Did you recently adopt a kitten?
If so, you’re awesome. We need more people like you in this world. With your generosity, you’ve not just changed the life of a cute cuddly fur ball, you’ve also changed your own for the better. The kind of joy that cat companionship brings is hard to explain.
But it’s not always a bed of roses. They do make us work hard for their love. For starters, you do have to potty train a cat. If you have no prior experience in dealing with cats, you must be wondering how to litter train a kitten without mother.
No problem, we got you. In this guide, we’ll show you just how easy it is to litter train a kitten fast.
When to start litter box training kittens
Litter box training for kittens can start as soon as they are 3 weeks old. There is no hard and fast rule to this. Some kittens develop sooner than others but most kittens invariably start going in the litter box by the time they are 4-7 weeks old.
How to litter train a kitten fast
Stray kittens have a natural tendency to eliminate in the soil. However, in most cases they learn how to eliminate from their mothers. So, if you’re wondering how to litter train a kitten without mother, don’t scratch your head. Thanks to their instincts and with a little nudge from your side, they should quickly learn to use the litterbox.
Kittens usually eliminate when they first wake up or after they eat. If you place the kitten in the litter box at such times, chances are they will go right away. When you do it a couple of times, they will get habituated and start going on their own.
Use a 2-inch layer of non-clumping cat litter in a low open sided litter box. After you’re done feeding, place them in the litter box and gently hold its paw to scratch the litter. It also works if you scratch the litter when the kitten is watching. They need to be able to feel like they’re digging something so make sure you’re using litter and not paper pellets as many cats don’t like them.
Oh, and never choose clumping litter for kittens as the chemicals used for producing the fragrance and the clumps of litter can be quite risky for them.
What to do when the kitten refuses to go
Litter training your kitten needs a little patience. It doesn’t always work on the first try but it doesn’t take long either. Don’t fuss if your kitten refuses to go. By now your kitten must have soiled or eliminated in a location other than the litter box. Transfer some of that urine and/or poop into the litter box and then get them into the box. Watch what happens. In most cases, kittens will start digging naturally and the odor from their elimination should help them go.
After this point, all you have to do is ensure that the litter box is shallow and open sided. Place it where your kitten can easily locate and get in to on their own.
What to do when my 6 week old kitten won't use litter box
It’s not uncommon in kittens not taking it to the litterbox naturally. If you’re having trouble potty training your kitten, use a litter attractant. Works like magic on kittens that refuse to go in the litterbox.
You don’t have to deal with accidents, wet floors and soiled carpets. When you sprinkle a small handful of attractant on the litter, the smell of the attractant makes them scratch around and go potty. Easy peasy!
How to litter train an older cat
Often times there are situations when older cats get adopted. If your new buddy has been an outdoor cat all his life, it can be challenging to retrain them to use a litterbox. Again, the easiest way to litter train an older cat is to use a litter attractant. That’s what many older cat owners do. Just be sure to use the attractant on unscented cat litter. If your older cat is eliminating all over the place or has other litter box problems, read this article.
Farting Thoughts
Do you HAVE TO potty train a cat? Not all of them. But few cats may need to be trained. But even then, it’s no rocket science. It should take no more than a few tries to get them digging!
