How to quickly train a kitten to use a litter box: proven methods

The appearance of a kitten in the house is not only a pleasant chore. After all, a new family member needs to be correctly named, housed and toilet trained. It is at this last point that the most problems arise. And it’s not at all about the complex nature of cats.

To teach a kitten to go to the litter box, the owner needs to find out at what age this is done, how to choose a litter and many other subtleties.

At what age does training begin?

The right recommendations will help speed up the long process. Kittens are also children, so there is no certain age for litter box training to be easy and quick. You can force an animal to go potty at 2 months or after 3 months - it depends on its intelligence and learning ability.

If a baby lives with a mother cat, he copies her behavior. The two-month-old kitten is already coping with the task on his own. If the mother is not nearby, the owner can train the cat to use the litter box.

It is not difficult to train a kitten to use the toilet in an apartment, especially when there is a cat nearby, even at 1 month, if the pet is smart. It’s not too late to do this even at 3 months.

Where to put the tray

The location for the litter box should be accessible to the kitten and safe.

It is important to determine the location of the kitten’s tray to create a cozy and safe atmosphere. The kitten should not be distracted by loud noises or the constant bustle of household members.

Advice: from the beginning of training a kitten to use a litter box, it is best to place the litter box next to the house where he lives to make the kitten’s path to the toilet easier and shorter. Subsequently, the toilet must be gradually moved to another safe place.

It must be remembered that the animal will have digging reflexes, and it may try to rake things around it into the tray, so it is advisable to place the tray away from wallpaper or other things that may get caught under the kitten’s paws.

It is not recommended to place cat litter boxes in the kitchen or in rest areas in the apartment. Often owners choose a hallway or a bathroom. The tray will neatly fit into the atmosphere of these rooms, and the animal will not associate the bedroom with the living room, as well as the kitchen, as a place where one can go to the toilet.

The animal should not have difficulty accessing the tray, and the owners should not experience any inconvenience in its location.

Choosing a litter box for a kitten

An incorrectly selected tray is one of the first factors that will prevent you from teaching a small kitten to order. Below we consider the types of devices:

• open without mesh;
• open with mesh;
• tray-house;
• self-cleaning.

The correct tray for a cat is wide and with high sides. This is a general requirement for each type.

Open without mesh

A tray without a mesh will not have to be washed every day, and the animal will not injure its paws while trying to dig. But not every type of litter is suitable for it: the cat will carry it around the apartment and scatter it around the tray.

Open with mesh

More complex design. A net is installed on the container where the animal sits. Costs more, but is more hygienic. You can put any filler into the tray; it is inaccessible to the cat.

There are disadvantages:

1. The mesh needs to be washed daily.
2. The baby will still scratch the surface and may injure his paws.

The main disadvantage of both types of trays is their openness, which makes it more difficult to train a kitten to go to the toilet.

Tray house

An excellent choice for a small living space. It can be placed in the bathroom or hallway. It’s not difficult to make it yourself: the main thing is not to forget about the removable lid to make it convenient to clean. With or without mesh – the owner’s choice.

Important: You can buy an ordinary tray and make a tall, lightweight lid yourself.

Self-cleaning

Premium category trays. Almost no owner intervention is required. Simple models are equipped with a rake for leveling the filler and removing used lumps, a carbon filter to eliminate odors, and a silent motor with which this design operates.

The most expensive models require a constant connection to the network and sewerage.

Reasons why a kitten refuses to go to the litter box

It happens that despite all the efforts of the owner, the kitten still refuses to go to the litter box.

Despite all the efforts of the owner, the kitten still refuses to go to the toilet, or suddenly stopped visiting the litter box that is already familiar to him, this may be the reason:

