How to Train a Kitten to Toilet

Kittens often have the habit of defecating on sandy soil. If you introduce the cat to the litter box, they will relieve themselves in the right place instead of pooping on the carpet. As soon as the kittens are brought home, they will begin to use the litter box quickly. It’s important to find the right litter box and encourage your kitten to use it, but they can’t be toilet-trained like dogs. You don’t have to teach the kitten what to do with the tray; instinct will remind them. You just need to provide your cat with a suitable and easily accessible litter tray. ^{[1] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to Source}

Table of Contents

Buy Supplies

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Choose a large sized toilet tray. Small trays are designed for kittens, but they grow so quickly that you have to replace them with a new one after a period of potty training. When you buy new trays, you will have to retrain them. So you should buy a large tray from the beginning for long-term use.

Kittens should have no trouble getting into the large litter box, as long as the edge is low enough for them to get in easily. If you’ve found the perfect tray but aren’t sure if the kitten will be able to climb in, you can use a piece of plywood or other flat material with high grip and lean against the tray for a small ramp. Use tape to secure the piece of wood to the tray and remove it when the kitten is old enough to be able to step inside on its own.

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Consider choosing a sealed toilet tray. Some types of trays have lids all around. Their advantage is that they do not spill soil and reduce odors if placed in a small area. Some cats will feel safe in a closed tray. ^{[2] X Cat Behavior Research Resources for Veterinarians. Bonnie Beaver. Publisher: Saunders.}

The closed toilet tray needs to be large in size; then the cat has enough space to turn inside the tray. Most cats have the habit of sniffing poop and then burying it, and the tray needs to have enough space for the cat to do this. ^{[3] X Cat Behavior Research Resources for Veterinarians. Bonnie Beaver. Publisher: Saunders.}
Some cats don’t like the closed litter box at first. You can remove the door until they get used to the tray.

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Buy cat litter. There are many types of litter to choose from, and any are suitable for kittens and adult cats (age 8 months and up). You should choose dust-free sand to avoid irritating your cat’s lungs. ^{[4] X Research Source} You should consider the following factors when choosing sanitary soil:

Do not use clumps of sand to defecate. If they eat sand (kitties often do), the sand will build up in their intestines and cause serious consequences.
Use unscented sand if possible. Kittens and adult cats do not like scented sand; If the smell is too strong, they will go to the toilet elsewhere. ^{[5] X Source of Research} In addition, scents can irritate cats’ noses and eyes or cause respiratory problems in cats.
Choose sand that can be shoveled. This type of soil is often a popular choice, as it makes cleaning up cat poop easier. You should be aware that cats can become sick if they ingest this sand, although there is currently little evidence linking this incident. ^{[6] X Research Sources}^{[7] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}
Choose a widely available sand. Some cats are accustomed to a type of sand and may not recognize the litter box as a toilet unless it contains their familiar litter.

Giving Kittens Access to the litter tray

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Place the tray in a quiet location. Should not be placed in crowded places such as kitchens or hallways. The ideal location is one that’s easily accessible, private, and doesn’t make sudden sounds that might frighten the kitten. ^{[8] X Cat Behavior Research Resources for Veterinarians. Bonnie Beaver. Publisher: Saunders.}

While the laundry room is a popular choice because it has less traffic than other areas of the home, sudden noises from the washer or dryer can startle kittens and frighten them away. Use a toilet tray. ^{[9] X Cat Behavior Research Resources for Veterinarians. Bonnie Beaver. Publisher: Saunders.}
The litter box should be placed in the kitten’s usual living area. They will see the tray often and can use it when needed.
Kittens and adult cats like private spaces. Otherwise, they will poop behind the sofa or in a separate corner of the room. ^{[10] X Research Source}
When you start potty training your kitten and need to move the tray, you should do it slowly, every few days, about half a meter. Moving the litter box to another room the very next day can confuse the kitten and lead to trouble pooping around the house. You can also place the food tray where the old litter box was, as most cats don’t defecate in their eating area.

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Place the kitten in a litter tray filled with sand. As soon as you bring the cat home, you put it right in the tray so that the kitten can get used to the smell and feel of the litter. Leave them in the tray for a few minutes, even if the cat doesn’t go to the bathroom on the first contact. Continue to lift the cat into the tray after eating, waking up, or any other time when you notice they are about to go to the bathroom. Also, if the kitten is squatting on the outside of the tray, you need to put them inside the tray immediately.

