Before bringing your new kitten home you must first make sure you have bought some litter and a good litter tray for your new little family member.
You must get some basic things for your kitten before it is home with you so that it will feel as welcome and comfortable as possible.
Remember, a kitten is a lot of responsibility as it is a living breathing little individual, which you are responsible for taking care of and making sure it is safe and happy it’s whole life.
Once you have gotten some food and a comfortable bed as well, only then are you ready to bring it home with you.
So what is the best way how to litter train a kitten? Let’s find out…
Table of Contents
How To Litter Train A Kitten
If your new kitten has left it’s mother early then you will most definitely need to train it yourself how to use a litter box.
You can also be sure that the small animal will scratch around a lot and get cat litter all over the floor, while it is still learning this new skill.
For this reason you should put the litter tray in some small area which is easy to clean. Don’t put the litter tray on a pile of your favorite most expensive clothes, because that will not end well.
A laundry room with no trash or things lying around on the floor is the ideal place, for it is easy to clean.
To begin you should put the young kittens bed in the laundry room as well, or inside the same room the litter box is in as it is better for the cat to be in a secure contained space while it is getting used to the new home.
When you first bring the cat home it will need a lot of sleep as it is still just a baby, and cats do tend to sleep a lot of the time anyway.
Also read: Why do cats sleep so much?
You should introduce the young cat to the new area and give it some cat milk ideally which you can buy from vet suppliers.
Cats are often lactose intolerant so they require their own brand of milk in many cases.
After you have given the milk, you can gently put him in the litter tray and this is meant to gradually help your kitten get used to the litter box and he will soon get an idea of how it is supposed to work.
Then after you have given your kitten some cat food, have him stand in the cat box again, being gentle and careful with your small friend as it can be fragile.
The young cat will have seen and observed other cats when it was with it’s family and he will usually learn very quickly what the litter tray is meant for, as cats are very intelligent creatures.
Felines also are known for being very clean animals and they always scratch and dig holes in the wild when doing their business.
You can get all sorts of litter boxes nowadays for your cat, and there are many different types and variants you can choose from, even self cleaning ones, but unfortunately these often require to be replaced every 20 – 30 days or so.
But it is very worth looking into.
Behavior Issues In Kittens
Most of the time, kittens are really easy to train and teaching them how to use a litter box, but sometimes they can have behavioral issues.
When your kitten does what you want him to do, make sure to reward him and make it well known that you are happy and proud of him for him behavior.
You can reward your cat with a few cat biscuits after good behavior, and then it will know that they are doing something right and doing this enforces the good behavior of your cat.
If your kitten has an accident and pees on the floor, do not punish him but just clean it up with some disinfectant. The strong smell will deter your cat from peeing there again.
Also read: how to clean cat pee.
Afterwards, put your cat in the litter tray to remind him what you want and expect from him.
Never move the litter tray to another place as it can confuse the cat, and you are trying to get him used to the litter box as quickly as possible.
Moving the box around can slow down the progress.
Cats like to be clean so it is very important to take care of the kittens litter box and clean it every day.
If you can, you should take your cat outside for a short amount of time every day so it can chase butterflies and learn a few useful skills as well as just have fun.
Some cats who are not yet sprayed or castrated can spray around your house or apartment a bit.
If this happens, then there is a product you can get called “Petfinder” which you can spray around your house to get rid of this behavior.
The stress from being in a new unfamiliar home can also cause your new kitten to have an accident but they should soon settle down and adjust to their new home with you.
Just give them time and patience.
Cats are wonderful company and feel great to be around as they are very relaxing and not at all demanding.
Some cats live around between 15 to 17 years, and once you get a new kitten it is very important that you take them to the Vet Clinic to get immunization, worming and other good advice about de-sexing.
Once you have found a good and reliable vet then they can help and advice you on your kittens health and it’s needs.
Make sure that your kitten sleeps inside every night, as they are very territorial animals and may fight to keep their territory.
They also often attack wild life as they are natural predators so they should be kept in at night, being primarily a nocturnal animal as well.
After some time, they will become used to being in doors with you as they have everything they need inside the house.
How To Litter Train A Kitten Fast
Now you have your new kitten inside the home with you, and he will look very small. Ideally your young cat will be around 10 – 12 weeks old which is the best time for the kitten to be separated from it’s mother.
The first thing to do is to take the young cat into the room which you are planning to keep it in mostly at first, to begin with.
Everything should be already set up there for him and in place.
Show the kitten it’s water and food dish, then place him into the litter tray.
Most of the time he will actually know what to do immediately.
Next show him his bed and then you should leave the room and close the door carefully.
It is very likely he will know what to do quickly and adjust to the cat box very soon.
The young animal will need a lot of rest but that is completely normal and he will probably go to sleep in his new comfortable bed.