1. Stress due to a new place of residence. Cats become very accustomed to their home, and any new place causes them stress.
2. Concern about the new inhabitants of the apartment, they may be noisy children, annoying dogs or other animals. The kitten tries to have less contact with others and hides. The path to the tray seems unsafe to him.
3. The animal does not like the filler , perhaps it has a foreign smell, or its consistency is unpleasant for the kitten, it is noisy, or its quantity is not enough;
4. The same dissatisfaction may be associated with the tray : too large or small, inconvenient access, plastic smell, unsafe location;
5. Filled tray : it contains objects of vital activity of other animals, or its own, the kitten may be squeamish about this. It is necessary to keep the tray clean.
6. Negative associations : if the animal was beaten or forcibly forced to go into the tray, shouted at it, or after the tray, procedures unpleasant for the animal were applied to it (washing, medications, injections). Fluffy may refuse to go to the litter box because of bad memories associated with it.
7. Disease . The animal may have problems with the genitourinary system, kidney disease, etc. Signs may include abrupt refusal to use the toilet, squeaking or otherwise expressing dissatisfaction or pain while going to the toilet. When an animal is in pain, it looks for secluded places. In this case, you need to contact a veterinarian.

Filler selection

The filler is selected under the tray.

Important: cats do not like scented toilet granules, so using them will not give the desired results.

clumping

Available with or without flavoring. The clumping product is hygienic and easily absorbs moisture and unpleasant odors. The main rule of any litter: the smaller the kitten, the smaller the granules.

Zeolite

Zeolite filler is more expensive than wood filler, but is consumed more economically and absorbs moisture better. It does not stick to the kitten’s paws or fur if a special mat is placed under the tray.

Woody

Cats can taste the litter. The safest option in this case is wood. But without a special rug, the kitten will carry it around the apartment on its paws.

Grain and pulp

Both types are environmentally friendly, relatively inexpensive and made from organic substances. If the kitten accidentally swallows particles of the filler, it’s not scary. Grain and pulp products clump easily.

Silica gel (hazardous to animals if eaten)

One of the most expensive types. This is a substance that is placed in boxes with shoes and bags to absorb moisture and odors. The silica gel filler does not stick to the kitten's fur and paws and does not create a stench, but if there is too much water in the tray, a puddle may form.

It is best to place this litter under the net so that the kitten does not accidentally eat it.

No filler

Need a self-cleaning tray. There is no point in giving up filler in a conventional device. All problems can be solved in other ways:

• spreads on its paws - buy a special mat, then all the granules will remain on it;
• refuses to use - most likely, the kitten does not like litter with a smell or too hard granules;
• better than newspapers - printing houses use toxic ink, the fumes of which are dangerous;
• expensive - the cheapest filler is wood.

Which filler to choose

The choice of filler is the personal preference of the owner. Home remedies you can use are sand, scraps of paper, and sawdust. However, animals carry sand and sawdust on their paws throughout the apartment, and the paper quickly gets wet.

Industrial options are divided into clumping and absorbent. It is believed that clumping fillers are more convenient. They are made from various materials. The granules absorb urine and form a lump that is easy to remove with a scoop.

For small pets, you can only lightly cover the bottom with granules; you don’t need to pour a lot. The same as for an adult animal, which, vigorously burying, scatters everything on the floor. It's better to change the content more often.

The process of training a kitten to the tray

Be patient to finish what you start.

Important: Light massage stimulates digestion and the bowel movement reflex; When you sit the kitten on the potty, you can stroke its tummy.

Stage one - getting to know each other

For the first time, they put the kitten in the tray several times, take his paw and help him “dig.” Let the baby not be afraid to sniff the pot and the filler: this way he will get used to the place.

Stage two – observation and assistance

It is possible that you will have to run after the kitten throughout the apartment and watch when it starts meowing loudly, squatting, spinning in one place and scratching its paw on the floor.

Then you need to immediately carry him to the tray and not let him go until he goes to the toilet.

It will not be possible to correct the situation in 1 day, but if everything is done correctly, the cat will definitely get used to it.

Stage three - strengthening the reflex

Now the kitten can be scolded for ignoring the toilet. But not too much. When cleaning up after your baby, you just need to throw everything in the litter tray and take the kitten there when he starts looking for a place to go to the toilet. This must be done without shouting.

Additional tips and tricks

• You cannot hit a kitten or poke its face into the dirt;
• the optimal layer of filler in the tray is 5 cm;
• if the breeder’s baby was constantly lying on moisture-absorbing diapers, you will have to be patient;
• The kitten should also be praised for small progress.

