This beautiful kitten looks as though it has the litter box just behind it.
Training your new kitten or cat to use the litter box is probably one of the most important things to do. In the wild, a cat will scratch a hole in the soil or leaves to go to the toilet. They then cover their waste. This scratching and covering behavior is still strong in domesticated cats, which makes it easier to train them.
When cats have access to a yard – especially one with a garden, they will often prefer to go outside. But if your cat is confined to the house or apartment or there are dogs outside that could frighten your cat, it is necessary to provide him with a litter tray or box to prevent your floor being used for elimination purposes.
The litter tray should be wide and reasonably shallow with vertical sides. This will help to retain the litter when the cat is scratching and digging. Place the litter tray somewhere where human traffic is at a minimum. The laundry is often the place chosen for the litter tray as it is also close to the outside for emptying the litter box. Sand could be used in the tray, but commercial cat-litter is best due to its high absorbency. And cats seem to love using it.
Some Updated Information
I was speaking about this topic with a friend who has bred cats for the past 30 years. Her very simple advice was to soak up the urine with a tissue then take the tissue and kitten and place them both in the litter tray. The kitten will then associate the smell of the urine with the tray.
I’d be very interested in the results if someone would like to try this.
It is never too early to start training your kitten to use the litter box. As soon as he has finished eating and drinking, carry him to the litter box and set him down gently on the litter. At first, keep the food reasonably close to the litter box so he will know where it is. Stay with him until he has eliminated and scratched over it, then praise him and take him out and make a fuss of him. Depending on the age of the kitten he might want to sleep or play a game. This is a great time for bonding with your kitten.
Once the kitten is used to using the litter tray, start letting him walk to it while you walk with him. Let him get used to finding it himself and keep up the encouragement. Make sure the use of the litter box becomes a habit by either taking the kitten after each meal or making sure the kitten does it himself. It is also necessary to make sure your kitten uses the litter tray as soon as it wakes up. My first port of call each morning is the toilet so make sue your kitten gets into that habit too.
As your kitten grows, you can move the food bowl further away from the litter tray, even to a different room. My cats are fed in the kitchen but their litter tray is in the laundry.
Kittens are very easy to train to use the litter box. Older cats will take more time to train but the process is the same. Be prepared that your kitten will have accidents and forget. It is important to clean the area throughly with a strong smelling disinfectant. Also spray some citrus oil or lavendar oil on the area to discourage your kitten from using it again.
You will need to clean out any solid matter from the litter box once or twice a day (depending on how much your kitten eliminates). You can flush this down the toilet. I wouldn’t advocate putting it on the garden as any parasites in the fecal matter could cause problems for other animals or humans if they come into contact with it while gardening. Completely change the litter mixture at least once a week. Experiment with different litters until you find one your cat or kitten likes. If at all possible, encourage them to use a biodegradable litter mixture as it is kinder on the environment. As your kitten grows you can move to a larger litter box.
Training your cat to use the litter box will take a couple of weeks but it is time well spent. The earlier the habit is established the easier it is for everyone.
