How to Litter Train a Kitten
Momma cats do a great job of training their kittens to use the litter box. She actually shows them what to do--she'll pick them up and drop them in the box after they have eaten and before they fall asleep. If you're bringing home a new kitten for the first time, chances are it will already be looking for a quiet, hidden place to bury his waste. All you have to do is give him what he needs.
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Instructions
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Choose the right litter box. Be sure sides are low enough so that kitty can jump in and out easily. Those that have a cover over the top give kitty even more privacy. Plastic is the best material because it's easy to clean regularly.
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Place the box in a quiet area so your kitten can have some privacy. Make sure it is accessible from her eating area and sleeping area so she knows where to go. Protect kitty's area from other pets and toddlers by using a baby gate, if necessary.
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Use unscented litter to begin, because some kittens are sensitive to the scented kind. Use clumping litter so it's easier for you to clean out.
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Bring kitty to the box the first time you introduce him to his new area. He will most likely scratch around and sniff and may be even use the box right away! Leave his wastes in the box for the rest of the day just so he remembers where to go by scent.
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Clean the litter box out every day once she learns to use it regularly. This will help eliminate any odors as well provide a clean place she will want to use.
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Tips & Warnings
Beware of potted plants, as these are attractive places to eliminate for a kitten. Move plants away from kitty's area or cover the dirt with pinecones or rocks.
Don't place the litter box next to anything startling or noisy. You may think the laundry room is private, but the washer going through its cycle is scary to a kitten and will deter him from using his box. Also avoid areas with loud children and other pets. If anything unpleasant or scary happens to him in his litter box space, he will not want to return, and you'll have to start all over in a new spot.
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Comments
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thewhisperer
Jun 06, 2009
Sometimes too, a cat wants more than one pan, one to pee in and one to poop in. I've had a few cats who were urinating outside the pan, but they would pee in pans lined with newspapers and poop in the litter and keeping one pan lined with papers and one with litter in it, solved the problem with these particular cats. -
thewhisperer
Jun 06, 2009
Occasionally you may come across a cat or kitten who has been outdoors all its life and does not know what litter is. Such cats and kittens will usually use a litter pan with potting soil in it, then you can gradually convert them from soil to litter. Young kittens are like toddlers in that they often wait until the last minute to go to the litter and then either get confused as to where the pan is or cannot get to the pan in time. This can be helped by having additional litter pans placed in other parts of the house. Also, if your cat poops elsewhere, put the poop in the pan so his own scent can help him learn that's where he should go. Sometimes a hard stool will stick to a cat or kitten's coat when the cat goes to the litterpan, but ends up dropping off the fur after the cat has left the pan.
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onlylove022306
Dec 20, 2008
I have taken all of these steps trying to get my new kitten to use the box and she does for peeing but insists on poopin else where any other suggestions?