Common Mistakes

• Wrong size of granules: the smaller the kitten, the smaller they should be;
• too early or late litter box training;
• If the baby relieves himself on soft surfaces, you need to put a piece of cloth in the filler.

Potty training methods

A suitable model of cat litter has been selected - you can introduce your pet to it. In the first two days, let the kitten or adult cat get used to it. Limit its territory to the kitchen or one room, the place where the toilet will be located. It is better to remove carpets or rugs from the floors in advance.

Cleanliness and the desire to bury waste products are in the blood of cats. They find the pot themselves. For an adult animal, especially if you took it from the street for the first time, use sand or sawdust instead of filler. This will make the cat more accustomed to burying excrement.

For a kitten, sand is also suitable for the first time, as it does not mask the smell. It will be easier for your baby to find the potty.

Choosing a place for a pot

The cat potty should be in a secluded place, and the animal should have 24/7 access to it. A narrow corridor in the hallway is not the best option - it will be uncomfortable for you, your guests, and your cat. The kitchen is suitable if you are ready to put up with a specific smell while eating for the first time. A good place to locate a cat potty is a bathroom or toilet (if you are willing to keep the door ajar).

If a kitten or adult cat has a temperament and ignores the potty, constantly relieving itself in the corner, place the tray there. The animal will quickly get used to defecating in it. If the place chosen by the cat does not suit you very much, move the pot in the desired direction. But gradually no more than 10 centimeters per day. During the process, make sure that the animal only goes there.

If the cat walks past the potty

A small kitten or cat that has lived outside for a long time needs time to get used to the potty. Keep track of where the animal relieves itself. Remove the “fresh gift” with a napkin or toilet paper. Place the feces in a pot and take the cat there.

Apply a repeller to the place where the cat went by mistake. After washing, wipe it with orange peel or vinegar. After two or three days of training, the pet will understand that it needs to use the litter box.

Keeping track of your food intake

It is easier to potty train a kitten if you put him there after eating and sleeping. Take the animal, without pressing on the stomach, and transfer it to the tray. An adult cat should be directed to the potty when he begins to behave restlessly, looking for a place to relieve himself. At such moments, the pet scrapes the floor with its paw and sniffs the corners.

After placing the kitten in the pot, tell him what to do. Use your paw to dig into the sand or litter. Pet the animal after placing it in the toilet.

You can speak affectionately to a kitten and be close to it, but it is better to leave an adult alone. Don't forget to praise your pet after he goes potty correctly.

Special means

If all previous methods fail, try cat potty training sprays. Their smell encourages the pet to relieve itself in the right place. It is enough to spray a little of the composition onto the filler or sawdust.

The training spray is used in conjunction with a “repellent” agent. It is applied to places where a kitten or adult cat has left by mistake.

Possible difficulties

If all the recommendations are followed, and the kitten does not go to the litter box, do not despair.

Pet doesn't go into litter box

You need to buy a device that is larger, wider, with higher sides, and it will become easier to teach your cat to go to the litter box.

Pet ignores litter box

If the baby goes to the toilet everywhere, check that the rules for choosing the device, filler and place for the tray are followed. If an already accustomed kitten is mischievous, the advice is the same:

• the tray should be without traumatic elements, preferably without a mesh;
• filler – odorless;
• put it in a dark, secluded place so that the animal is not afraid of anyone.

If the recommendations are taken into account, the pet will be able to go to the toilet where it needs to be. The exception would be a kitten that is too small. A one-month-old baby will not understand what they want from him.

How to understand that a kitten wants to go to the toilet

When a kitten wants to go to the toilet, he gets nervous, squeaks, and presses his tail.

Kittens usually go to the toilet immediately after eating, so if he has eaten, it is not surprising that after a few minutes he will want to go to the toilet.

At one month of age, kittens go to the toilet from three to 6 times a day.

Signs that the kitten wants to go to the toilet:

• The kitten scratches objects or the floor with its paws;
• Sniffs objects and corners of the apartment, looks for a secluded place;
• The kitten's behavior has changed, it meows nervously, stomps around, sits down, spins around itself;
• The kitten is frozen in place, his gaze is dull (look at one point), most likely he is already ready to go to the toilet.

