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When you get a new kitten, you want to acclimate them to their new home as quickly as possible. A big part of that process is litter training.
The good news is that litter training a kitten is usually a pretty straightforward process. “Most cats naturally want to eliminate in a sandy area such as the litter in a litter box,” explains Jessica Char, cat behavior consultant and owner of Feline Engineering. “This works in an owner’s favor, as many kittens don’t need much help being litter trained.”
But while most kittens go through the litter training process fairly easily, it’s important to address any litter box issues immediately. “Cats that have accidents outside of the litter box once or twice can develop a longer-lasting problem if it isn’t addressed promptly,” says Karen Reese, CPDT-KA, ACDBC, and Fear-Free Certified Animal Trainer at Operation Kindness Animal Shelter in Carrollton, TX.
We ask the experts about the best practices for litter training a kitten, when to start, and how to troubleshoot.
Step-By-Step Litter Training
Kittens can typically be litter trained once they’re weaned between three and four weeks old. Before that, they’ll need to be stimulated to poop by their mother (or a stand-in pet parent). Most kittens available for adoption are at least eight weeks old and ready to be litter trained.
The best and fastest way to litter train a kitten is to place your kitten in the litter box on a regular basis—ideally every two to three hours, always after mealtime, and immediately after bringing them home.
Sara Ochoa, DVM, a small animal vet in Texas and veterinary consultant for DogLab, explains:
- Place your kitten in the litter box.
- Let them sniff the litter.
- If your kitten doesn’t go potty, use your scooper or your kitten’s paw to gently scratch the litter several times.
- If your kitten uses the litter box, reward them with praise or a treat.
If your kitten doesn’t use the litter box every time, don’t worry—just keep offering them the opportunity to use it every twenty minutes until they do.
Most kittens learn to use the litter box in a matter of days, and their instincts will tell them to cover their poop. But some kittens who have experienced illness or early separation from their mother may see developmental delays.
If your kitten doesn’t use the litter box at all and prefers to pee or poop elsewhere, then it’s time for troubleshooting.
Adene Sanchez via iStock
Tips and Troubleshooting
Most kittens learn to use the litter box fast, but that doesn’t mean you won’t hit any snags. Handling accidents the right way, finding the right style of litter and box, and placing the box in the right place are all critical to successfully litter training a kitten. Here’s what to do when trouble strikes.
What if my kitten poops or pees outside the litter box?
A few accidents as your kitten is learning the ropes are perfectly normal. Just take the poop or the paper towel used to clean up the urine and place that in the litter box. “Your cat will associate those smells and then start using the litter box,” explains Ochoa.
Don’t punish your kitten for accidents—you don’t want them to develop negative feelings around using the litter box. Positive reinforcement for successful potty time is much more effective.
What if my kitten won’t use the litter box at all?
If your kitten is regularly having accidents or not using the litter box at all, common culprits include:
- Their litter box is dirty
- They don’t like the type of litter
- They don’t like the type of litter box (a problem especially common with deep and covered boxes)
- The litter box is too small for your kitten
- They’re not comfortable with the location of the litter box
- Medical issues might be causing incontinence or anxiety
Keeping the litter box clean
Most cats don’t like using a dirty litter box. It’s especially important to keep a kitten’s litter box clean, since you don’t want them to develop any aversion or negative feelings about their new bathroom.
If you want to get the most out of your kitten’s litter training, make sure to regularly clean their litter box. “Your litter box should be cleaned at least once per day,” recommends Reese.
Putting the box in the right spot
In order to successfully litter train your kitten, they need to feel safe and comfortable when they use the litter box, which is why location is so important.
Kittens may not like to use a litter box placed in:
- Busy areas with lots of foot traffic
- Loud places or spots with inconsistent or surprising noise
- Areas that are difficult to access or too far away when the urge strikes
- Locations near their food and water
According to Reese, the ideal location for a litter box is a quiet spot away from loud appliances and heavy traffic. “Your cat should not feel trapped when entering and exiting their litter box,” she explains.
Keeping your kitten close to the litter box
Wherever you decide to put your litter box, it’s important to make sure that your kitten has easy access to it at all times.
“The most common issue is that the kitten ends up too far away from a litter box and can’t find the box in time,” says Char. “When kittens are young, it is best to keep them confined to a smaller area, such as a spare bedroom or bathroom, when they aren’t supervised. This ensures they can always locate the litter box.”
If you are going to let your kitten roam freely around your home, you want to make sure they can get to a litter box wherever they are. Depending on the size of your living space, that may mean having litter boxes in different locations.
“Having litter boxes in multiple areas of the home is also important so a kitten can easily find a box when they need one,” agrees Char.
Considering medical issues
If everything seems ideal, it’s a good idea to see your vet to rule out the possibility of medical issues. Urinary tract infections, digestive issues, or impacted anal glands can all lead to accidents, constipation, and trouble litter training.
Stress and anxiety can also play a role in a kitten’s litter aversion. Your vet is a good resource to get to the bottom of what’s worrying your kitty.
Kunlathida Petchuen via iStock
Finding the Right Supplies, Tools, and Gear
The right gear can go a long way toward smoothing your kitten’s litter training journey. You’ll need the following supplies:
- An appropriately sized litter box
- Kitten-safe cat litter
- A litter scoop
- Cat-safe cleaning supplies for deep-cleaning the box
Optional but helpful gear:
- Litter box liners
- A Litter Genie or trash can to store your kitten’s waste
Choosing the right litter box
The first step to successfully litter training your kitten is choosing the right litter box. Most kittens do well with two to three inches of litter in an open box.
Some kittens are fine with covered and automatic litter boxes—but others prefer the escape offered by an open model.
It’s also important to get the size of your kitten’s litter box right. “The litter box should be large enough that entire cat’s body can fit in the litter box without any body parts sticking out,” Reese recommends. That usually means a litter box 1.5 times your cat’s body length.
If you don’t want to replace your litter box when your kitten grows into a cat, choose a model that has space for them to grow into.
And if you have more than one cat or kitten, make sure to give each their own litter box space. “You should also have one litter box per cat,” says Reese.
Choosing the right litter
There are a wide variety of litter types on the market. Because every cat is different, if you want to successfully litter train your kitten, you may need to experiment with different types of kitten-safe litter to find the type they prefer.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, most cats prefer fine-grained litter, so that’s a great place to start. If your kitten doesn’t respond, try testing out different varieties (like a larger grain, clumping vs. non-clumping, or scented vs. unscented) until you find the litter type that works for them.