Some kittens will immediately understand the intended use of the litter box and require no further training. Others need to be put in the tray even ten times a day before they realize this.
You should avoid trying to “show” kittens the digging they use to bury feces and urine, as kittens can get scared. Therefore, you should not grip the paws and force them to dig until the kitten learns the lesson. ^{[11] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to Source}

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Praise instead of punish. Once the kittens have mastered the use of the litter box and see it as a place to relieve themselves, you can compliment them by cuddling and making pleasant sounds. Don’t punish your cat while it’s sitting in the tray, as you may cause the kitten to associate the tray with scary punishment. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Kittens don’t respond well to having their noses stuck in a pile of poop they go outside in the tray. If your cat does, let her sniff the dirt and then gently lift the kitten and place it in the tray. Then they will know where to go to the toilet next time.
Never punish a kitten by hitting or scolding. This only makes them more afraid of you.

Maintaining Cat Comfort

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Clean the toilet sand daily. Kittens do not like to relieve themselves in a dirty place. If you don’t change the litter, the kitten will look for a cleaner place, such as a carpet, and start pooping.

To clear the litter box, you need to scoop the stool out of the tray, put it in a small bag, tie it up, and throw it in the trash.
You may be left with a small amount of poop in the litter box (change it often) for the first few weeks. This step helps the kitten to recognize the effect of the tray.

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Clean the entire toilet tray regularly. About once a week, you need to empty the dirty sand in the tray and clean it. After shoveling out all the sand, use a non-toxic cleaner (or warm soapy water) to clean it, then rinse with water and pour new sand into the tray. ^{[15] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

You can leave the shovelable sand in the tray for more than a week because it makes it easier to clean up your cat’s waste. However, this sand also needs to be cleaned and replaced regularly.

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Clean the dirty area thoroughly. If your cat poops out of the litter box, you need to clean the area thoroughly, eliminating the smell of urine or feces. That way the cat will not continue to go to the toilet there. ^{[16] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

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Move large potted plants out of the house. In case you find that the kitten is pooping on the soil in the potted plant, you need to move the pot out or cover the surface of the soil while training the kitten to potty. Kittens have an instinct to bury their waste, so they are always attracted to areas with sandy soil. You need to make sure that the litter box is the only place for your cat to find a place to relax.

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Feed the kitten often. This allows you to predict when your cat will go to the bathroom. They usually clear up about 20 minutes after eating. When you notice that the kittens are looking for a place to go to the toilet, you can bring them closer to the tray and watch them climb inside.

Advice

As the kittens get older, you need to add more soil to the tray. When the kitten is six months old, you should fill the tray with sand at 5-10 cm.
If the area of the house or apartment is large, then you should place many toilet trays all around the house. This allows the kitten to use the tray as soon as needed instead of pooping outside. Once the kitten is sure to use the litter box, you can slowly remove the litter box.
If your kitten seems reluctant to use the litter box, you should make it easier for them to access the litter box or change to a different type of litter, especially if the litter has a scent.
Change the sand gradually. If you need to change out your cat litter, make the transition slowly by mixing the new litter with the old, then gradually increasing the amount of “new” litter over a two-week period.
Floors should be paved with stone or wood to make it easier to clean up cat feces and urine.
Praise your cat to try to repeat the expected good behavior.

Warning

Before training, you need to take the kitten to the vet to make sure they are in good health. Certain illnesses can cause kittens to behave differently when using the litter box.
Feed your kittens canned (wet) food made specifically for small cats. Since kittens are more susceptible to dehydration than adult cats, they are at risk of not being able to use the litter box as well as having related health problems.
The most common cause of kittens pooping outside is that the owner beats him for promiscuity. The kitten will then feel unsafe going to the toilet (especially in open areas) for fear of punishment, and become more timid. Therefore, you should never punish them when they go to the bathroom, because this only makes the problem worse. ^{[17] X Cat Behavior Research Resources for Veterinarians. Bonnie Beaver. Publisher: Saunders.}

Steps

Buy Supplies

Giving Kittens Access to the litter tray

Maintaining Cat Comfort

Advice

Warning

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