At the listed moments, the kitten must be immediately placed in the tray. It is better to take it in the abdominal area and carefully bring it to the toilet.

Is it possible to train a baby to use the toilet of another cat?

Smell is the main safety criterion for cats. The kitten will not use someone else's potty. In this case, even neutral flavors will not help accustom the cat to the litter box.

In order for the baby to learn to use a device that has already been used, the tray must be disinfected and make sure that foreign odors have disappeared.

We train the cat to use the toilet

Patiently and consistently you can train a kitten to use the toilet

The dream of a cat owner is not to have huge litter boxes in the apartment, not to sweep and wash the entire apartment due to scattered litter, and not to smell unpleasant odors. In this case, you can train the cat to use the toilet.

The sooner training begins, the faster results will be achieved. However, you shouldn’t start with a kitten at a very young age; he will physically not be able to climb onto the toilet on his own and stay on it. Considering what age the kitten is and whether he is accustomed to the litter box, you can proceed to the following steps:

1. You need to wait until the kitten grows up (5-6 months), masters the tray well, and makes sure that he is not afraid of the sounds of water.
2. From the kitten’s usual place, gradually move the tray towards the toilet;
3. Place the tray at the foot of the toilet so that the animal gets used to finding the tray the first time;
4. Gradually raise the tray to the level of the toilet, pinning various objects, newspapers or magazines under it. Raise no more than 2 cm per day;
5. If the animal notices and begins to resist, you need to stop so that it gets used to the level of the tray;
6. Gradually reduce the amount of filler in the tray, or remove it altogether;
7. When the kitten learns to climb into the tray, which is already at the level of the toilet, you need to remove all the supports and place the tray on the toilet;
8. When the animal learns to go to the tray on the toilet, the last step is to remove the tray and hide it so that the cat cannot find it in the apartment by smell;
9. When the animal once again jumps onto the toilet and does not find the tray, it can lower itself into the toilet with its paws, or sit on the rim and do its business.
10. At the same time, it will bury either air, or towels hanging nearby, or water.

It is necessary to remove the tray from the animal and make access to the toilet free

For a better result it is important:

• At the time of training, the tray on the toilet should be well secured, not wobble, so that the cat is not afraid and does not fall;
• The toilet lid should not close or slam when the cat tries to clean up after itself;
• The animal must always have free access to the toilet.

This is a complex, time-consuming procedure, but the initial work will save the owner time and money in the future.

We train a kitten at different ages

Select the age of your kitten/cat so we can make more relevant and actionable recommendations for your case.

Kitten up to 3 months

It is a little more difficult to train a kitten under 3 months of age to go to the toilet in a litter tray than an older individual. Learning at this age occurs more slowly. Most likely, you will spend not 3, but 7-10 days, but you can train any cat.

For small kittens, it is better to place the tray in the room where they spend the most time.

For very young kittens, it is important to place the litter tray in the bedroom or living room where the kitten spends the most time. Having trained to the toilet after 2-3 weeks, you can gradually move the tray to a place that is more secluded for the kitten and convenient for humans, for example, to the bathroom or toilet

At the moments when the kitten begins to travel around the room on its own, try to pay close attention to its behavior. Transfer the kitten directly to the litter box as soon as you notice that he has stopped and is alert without moving. This is a sure sign that he is thinking about the toilet.

Kitten from 3 to 6 months

This is the most suitable age for litter box training. Just follow the instructions and you will succeed. And remember, lovingly caring for your pet is much more important than scolding him.

Cat from 6 months

The older the cat, the more difficult it is for him to learn new habits. You will need more time, endurance and patience for the kitten to learn to go to the right place. Also, 6 months is a good age for teaching a cat to go not only to the tray, but also to the toilet. But if the cat has not even gone to the litter box before, you need to start progressively - with basic things.

Reasons for possible difficulties

When developing the skill of defecating in the right place, difficulties sometimes arise. They can be caused by various reasons. Just watch your pet to understand why training is so difficult.

Sometimes it happens that an animal went to the toilet in the right place, and then suddenly stopped. In this case, you need to understand what causes this behavior and how to re-accustom an adult cat to the litter box.

