Litter training a kitten

Most kittens learn to use a litter box quickly, because digging in loose material is natural. Your job is to make the box easy to find, easy to enter and pleasant to use. Show the kitten the box, put it there after meals and naps, praise success quietly and clean accidents without scolding. Most kittens are reliable within days to a few weeks.

A kitten that has been with its mother often watches her and copies her. A kitten that was hand-reared, found alone or kept in a cage may need more help. Either way, the method is the same.

Set up the box

Pick a box the kitten can climb into. A small kitten cannot step over a tall rim. Use a shallow tray or a box with a low entry. Cut a lower opening if you must. Move to a bigger box as the kitten grows. An adult cat needs a box about one and a half times its length from nose to the base of the tail, and it is easier to buy that size early and add a low step for the kitten.

Choose a plain litter. Many kittens prefer a fine-grained, unscented litter that feels like soil or sand. Strong perfumes, large pellets and rough crystals put some cats off. Ask the shelter which litter the kitten used and begin with the same one. If you want to change, mix the new litter into the old over several days. See the clumping litter entry for a common choice.

Very young kittens may eat litter. If you see this, remove the kitten from the box, offer a different litter and tell your vet. Some vets advise a non-clumping type for very young kittens. Eating non-food items can also be a sign of a health problem, so ask.

Fill to a depth of a few centimetres. Too little litter will not let the kitten dig, and too much can be hard to climb through.

Pick a quiet place. Choose somewhere calm, easy to reach and away from the food, water and bed. Avoid the noisy corners near a washing machine or a busy hall. Use more than one box in different parts of the home at first, so the kitten is never far from one. Use the litter boxes and new-cat checklist tool to plan the number and positions of boxes.

Keep it clean. Remove waste with a litter scoop at least once a day, and wash the box with mild soap and water on a regular schedule. Avoid strong-smelling cleaners, which can put a cat off.

Teach the kitten

1. Show it the box. Place the kitten in the box after it wakes, eats or plays, and when it starts to sniff the floor, circle, crouch or scratch at the ground.
2. Let it explore. Gently move one front paw through the litter if the kitten does not dig. Do not hold it down and do not force it.
3. Praise quietly. When the kitten uses the box, speak softly or offer a small treat. Loud celebration can frighten some kittens.
4. Repeat after every meal and nap for the first days. Kittens usually need the box soon after eating.
5. Limit space at first. A small room makes success likely. Let the kitten roam farther once it is using the box reliably. This matches the plan in our guide to the first week with a kitten.

If you see the kitten start to go elsewhere, pick it up calmly and carry it to the box. Do not shout, chase or clap.

If there are accidents

An accident is information, not misbehaviour. Ask:

• Is the box too far away, too high, too dirty or in a noisy place?
• Did the litter change?
• Is the kitten sick? Diarrhoea, constipation or pain can cause accidents.
• Was the kitten too excited or distracted to get there?

Clean the spot well. Use a cleaner made to break down the proteins in urine, as ordinary cleaners leave a smell cats can detect, which draws them back. Avoid products with ammonia, because urine contains ammonia and the smell may invite the cat to mark again. Do not rub the kitten's nose in it. This does not teach anything and frightens the kitten.

Block access to the spot for a while, or put a box there for a time if the kitten insists on that place.

How many boxes

A simple rule is one box per cat plus one spare, each in a separate place. For a single kitten, two boxes in the early weeks makes learning easier. As the kitten grows, check that the boxes are big enough. A cat that cannot turn around, stretch or dig in the box may avoid it, which can lead to litter box aversion. Covered boxes suit some cats and are disliked by others. Offer an open one first, and see how the kitten responds.

Common mistakes

• Using a box that is too tall or too small.
• Scolding or punishing. The kitten learns to fear you or to hide when it goes.
• Changing litter, box and place at once.
• Placing the box beside the food or bed.
• Using a strong scented litter or air freshener near the box.
• Leaving waste in the box. Cats dislike dirty boxes.
• Using the wrong cleaner on accidents.
• Expecting an eight-week-old kitten to hold on for hours. Young kittens have small bladders and cannot wait long.

When to call a vet

Behaviour is the cause of most litter problems, but a medical problem is possible, especially in a kitten that was reliable and then stopped. Call your vet if the kitten:

• Strains, cries or visits the box many times and passes little or nothing. A male cat with a urinary blockage needs an emergency vet at once. Do not wait.
• Passes blood in urine or stool.
• Has diarrhoea for more than a day, or repeated diarrhoea.
• Has not passed stool for two days or seems constipated.
• Passes worms or has a swollen belly.
• Keeps eating litter or other non-food items.
• Seems in pain, hides or stops eating.
• Does not improve with simple changes after a couple of weeks.

Also ask the vet if the kitten has a physical condition that makes it hard to climb into the box.

Summary

• Use a low-sided box, plain litter and a quiet spot.
• Place the kitten in the box after meals, naps and play.
• Praise success and never punish accidents.
• Clean accidents with an enzyme-based cleaner and keep the box clean.
• Add more boxes as the kitten roams.
• Call a vet for straining, blood, diarrhoea, constipation or a sudden change.