Litter Training Your Cat or Kitten

Most cats will take readily to a litter box. Cats have an instinct to cover their waste. Some experts believe this comes from an instinct to avoid detection from other predators. Whatever the reason, most cats do have a natural desire to cover their waste.

Kittens will mimic the mother cat and will often take to using the litter box without prompting from a human. If the kitten is resistant to using the litter box or simply doesn't seem to get the concept, it can normally be trained. When the kitten has an accident elsewhere, the best thing to do is to--as soon as possible-- place the waste product in the litter box and place the kitten next to it in the box. This process may need to be repeated several times.

Do not scold the cat or kitten. They will not understand why you are scolding them--rather, they will possibly develop "issues" and you will end up with a fearful and neurotic cat.

The primary reasons some cats or kittens won't use a litter box:

1. It isn't clean enough. Cats are fastidious creatures and typically do not like to get dirty. Some cats are more fastidious than others.

2. The cat or kitten does not like the litter used. Some cats are picky about the litter and won't use a box that contains a kind of litter they don't like. Cats have a much stronger sense of smell than we do and overly-perfumed litters can sometimes overwhelm them. Texture is also important. Most cats prefer sandy litter versus coarse litter.

3. The cat has a health problem. Cats that have urinary, bladder, colon, or kidney problems will frequently have accidents. Any cat who refuses to use a litter box, or suddenly stops using a litter box, should be checked out by a veterinarian.

The sooner a kitten becomes accustomed to using a litter box, the better. Kittens are very impressionable and positive training is easier when they are still young. They will look to you for training --especially if the mother is absent.

This training includes social skills. Kittens should be exposed to new toys and activities to satisfy their curious nature. This is also a good time to show them what is and is not acceptable in play. This should always be done gently and without punishment. There is no need to punish kittens, and in all cases punishment will be counter-productive.