Disease

The most dangerous and unpleasant reason for refusing to go to the toilet is illness. If something is bothering your pet, he may change his behavior in an attempt to let you know that something is hurting him.

In some cases, due to illness, he simply forgets where to go to the toilet, or this process causes him severe discomfort and pain. This may be urolithiasis, kidney failure or cystitis. If you notice changes in the animal's behavior, anxiety, lethargy, or other symptoms of the disease, you should contact your veterinarian. After the course of treatment, your pet will recover and, most likely, will return to its usual toilet.

Stress

Litter box refusal can also be caused by stress. It is worth considering that cats, like people, have different personalities and stress tolerance. Therefore, each requires a special approach. Limit the animal from stress as much as possible, be patient, do not punish the cat for mistakes - and very soon she will understand what you want from her.

It happens that changes in life circumstances cause anxiety in an animal. For example, a new person has appeared in the family or someone has died. In this case, try to devote as much time as possible to your pet. If you have a second cat, you should designate a litter tray for each pet.

New tray or new place

Cats are animals that do not tend to change their habits; they quickly become attached to their territory and certain places. Therefore, when changing the tray, a problem may arise such as refusal to go to the toilet in the usual place. What can we say about moving?

If you change the tray, sometimes you have to start training again - be prepared for this. If you are planning a move, make sure the new location has privacy areas for the cat and elevated areas for observation. The fewer reasons for stress the animal has, the better the adaptation will be and the fewer problems will arise with the toilet.

The period of sexual hunting

Sometimes difficulties are caused by the so-called mating season. It’s quite easy to check whether a cat leaves marks intentionally or whether there is another reason for his behavior. If the pet becomes more restless - it looks from the outside as if he is looking for something - and the animal urinates in small portions on a vertical surface, then we can definitely talk about the cat’s sexual activity. The solution is castration or regular mating with a cat.

Psychological reasons

There is an opinion that a cat can leave puddles out of spite, thus showing its stubbornness and discontent. Not all experts recognize this possibility - there are supporters of the theory that cats do not have consciousness, therefore, they do not know how to take revenge. In fact, many owners know that a cat can take a shit if it is offended - but almost immediately. Animals are definitely not capable of delaying revenge and serving it cold.

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If your pet is loved and caressed, but he still walks in the wrong place, first of all you need to rule out the disease. If everything is fine in this regard, you need to decide how to most gently accustom an adult cat to the litter box again, taking into account the identified reason: often puddles or piles become an attraction for the owner’s attention. A couple of examples:

The cat feels sad when left alone for a long time. The owner returning late finds a fragrant “gift” in an unexpected place. Getting a second pet will solve the problem.

The cat likes or doesn’t like something. If he wants to go for a walk, but they don’t let him in, he can shit under the door. Or there is a desired item in the closet, which means the cat can go near the door of this closet.

More complex causes are difficult to identify. Sometimes monitoring an animal takes several weeks, or even months. But patient owners cope with the problem, no matter how ingenious it may be.

Timely training

It is advisable to accustom a kitten to the tray from an early age. From which one?

As soon as possible, ideally when he reaches four weeks.

Teaching a one-month-old kitten to order will be quite quick and easy.

According to the advice of veterinarians, this particular age limit is optimal for animals to learn new information and skills.

But this requires persistence on the part of the owner.

If the owner does not pay attention to the “dirty things” left in the corners of the apartment and silently removes them, then the pet will decide that this is in the order of things

If you took the baby from a nursery, where until now his mother was looking after him, then you should not flatter yourself with the hope that she instilled good behavior in him.

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As a rule, cats do not train their kittens to use the litter box. Kids can simply copy her actions.

And even if small pets managed to adopt some good habits during the time spent next to her, there is a high probability that the skills will be lost when the situation changes.

Even if the cat mother set an exceptionally good example for the baby, separation from her can lead to a complete loss of this experience.

When a kitten turns one month old and is immediately separated from its mother, it experiences stress, no matter how friendly its new owners are to it.

The baby is lost and often does not control his natural urges.

Here, new owners should show restraint and teach the kitten to go to the litter box on their own.

How long will it take? It all depends on your persistence and the character of the baby.