Training a kitten to use a litter tray

21st November 2019

Whether you are going to keep your kitten as an indoor-only pet or you’re going to let them have access to the outdoors once they have had their vaccinations, you will need to train your kitten to use a litter tray as they will need to stay indoors for a while when you first bring them home.

Take a look at these tips to help your kitten to become familiar with their litter tray.

Litter tray location

A kitten will prefer going to the toilet in privacy so make sure you place their litter tray in a quiet area of the house. The tray should also be placed in a location separate to their food and water bowls. A kitten may be reluctant to use the tray if it’s too close to their food and water because they might perceive there to be a risk of contamination.

Setting the litter tray up

Cat litter is readily available from all pet shops and should be used in the tray at all times to encourage your kitten to use it. Do not use soil from the garden as it could make your kitten unwell if they haven’t had all their vaccinations. Make sure the sides of the litter tray aren’t too high so that your kitten doesn’t have difficulty climbing in and out of the tray. If you are worried about the litter getting kicked out of the tray, place the tray on some newspaper to catch any mess. If your kitten used a litter tray in their previous home, you could try finding out what litter was used and use the same for familiarity.

Cleanliness

It’s not necessary to completely replace the litter in the tray every day; this can be done weekly. Just the soiled parts need to be removed on a regular basis so that the kitten is not put off using it because it’s too dirty. The litter will take on your kitten’s smell, making it appear inviting and welcoming to them, which is why it’s a good idea not to replace the bulk of the unused litter in the tray too often.

Number of litter trays

If you have more than one kitten, you will need multiple litter trays so that there are plenty to go around. Cats don’t like to share so each kitten should have their tray, and you should have one extra for good measure. If there aren’t enough litter trays to go around, kittens might start soiling elsewhere in the house if all the available trays are taken.