How to toilet train your cat

Sure, all you want to do with a new kitten is cuddle it and play with it. However, if you want to avoid foul-smelling problems down the line make sure you clue up on how to toilet train your cat.

Without a doubt, learning how to toilet train your cat is part of being a responsible pet owner. After all, you don’t want to spend the next few years cleaning up kitty mess!

You can start toilet training your cat from just a few weeks old and really, the sooner you instill good toilet habits into your pint-sized pal, the better. Plus, what’s ‘pawsome’ about kittens (amongst other things, of course!) is the fact they’re so much easier to toilet train than their canine counterparts.

Steps to toilet train your cat

When toilet training your cat, think ‘clean’ and think ‘routine’. Here are a few hints on how to get started and how to toilet train your cat with as few mishaps as possible.

Freshen up

Firstly, your cat will need a clean litter box with fresh litter. A dirty litter tray may prevent your cat from using it. Make sure the litter tray is located in an easy-to-reach spot. In other words, don’t put the litter tray in the bathroom if other members of the household tend to close the door after using the toilet. Similarly, don’t house the litter tray in the laundry if the door often blows shut.

Think carefully and be practical about where the litter tray is best placed.

Set a schedule

Routine may be boring, but it’s helpful when you’re trying to toilet train your cat. Place your kitten in the litter box a few minutes after you feed him and after he wakes from his catnaps. Let him scratch around and check the tray out. You might even need to look the other way if you have a shy cat on your hands!

Keep to your routine and, eventually, using the litter tray will become second nature to your clever little kitty.

Praise puss

When your purring pal does do his business in the litter tray – celebrate. Give your kitty lots of praise. It’s puurfectly okay to make a big song and dance.

Preventing kitty mishaps

It’s kind of inevitable that when you toilet train your cat there are going to be blunders. However, by planning ahead and pre-empting the potential mishaps, you might well be able to avoid them. (Most of them, anyway!) Here are a few tips to help prevent toilet training calamities.

Don’t give Kitty free range of your home; this just means more little nooks and corners to do a sneaky wee.
Choose only one room to toilet train your cat. Ideally, make it a room where you can keep a close eye on them.
If your cat starts to sniff, scratch or squat in preparation for a pee, pick them up and place them in the litter tray.
Change the kitty litter daily; you don’t want to give your cat any reasons to ditch the tray and do their business on your nice clean carpet!
Adding a few drops of vinegar, lemon or water to the litter can help neutralise odour.
Keep the tray in a quiet area of the house, away from your cat’s food and water.
Ensure the sides of the litter tray aren’t too high for your kitten to step into.

Now that you’ve successfully taught your kitten to use its litter tray, perhaps it’s time to train your cat how to do a few other tricks (like abiding by a curfew!).

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