How to Litter Train a Kitten

Quick answer

Most kittens take to a litter tray fast, because burying their waste comes naturally. Set up a low-sided tray of unscented litter in a quiet spot. Pop your kitten in it after meals, naps and play, keep it clean, and never punish accidents. If a kitten suddenly stops using the tray or strains to go, see a vet, as there may be a medical cause.

When kittens learn

Kittens start toileting by themselves at around three to four weeks old, and they usually copy their mother at the litter tray. So by the time a kitten is old enough for a new home, it often knows the basics already. A strange house still means finding and trusting a new tray, though, so expect a short settling-in period.

What you need

The tray

• Size: big enough for the kitten to turn round in comfortably. It will grow, too; many adult cats like a tray about one and a half times their body length.
• Sides: low enough for a small kitten to climb in easily. A shallow baking tray or storage box lid can do for the first weeks.
• Covered or open: a lot of cats prefer open trays, where they can see around them and smells don't build up. If you go for a covered tray, keep it very clean.

How many trays

The usual guideline is one tray per cat plus one extra, each in a different place. In a big or multi-storey home, a tray on every floor helps young kittens reach one in time.

The litter

Unscented clumping litter is a good first choice for most kittens. It's soft on the paws and makes daily scooping easy. For very young kittens, or ones that try to eat litter, paper pellets or a non-clumping litter are better. Avoid strong scents: cats have a powerful sense of smell, and perfumed litter can put them off.

Ask the breeder or shelter what the kitten has been using and start with the same type. You can change gradually later if you need to.

Most kittens need roughly 3–5 cm (1–2 inches) of litter to dig and bury.

Where to put the tray

Where the tray goes matters as much as the tray.

• Quiet and private, away from loud appliances like washing machines and away from busy doorways.
• Away from food and water. Cats don't like to eliminate near where they eat.
• Easy to reach. In the first days, keep the kitten in one room with its bed, food, water and tray, then gradually give access to more of the house.
• Not moving around. Once you choose a spot, keep it there. If you must move it, do so gradually.

Step-by-step training routine

1. Show the tray on arrival. As soon as you get home, gently put your kitten in the tray and let it sniff and dig.
2. Use the main trigger times. Put the kitten in the tray when it wakes up, after every meal and after play. Those are the times kittens most often need to go.
3. Watch for signals. Sniffing the floor, circling, crouching or scratching at carpet often means a kitten is about to toilet. Lift it calmly into the tray.
4. Reward quietly. Praise softly or give a small treat once the kitten has used the tray. Don't interrupt while it's going.
5. Leave a little scent. For the first few days, a small amount of used litter left in the tray helps the kitten recognise it as the right place.
6. Supervise and confine at first. When you can't watch the kitten, keep it in the room with its tray.

Keeping the tray clean

Dirty trays are one of the commonest reasons cats go somewhere else.

• Scoop at least once a day, ideally twice.
• Empty and wash the whole tray regularly, about weekly for clumping litter and more often for non-clumping types.
• Wash with hot water and mild, unscented soap. Avoid strong disinfectants, especially those containing phenols (common in some pine-tar or "coal-tar" cleaners), which are toxic to cats, and avoid ammonia-based cleaners, which smell like urine.
• Wash your hands after handling litter. Pregnant people should ideally let someone else clean the tray or wear gloves, as advised by their doctor.

Handling accidents

Accidents are normal in the first weeks.

Clean the spot thoroughly with an enzyme-based cleaner made for pet urine. Ordinary cleaners can leave a smell that draws the kitten back to the same place. Then make the spot less inviting: put a food bowl or bedding there, or cover it for a while.

Think about why it happened. Was the tray too far away, dirty, hard to climb into or near something frightening? Is another pet blocking the kitten's way?

Never punish. All it teaches is to fear you, or to hide when toileting.

Troubleshooting

When it might be medical

Litter tray problems aren't always about behaviour. See a vet if your kitten or cat:

• Strains in the tray, cries while going, or goes very often with little result
• Has blood in the urine or stools
• Has diarrhoea for more than a day, or is also vomiting or not eating
• Was perfectly trained and suddenly stops using the tray

A male cat straining with little or no urine coming out is an emergency, because the urethra may be blocked.

Diarrhoea in kittens is often down to worms, a sudden change of diet or infection, so mention it at the first vet visit along with vaccines (see our kitten vaccination schedule). For everything else about bringing a kitten home, read the cat care guide for beginners.