How to Train a Kitten to Use a Litter Box? [5 Easy Ways]

how to train a kitten to use a litter box

Many people prefer kittens over puppies when it comes to petting beautiful and intelligent animals. The reason for choosing a kitten to pet rather than a puppy is that kitties are manageable and remain so when grown up into adult cats. On the contrary, puppies grow into adult big-sized dogs, which may become difficult to deal with later.

Petting a kitten involves many responsibilities, and you have to ensure that you stand among the careful and responsible cat owners. You have to give your maximum attention and time while you begin house training your kitty. One crucial part of a house training your kitten is toilet training. Unlike dogs, you do not have to take your kitten outside always for peeing or pooping.

This article guides you on how to train your cute kitten to use a litter box appropriately. So, without any further delay, let’s get started!

What essentials do you need beforehand?

Training your kitten about using the litter box is relatively easy. However, it takes some time for your kitty to adapt to the change. But, once your kitten learns to use the litter box, your life will indeed become easy and stress-free because you would no longer need to clean up your little friend’s mess everywhere.

Before you start training your kitten about litter box usage, understandably, you will need two things for sure: the litter box and, secondly, get kitty litter for your kitten. Besides, it would be best to keep treats and rewards ready for your kitten as you praise it for using the litter box. Now, let’s have a look at details regarding the litter box and kitty litter;

The perfect litter box for your kitty

Understandably, only you can decide what kind of litter box will suit your kitten. You have to ensure that you get the litter box of a size that your kitten would indeed feel comfortable using it.

One critical factor that you must keep in mind while buying a litter box for your kitten is that once your kitten uses it, it would be easier to climb out of it, i.e., your kitty should not have to jump to move out.

Besides, when your little kitten grows up into an adult cat, you can upgrade its litter box as well as per its convenience. Moreover, if you have multiple cats, it would be best to have separate litter boxes for individual cats. Else, you might get yourself in trouble since cats do not like sharing litter boxes with other cats.

Next, please make sure that your kitten’s litter box does not contain an absorbing material; otherwise, the unpleasant odor of urine and feces will remain trapped inside. There are two types of litter boxes; covered and uncovered from above.

The covered litter boxes make sure that your kitten’s pee/poop and litter are not visible. On the contrary, when you use an uncovered litter box for your kitten, you can see the waste products and have to bear the displeasing smell coming from the box.

Best litter for your kitten

It is only your kitten that can decide what type of litter it wants inside the litter box. Therefore, you can try putting different kinds of litter inside the box and regularly observe what litter your kitty prefers to bury its waste.

There are different types of litter; clay, crystals, and peletted. Though it will be your kitten that will choose its litter over time, it initially depends on you to choose a litter type that does not harm you in any way. Since kittens and cats can take anything inside their mouth or even ingest, therefore, it would be better to decide wisely.

Clay litter comes as both clumping and non-clumping. As the name suggests, the clumping clay turns into solid material upon reaching in contact with liquid waste. Therefore, many kittens and cats love using clumping clay as litter inside the litter box.

As a cat owner, we believe that you would like to have crystals as litter inside the litter box of your kitten since it contains a delightful odor. However, your kitten will probably not like crystals litter. The reason for this dislike is unknown yet.

In addition, if you cannot afford expensive litter for your kitten’s litter box, you can use walnuts or pine grasses, which would do a similar and excellent job too.

How to litter train a kitten ?

To begin with your kitten’s training on using a litter box, all you have to remember are the below-mentioned factors. Once you have chosen the correct litter box and litter type for your kitten, next you have to make sure that your kitten is old enough to use the litter box and then move on introducing the litter box to your kitten;

When to start litter training a kitten?

If you have recently adopted a tiny kitten around a week old, you must know that it would not be able to use the litter box. It is excellent if you have bought the essentials you will need while training your kitten for a litter box, but it would be best to start the training once the kitty turns three weeks old or more.

Introduction to the litter box

Once you are sure that your kitten is old enough to learn how to use the litter box, all you have to do is take small steps towards its training. For example, you can begin with a random day when your kitten wakes up in the morning, and you place it inside the litter box.

You can observe your kitten’s reactions. Then, you can repeat placing your kitten inside the box after it eats, plays, or wakes up after a nap. Gradually, it would learn that the litter box is for peeing and pooping.

Place the litter box smartly

The point that where you place the litter box of your kitten matters a lot. You have to make sure that your kitten is familiar with the locations where you put the box. If you keep the litter box at a hidden or unfamiliar place, your kitten would not be able to see it often and may even forget to use it.

Besides, if you live in a dual-story house, it would be best to place one litter box on each floor so that your kitten/cat would not have to effort a lot in finding its litter box.

Praise your kitten after using the litter box

As mentioned earlier, you must also keep treats and rewards for your kitten among the essential supplies. Every time your kitten comes out of the litter box after using it properly, it would be best to treat it with excellent behavior and favorite treats; maybe dry cat food would work!

Treating your pets, either cats or dogs, with rewards while house training them makes them repeat the good behavioral actions.

On the contrary, if your kitten does not learn to use the litter box at once, please avoid punishing it! Since bad behavior with your pets does no good!

Clean the litter boxes regularly

Like humans, cats also prefer cleanliness. Therefore, while you are teaching your kitten how to use the litter box, please clean the box every time your kitten uses it. You would also need to add new litter to the box after cleaning it thoroughly. Would you please make sure that the depth of the litter is sufficient enough for your kitty to dig?

Besides, litter boxes come with a specific set of instructions from which you may learn when to clean them exactly.

Cats are indeed vulnerable to many health issues, and as pet owners, we always try our best to take care of our little fellow. However, if you notice that your cat is peeing blood in its urine, it would be best not to panic. Instead, what you need to do is try to find out why your cat is peeing blood.

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In conclusion

Cats are manageable and effortless pets; therefore, their house training is not rocket science. However, you have to ensure that you try your best to teach your cats basic ethics. Training your kitten about using the litter box is quite essential and something not too difficult. In this article, we have tried our best to guide you regarding training your kitten on using a litter box.

Hopefully, it will prove helpful!

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