If you have small kids don’t let them handle or play with the kitten without supervision until it is 6 months old.
It is important to keep in mind that the kitten is a “baby” and should be treated accordingly. If he is left all alone in a new room, he will adjust rather quickly and soon become comfortable.
These animals are clever and bright, and after a few days of adjustment it should be ready to properly explore the new exciting home.
Because the new cat is still really young and small, it will be important to give him the correct food frequently.
The Vet or even the Breeder will have recommended the right food for your kitten, and it is essential that it stays on the right diet, so it can be healthy with strong teeth.
Before you let him out of the house, have a look around your garden first.
If you happen to have any Lillie’s growing you should pull them out or get rid of them because kittens often chew on things and Lillie’s can kill your kitten by inducing kidney failure if eaten. (1.)
Your little friend will love being outside and most likely run around the garden excited.
If you own a dog or an older cat, don’t let them come near the kitten without you watching close by.
Cat’s are carnivores, so don’t try to cook him up a pile of vegetables or something of the sort as he will not eat them. They need meat in order to survive.
Do not overfeed your little cat, as many small animals are often greedy and will just continue to eat without control if you let them.
It Should Take 3 Days To Litter Train A Kitten
It always depends on each individual cat, but it generally takes around 3 days for a new kitten to learn using the litter box.
If you are able to, you should spend the first seven working days at home with the kitten so it can get into a good routine.
During isolation caused by the corona virus many people got a new young cat, and it has turned out to be the greatest time to help them settle into the family.
Cats are really the best though in self isolation, and adjust to it really quickly.
If your cat has an accident concerning the litter box, try not to stress about it. Simply show him again where the litter tray is, and reinforce the good behavior with a tasty treat.
Because you have put in the ground work you should probably have your new pet properly trained to use the litter tray by the end of the week at least, and then you will be safe to leave it on it’s own more.
Do remember though that if you have an older cat they may not be so nice to the new kitten as they will feel territorial towards it.
They will just need to get used to one another before you can leave them in the same room with each other.
The older cat may unfortunately in some cases try to attack the kitten and hurt him.
This is why you should keep them separated until you can supervise them carefully and such.
Do remember to check out our guide on the best cat litter to use for your little kitten.
As your young cat grows older and more confident, he can start going outside more and more during the day.
Cats love and adore lying in the warm sun and some cats can actually get sun burnt from this.
So if you have a white cat, you may want to ask your Vet about some sun protection for your cat.
Some people create an outdoor area where the family cat can enjoy the outdoors without harming the wildlife or getting into fights with other felines.
Your cat will be quite content with laying outside for hours on a good day.
Your young cat can keep itself clean by grooming itself and licking it’s fur. It is natural for felines.
If it has very long fur though, he should be brushed a bit every day to get rid of any dead fur and such.
If cats lick too much at long fur they can develop fur balls, which most of us have witnessed at one point or another in our lives.
This is actually one reason why cats eat grass in order to help them cough up the fur balls in their stomach.
Cats to tend to groom themselves a lot and this can happen when they are shedding fur, and this is why brushing your cat’s fur with a brush can be so good for it.
When a kitten is born, it’s eyes are still closed and they only open after a day or two.
For the very first six weeks it will exclusively breast feed and after that it can try to have some solid food.
During those fist weeks they are best not to be handled and you should leave them to be cared for by their mother.
If the mother were in the wild or on some farm, then she would move her kittens away from you or any other people who tried to approach her to somewhere more safe.
They should not be picked up or handled in their first 6 – 8 weeks.
After that time, if the kitten is starting to eat solid food he will soon be ready to go home with you to live there.
If he will stay with his mother and other kittens on the other hand, you will experience seeing them all starting to play together and racing around the place until they wear themselves out again. Then they will go nap together.
Final Words
Now you have been at home with your new family member for around a week and he has had a lot of new experiences, including his very first trip to the Vet.
The young cat is now fully trained in using the litter tray and is getting more used to being in the new home with you.
You should pay close attention to your cats body language and how it seems to be adjusting.
The older cat you have(if you have one) may be jealous and could be stalking around the house looking unhappy with the new change, so don’t let them be alone together just yet.
Some cats don’t respond well to change at all and can become unsettled even for some time.
If you have by the end of the first week managed to have your new kitten litter trained fully, sleeping well in his new and warm bed and starting to explore the home, you have achieved your goals.
After a few more days it will feel as though he has always been there and will soon become one of the family which is wonderful.
If he is not interacting with your dog yet don’t stress about it, and keep them apart for a bit longer as dogs are often large and bouncy which can overwhelm your small sensitive kitten.
It won’t be too long though until they will be friends though, but remember to always keep a close eye on them at first.
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