One of the first lessons you will want your kitten to learn is how to use her litter tray or box. Here are our tips on litter box training.
- First you’ll need a spoken command that you’ll use to tell your kitten to go. Something simple, like ‘go’ or ‘sit’, is good.
- Look out for signs that she needs to go, such as if she is scratching or sniffing around. When you see these signs, or when it’s been a few hours since she last went, gently place her on the tray and use your command. If she manages to go to the toilet, give her gentle praise and a food treat.
- Place her on the tray or in the box regularly, especially after meals and after she wakes.
- If you place her on the tray and she doesn’t seem at all interested in going, don’t try to force her to stay. Just take her off and try again an hour or so later. Eventually she will need to go, and when she goes on the tray give her praise and a treat.
- When you place her on the tray, try to keep distractions and noise to a minimum. Keeping her litter in a quiet corner away from the TV and noisy family spaces is a good idea,
- Be patient. It might take a while to train her, but with consistency is key here.
- If your kitten just doesn’t seem to be getting it and she goes in places she’s not meant to, it could be she’s just formed the habit of going in a particular spot. Never punish or scold her. That will just teach her to be scared of you, and potentially scared of the litter tray. Just be sure to give her lots of praise when she does use the tray and she will eventually get it.
- Keep the litter box clean. If your kitten or cat is avoiding the litter, it might be because it smells unclean. Replace the litter daily. And clean the tray regularly.
