The good news : It ’s not hard to instruct your kitten to apply a litter boxful . We ’ll give you the scoop ( pun intended ) .
kitty and cats are generally very exacting animals . That ’s respectable news when it occur to catch your kitty to habituate a bedding loge . kitty take to a litter box relatively easy , because of their natural inherent aptitude to dig and bury .
" cat will naturally eliminate in loose textile that is useable to them — like soil , ground , or pool litter , " says Maria Delgado , Ph.D. , CAAB , UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine . They clean up after themselves , too . " It ’s instinctual for cats to bury their wastefulness with this character of material , " she says .
Photo: BiancaGrueneberg / Getty
Choosing a Kitten Litter Box
There are many different litter box designs , but it ’s crucial to search the best type for your soul kitty or hombre . For young kitten , a litter box with low side may be the well choice early in their living to verify they can go up in and out of it without too much difficulty .
Once your kitten grow old , you may desire to buy a bedding material boxful with higher side , which is ideal for cats who fling bedding material out of the box after they go . cover litter boxesoffer a cavelike entrance that allows your cat to come in and do her business in private . However , be careful to monitor your cat ’s taste , as many cat can be well frightened or stressed if they ca n’t see what ’s going on outside the bedding box as they go . This may make them less potential to continue using it .
Selecting the Best Kitten Litter
Litter , the crumbly material that belong into a litter boxwood and is thrown aside after use , also comes in several choice . Basic bedding material is a claylike gravel that absorbs cat weewee . This litter gives a bozo a escaped medium to piss and poo in . Cats , being very clean animals , will bury their business by inscribe around it , pulling litter overtop .
Another alternative , clop bedding material , offers smaller granule that absorb liquid , making a clean picayune nugget that can be lifted from the tray with a slotted spoon - similar tool and tossed away . This eccentric of litter countenance you toclean out messeswhile leaving the fair bedding in the box . Litters may comeunscented or scented .
Which is best ? Your cat can tell you . " Some cats may also have texture preferences , and research has demonstrate that most cats favour a soft , sandy , scoopable bedding , " Delgado sound out . " Cats may avoid a bedding box if it ’s not clean-living , so scoop at least once a day . "
Where To Put Your Cat’s Litter Box
Litter box locationis important , too . " The box should be in a good and restrained topographic point , but it also needs to be accessible — so do n’t hide it away in the service department or basement , " Delgado tell . " If you have a busy menage or multiple cat , the boxwood should be placed somewhere that allows the cat to see if anyone is draw close , " she enounce .
If you havemultiple cat , you should also have multiple bedding material box . It ’s good for each cat to have their own box to prevent any can - relate conflicts . And the bigger your house is , the more bedding material boxes you ’ll want to supply . " I often see job when multitude give a kitty the footrace of the integral house , but there ’s only one bedding loge and it ’s far aside , " Delgado suppose .
How to Litter Train a Kitten
You ’ve brought your kitten house and you ’ve buy the supply . Now it ’s time to teach them how to apply their litter box . While most cats pick up the riding habit quickly , here are some tips to make the training go as smooth as possible :
Introduce Your Kitten to the Litter Box
When you first bring your kitten home , make certain they know where their litter box is . permit them reek and explore getting in and out of the boxwood on their own so they know it ’s safe . It can also help to place your kitty near or in the box after meals and naps to boost them to go .
Delgado recommend keeping kittens confined to a small space when they ’re young to avail them learn to practice the bedding material box . " As you increase their access to territory , verify there ’s always a litter box nearby until they ’re a bit former , " she tell . " verify your kitten has soft access to a few blue - sided bedding material boxful . "
Use Positive Reinforcement
Accidents happen , and you should never punish your kitty for going to the bathroom out of doors of her box . Playful kittens can sometimes not pay attention to their indigence to go until it ’s too former , says Cristin Tamburo Coll , Certified Feline Behavior Consultant atThe Cat Counselorin Los Angeles . " Kittens playreally hard . So sometimes , they have so much fun , they block to go to the litter box and have an accident . It ’s of import you do n’t punish them for stroke . When you see them using the litter box , reenforce behavior withpositive reinforcementlike treats or extolment , " she sound out .
" Have multiple box in your menage when they ’re young to avoid some of those emergencies when they ’re play . They ’re likely to use it if there is a bedding box always close by , " Tamburo Coll say .
Keep the Litter Box Clean
If your cat ’s litter box needs to be cleaned , she may opt to boycott it . " Litter should be cleaned day by day and fully plunge and wash every seven to 10 days , " enunciate to Britt Gagne , Executive Director ofFurry Friends Refugein Des Moines , Iowa .
Test Different Litters
Other factors that can impact a kitten ’s success with litter box usance include their age and type of litter . Tamburo Coll punctuate that sometimes it ’s not safe to use clumping Lucius DuBignon Clay bedding material when a kitty is 7 weeks to 3 month old . " Just like human toddler , kitty like to put thing in their mouthpiece . Be deliberate what character of litter you employ . shot or newspaper is best for this geezerhood , " she says .
Kitty litter come in various types , including clay clunking , non - clumping , silica crystal , corn whisky , wood , pale yellow , and others . Then there ’s scented vs. unscented . Some computerized tomography may show their litter predilection by refusing a raw type . According to Tamburo Coll , you may test a slow transition by putting some of the fresh litter underneath the original type , and gradually using more and more of the new .
How to Litter Train a Stray Kitten
Pet owners who are think through how to litter train a isolated kitten can encounter a different set of challenges . Litter box location is a really crucial broker when litter training any kitten , but is particularly of import when you ’re bringing in a lost , stray kitten from outside . " They feel safe in corners , especially if they ’re coming from outdoors to indoors , " Tamburo Coll says .
If you ’re convey in a stray kitten , Tamburo Coll also suggest layering outdoor substances over the bedding you want to use to make the cat feel more familiar with the material . She also suggests products likeDr . Elsey ’s Kitten Attractto entice your new kitten to use the box .
How Long Does It Take to Litter Train a Kitten?
Want to know how to litter train a kitten fast ? regrettably , there ’s no magic rule . However , kitty are innately tidy animals and most breed startle to employ the bedding material box clean rapidly within afew weeks of life history . However , Tamburo Coll says kitty under 3 weeks quondam need to bestimulated by their motherand wo n’t go to the bathroom on their own , so do n’t start litter preparation until they ’re older than 3 weeks .
If your kitty is still have trouble using the litter box after a few months , try changing the eccentric of litter , box , or box location to see if there ’s a combination she prefers . If the issue persists , your veterinarianmay be able to help .
