How To Litter Train A Kitten

Just like late night zoomies, hungry yowls during meetings, and “donating” fur to your clean piles of clothes, litter boxes are just one of those things that comes with being a cat parent. It’s not always pleasant, but it's better than your cat doing their business on the rug.

If your cat is from a breeder, they might already be litter trained. But if they’re a rescue, still very young, or if you have a female cat who has just had kittens, they might need a bit of help learning how to use a litter box.

Read on to learn how to train a kitten to use a litter box so their transition into your family can be as smooth as possible. Less cleaning, more flinging a feathered toy about.

When your cat is a kitten, their mum will help them relieve themselves, so you don’t have to worry about litter training them immediately. But, once they reach 3-4 weeks old and are ready to wean, they’re ready to learn to use the litter tray. 

If your kitten isn’t litter trained when you bring them home, you’ll need to start training right away.

Thankfully, cats will automatically look for somewhere sandy or gritty to relieve themselves, so litter training your cat is (usually) pretty easy. You need to make sure you have the right litter tray for your kitten as well as a good litter and make sure it’s in the right place to encourage them to use it.

The first thing you need is the litter box – obviously. For young kittens, you’ll need something that is nice and shallow with low sides that are easily accessible. Kitten litter boxes are available at most pet shops, but even a shallow box like a tinned food cardboard tray will work at first. Just make sure the sides are low enough that they can get in it from all angles.

Slightly older cats will need a litter box that is 1.5 times the length of their bodies (sorry, Maine Coon parents.), but a full-size box might be intimidating for a kitten, so it’s okay to start with a smaller one at first. Once they’re litter box pros, you can move up to a full-sized one.

Just like the hit Channel 4 series, it’s all about location, location, location. Kittens will be drawn to quiet corners or areas away from their usual hangout spots to use the toilet. Make sure the litter tray isn’t near food or water either.

If you’re keeping your kittens in their own room (which is recommended while litter training), place the litter tray in the opposite corner to their food and water bowls. If your kitten is a bit older and learning to navigate your entire home, place a couple of litter trays around so they never have to go far to find somewhere to go.

Top tip: Kittens can be messy learners. Placing newspaper or a puppy pad under their box can help with clean-up if they don’t quite make it… or aim wrong.

As mentioned, if your kitten is exploring your whole home, it’s best to offer multiple litter boxes just in case. If you have multiple cats, you should have 1 more litter tray to the number of cats you have. So if you have 3 cats, you need 4 litter boxes, for example.

We get it – it can be unpleasant to have your cat’s used litter tray on display. It can be tempting to opt for a much more aesthetically pleasing covered litter tray, but you might find that your cat won’t use it. Cats will naturally avoid relieving themselves in closed-off areas; they do this to easily escape predators if they’re ambushed in such a vulnerable position.

We both know they’re perfectly safe at home, but they don’t know that, so using a covered litter box might be stressful for them. But it’s up to their personal preference. It’s best to give your kitten a choice at first to see which type of litter tray they prefer.

Once you have your supplies ready – the litter box, a scooper, and good-quality litter (like our Scoop Health litter) – and the litter box area set up, here’s how to help litter train your kitten.

Step 1: Show your kitten the location(s) of each litter box and let them have a good sniff and explore.

Step 2: Gently place your kitten in the litter box. They may instinctively start pawing at the litter or even use it right away. If they don’t, imitate pawing at the litter yourself to show them what to do. Feels silly but it’s how they’d learn from their mum.

Step 3: If your kitten doesn’t take to using the litter box right away, start placing them in it every time they eat, drink, or wake up from a cat nap to let them know that’s where they need to go.

We all love a bit of positive reinforcement, and our cats are no different. To help make using the litter tray more fun, praise your kitten and give them plenty of treats whenever they successfully use it.

If they have an accident or miss the litter tray, don’t tell them off. Just clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner and get on with your day.

A very important step. We’ve all let a litter box sit dirty a bit too long – we’re all human. But when training your kitten, it’s important to at least scoop the litter after every time they use it. And change it regularly to keep it clean and inviting. You wouldn’t want to use a dirty toilet, and some cats avoid using a dirty litter tray.

It usually takes around 4 weeks to fully litter train a kitten. It’s fairly natural for cats to use gritty, sandy substances as their toilet. Most kittens will grasp the concept quite quickly, especially with all the treats and positive reinforcement. Some might need further encouragement but it shouldn’t take longer than a month for them to get used to their new routine.

Learning new things can be tough – we get it – so it can take some time for your kitten to learn to use their new litter tray. But if it’s taking longer than a few weeks, or if they are regularly missing/peeing outside the box there are some things you can try to help.

1. Make sure your kitten can definitely reach the box. Ensure it’s in a quiet spot but not hidden, has low enough sides, and isn’t guarded by other cats in the family. 

2. Think about changing the type of litter you use – a litter with large pieces or pellets might be uncomfortable on your kitten’s paws and put them off.

3. Scoop the poop and refresh the litter more often.

4. If it goes on for much longer than expected, even after you change your set-up, take them to a vet. Health conditions such as UTIs can cause pain and put kittens off using the litter tray as they begin to associate the area with being in pain. It’s unusual but worth a check-up just in case.

The choice of litter itself is really important for litter box success. Most cats will prefer a litter that is soft and sandy. Litter that is too chunky or hard might deter them because it hurts their paws. 

Choosing between clumping or non-clumping litter is a personal choice. However, it’s not recommended to use clumping litter with kittens. Just like human babies, kittens explore the world using their mouths, and clumping litter could block their throats or insides if they have a sneaky taste.

When choosing your litter, pick a paw-friendly, kitten-safe option. KatKin Scoop Health litter is a non-clumping kitten-friendly litter that locks in odour and is specially formulated to measure the pH of your cat’s urine, which can tell you a lot about their overall health. It’s easy to clean and kind on paws – the perfect choice for litter training.