From this article you will learn how to potty train a kitten on your own. Step by step instructions for those who have just adopted a kitten. Answers to all questions on this topic.
How to train a kitten to use the litter box – step by step instructions
If you have a kitten who has not been potty trained by her mother cat, you will have to teach the kitten to use the litter box instead. You will find out how to do it quickly and easily from our instructions.
Step 1. Choose the right place
Choosing a place is an important step. Kittens and cats like to do their business in silence and privacy, so they choose corners of rooms or other places hidden from human eyes. Find a place in your apartment where the cat will be most comfortable.
- Do not put the tray in places with heavy traffic.
- Bathrooms and laundries are a good option for a kitty litter box, but remember that kittens are frightened by sudden noises. Make sure kittens are not spooked by the noise of a washing machine or clothes dryer.
- The litter box should be within sight of the kitten. Do not place it too far from where he spends most of his time so that he can use it if necessary.
- Kittens love privacy, the corner of the room is the best place to put the litter box.
Step 2. Limit the kitten’s movement around the house
To teach a one-month-old kitten to the litter box, put him in a separate room or separate part of the room with a fence for the first few weeks of his life in his new home. Place there everything you need for the baby’s life: cot, litter tray, bowls, toys.
This will help the kitten to get used to the new environment and facilitate accustoming to the toilet. The litter box will always be in sight of your baby and he can easily use it if needed.
Do not place the litter tray next to the eating and drinking bowls, it should be in the opposite corner.
Step 3. Choose the right litter box
Do not buy a box that is too small. Buy one big enough so you don’t have to change it later. The teaching process is best done with a litter box that you plan to use for a long time.
- Choose spacious trays with not very high sides so that the little kitten can get in without problems.
- Some owners use disposable boxes during the domestication process.
- There should be two litter boxes for each cat in the house.
- Closed litter box models appeal to some kitties because they hide them from prying eyes, but some cats are intimidated by closed boxes.
Step 4. Choose the right filler
Choosing litter is another important step in toilet training. You have to start from the kitten’s preferences, they may not coincide with yours. The baby must like the litter box, it must be convenient to bury its stuff.
- Many kittens like filler that has the consistency of soil or sand from the beach.
- Some cats eat filler, so choose a natural and safe one.
- For small kittens are not suitable brands with fragrances and fillings with antibacterial properties, which contain chemicals toxic to kittens.
- Clumping litter is suitable for adult cats, but poses a danger to kittens who may swallow the lump.
- The best way to train the toilet is to use litter with wood and corn pellets.
- Until the cat is used to the litter box, do not change the type of litter.
- Pour the litter to a height of 0,7-1,5 inches.
Step 5. Show your kitty the litter box
Once you have chosen a place, bought a litter box and filled it with litter, show the kitten the place where he has to go to the toilet.
- Gently place the kitten in the litter box. Give him the opportunity to get to know the place, smell everything.
- Don’t rush your baby, it’s okay if he’s not interested in the place and won’t use it for its intended purpose.
- Put the kitten in the litter box after the baby has eaten and right after sleeping.
- Show him how to paddle. Put the kitten in the litter box and wait for a while. If the baby does not paddle himself, show him how to do it – scratch the filler with his paw.
- Observe the kitten carefully. As soon as you see that the kitten sits down to do its business, begins to scratch and rake with his paws – without fuss and abrupt moves bring him to the litter box. As soon as the kitty does “his” job, praise him and pet him.
Step 6. Use positive motivation
Celebrate victory every time the kitty goes to the litter box.
- Praise your kitten when he has done well. For every successful trip to the litter box, praise your baby, pet him gently and talk to him.
- Don’t scold him if he misses or does his business in the wrong place. Even if the cat shits wherever he goes, don’t get angry and scold him!
- As soon as you see the kitten nestling past the litter box, calmly take it to the litter box and stick around to praise it when the process is complete.
Step 7. Handle accidents carefully
Clean and disinfect the accident site thoroughly. If necessary, use an odor-eliminating product. If the smell of urine or feces remains, the kitten will want to pee in that area again.
Once, yelling and frightening the kitten can discourage it from going to the toilet in the proper place for a long time. You cat treat the place itself with cat urine odor detergents.
What to do if the kitten doesn’t want to go to the litter box
- Make sure the litter box fits the kitten. It mustn’t be too big and have high sides. Closed and automatic models are comfortable for owners – babies may be scared away. Read about types of cat litter boxes.
- Attract the kitten with the smell. Wipe the place of defecation with an odorless cloth and put it in the litter box. The smell will tell the baby what he should do in the litter box.
- Clean the litter box regularly. Does the litter box meet high standards of tidiness? It’s not just the litter box and the litter box that should be clean – make sure the place where the litter box stands is hygienic.
- Place the cat’s litter box in a quiet and secluded place. A cat seeks privacy. The best place is in a corner of the room. The kitten will feel more secure and calm. Make sure that there is no washing machine, rattling sewer pipe or that the baby is not frightened by the toilet flush. A frightened kitten may refuse to go to the litter box in the future.
- Change the brand or type of litter. Experiment with different brands and types of filler – find one your pet likes. Start with wood types and try corn, silica gel or mineral. The “clean paws” format litter box may not appeal to kittens at first – they just don’t understand what to do in it! Tear a few papers into pieces and let the baby play with the pieces of paper – they rustle so delightfully!
If the kitten has chosen the wrong place for his needs, move the water and food bowls there. Natural instincts will not allow the kitten to defecate in the place where he eats.
Litter Trainer
In pet stores there are widespread sprays, whose tasks are either to repel the cat from the chosen place for the toilet or, on the contrary, to quickly accustom the cat to the litter box.
Remember! Kittens may not go to the litter box for up to several days because of the stress. Be patient and don’t be angry on your kitten.
Home remedies for litter box domestication
- Lavender. The scent of lavender is believed to attract kittens. A few lavender sachets or lavender-scented filler are good helpers for acquiring the right skill.
- Catnip. A pinch of dry catnip in the litter box will attract the little cat’s attention and facilitate the process of domestication.
- Kitten urine. Soak a puddle of cat urine with a paper towel and put it in the litter box. The smell of your own urine is guaranteed to tell your baby what the litter box is for.
FAQ
How to train a cat to go to the toilet outside
If you live in a private house, you can train the cat to go to the toilet outside.
To do this you should gradually move the litter box closer to the rear door.
Over time the litter box will be behind the door and the need for it will disappear. To do this, you will need to observe the kitten, and as soon as he sits in the litter box, you need to take him to a place where he can go to the toilet outside the litter box. To make it clear to the baby what is wanted from him – sprinkle some filler from the litter box on the ground.
Is it possible to teach the cat to go to the loo?
To accustom a cat to the loo is the height of skill in raising a pet. There are special tools and training programs for teaching the little ones.
What to do so that the cat won’t poop?
If you took an adult animal from the shelter or adopted a street one, you will have to be patient and make some effort to teach the cat to go to the toilet in the right place.