Cat Training, Kittens

Basic Litter Training for Kittens

Written by: Jackie Brown

Last Updated on December 8, 2020 by Bridget Shirvell

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Luckily, a kitten’s instinct to bury or hide its waste is strong. As long as you provide a nice litter box setup, your kitten is likely to catch on quick.

“Of the hundreds of kittens I have encountered, I can only think of two or three that needed help litter training,” says Jessica Watson, team lead — Cat World, certified animal training and enrichment professional with Best Friends Animal Society. “Solo kittens are the hardest as they don’t have brothers and sisters to help.”

Set your kitten up for success by following the golden rules of litter boxes: Have at least one box per cat plus one, make sure the boxes are large yet easy to enter (kittens may need a lower box or a ramp). This box from PETFUSION (41.32, Chewy) is worth looking into. Place the boxes in quiet places away from food and sleeping areas, and use a soft, unscented litter, like this one from OKOCAT (19.99, Chewy).

If your kitten has an accident, remain calm, try not to show your displeasure and clean the mess up promptly.

“The kitten isn’t doing this on purpose — that is why we call them ‘accidents,’” Jessica says. “If the mess can be relocated to the litter box, I recommend doing that, which will let your kitty know where he should be going by marking the box with his scent.”

Featured photo: perets | Getty Images

About the Author

Jackie Brown

Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. She is contributing writer for National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian’s Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). Jackie is a regular contributor to pet and veterinary industry media and is the former editor of numerous pet magazines, including Dog World, Natural Dog, Puppies 101, Kittens 101 and the Popular Cats Series. Prior to starting her career in publishing, Jackie spent eight years working in veterinary hospitals where she assisted veterinarians as they treated dogs, cats, rabbits, pocket pets, reptiles, birds and one memorable lion cub. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons and miniature poodle Jäger. Reach her at jackiebrownwriter.wordpress.com.

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