and find their boxes, so if there’s no ambient light in the place where you keep the litter box, try using a night light, Nagelschneider says.
Avoid Distractions
Set up your kitten’s litter box in an area that has few things to distract them from getting down to business.
For kittens having trouble focusing, you may have to remove the option of having other “interesting” places to urinate. Try keeping your kitten in a small room without any rugs or carpeting and only a small amount of bedding to try and keep them focused until they master using the litter box.
Place Litter Boxes on Every Floor
The boxes should be spread out, with at least one on every floor of your home.
Make it easy for your cat to get to the litter boxes. “Don’t make them have to go down the stairs, through the playroom, through the kitty door, and into the utility room,” Nagelschneider says. “Cats don’t want to go any farther than we do to reach the bathroom.”
It’s particularly important to remember that your kitten will eventually become an adult cat, so putting a litter box up on a shelf or down many flights of stairs will make it much harder to get to when they are older and arthritic.
