How and why to litterbox train your cat

By Charlotte Francesca Stiles, DVM

For new pet parents, litter box training a cat can be complicated to get your head around. Litter Box training has various benefits for you and your pet. Providing them with the perfect litter box helps them express their normal behavior and lessens the chances of them making a mess in your home.

Your cat’s litter box behavior and the opportunity to check their urine and feces can also give you important hints about their health, and when you might need to take them to the vet.

In this article, we’ll explain what you need to know about litter box training by explaining the following points:

• How to choose the right litter and litter box.
• How to train your kitten or cat to use the litter box
• How to clean the litter box
• Common litter box problems and why your cat might not want to use their litter box.

Disclaimer: Please refer to the information in this article as a guide only. If you need specific advice relating to your pet or think they may be unwell, contact your veterinarian.

Choosing the right litter box

The right litter box for your pet will likely depend on a few factors such as their age, size and personality. We’ve listed some things to think about below:

• Size - you’ll want to choose a litter box or tray, which is large enough for your cat to fit inside comfortably and turn around in.
• Open vs closed - open litter boxes offer your cat more privacy, however, they can be less enticing for nervous cats who don’t like crowded or small areas.
• Material - litter boxes are commonly made of plastic (reusable) or cardboard (non-reusable). The choice depends on how much cleaning you want to do, and your budget.

Don’t forget, apart from choosing the correct litter box, it’s also important to put it in a suitable location. By this, we mean a calm, quiet area, where they can see both in front of and behind the litter tray. It should not be close to where they eat or in areas where they may be disturbed.

Choosing the right litter

Just like the type of litter box you choose for your pet, there are a few different choices which we briefly explain below:

• Clumping vs non-clumping - some types of litter are designed to clump together when wet. Clumping litter is not only generally easier to clean but is also thought of as being preferable for cats.
• Scented vs unscented - Scented litter, just like the self-cleaning litter boxes we mentioned earlier, may seem preferable for pet parents for obvious reasons, however, they can be less appealing for cats and discourage them from using their litter tray. If you clean your cat’s litter tray out often enough, you shouldn’t worry too much about it smelling.
• Material - the material your cat’s litter is made of, will also influence its smell and how comfortable your cat is using it. It’s thought that cats generally tend to prefer litter which is similar to sand.

It’s good to know that the type of both litter and litter box you choose, may also depend on your budget, so don’t forget to shop around and ask other pet parents for recommendations before you make your choice.
Once you’ve chosen the type of litter, it’s best to keep it the same, to help your cat get used to it and to encourage them to use it. It’s also important to ensure the litter's depth is between 3cm and 4cm.

Training a kitten or cat to use the litter box

It’s generally considered that since cats are born with an instinct to pee and poop in areas they can dig in, they usually don’t have a problem using a litter box.

Placing a suitable litter box in an accessible and appropriate place for your kitten or cat will likely signal them what it’s intended for. To help encourage them along the way, refer to the points we mentioned earlier, and ensure that it’s in a suitably calm location, away from their food and always accessible.

It’s also good to remember that you’ll need to have at least one (preferably one extra) litter box per cat in your home, so if you have more than one cat, don’t forget the extra litter boxes!

Cleaning the litter box

Self-cleaning litter boxes may seem like a good idea for us humans, however, for our cats, they can seem frightening, especially for more nervous cats. Besides this, manually cleaning out your pet’s litterbox allows you to check your cat’s urine and feces.

It’s best to empty your cat’s litter box morning and evening and replace it with fresh litter. This will reduce the chances of it starting to smell, and will also help encourage your cat to use it.

It’s also a good idea to disinfect the litter box weekly with a pet-friendly disinfectant (many disinfectants are dangerous for cats, so don’t forget to check) and to empty the entire contents of the litter box once per week.

Why is my cat not using the litter box and what are common litter box problems

Let’s now take a look at some common reasons why a cat may decide not to use their litter box:

• It’s not big enough.
• There’s not enough litter.
• It’s not in a suitable location.

Another reason why a cat may not use their litter box is if they aren’t feeling well, for example, if they have a UTI. If your cat starts passing pee or poop, outside of their litter box and shows other signs such as behavioral changes, diarrhea, pain or vomiting it’s best to take them to your veterinarian.
Medical reasons why cats may not use their litter box are beyond the scope of this article, and it’s best to contact your veterinarian if you're concerned about your pet or their behavior.
With our Lifetime Protection Membership, you can access veterinary professionals anytime by phone, email or live chat. So if you’re worried about your cat’s health or behavior, you can quickly get the help you need.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article about how to create the perfect litter box for your cat, and why it’s important. You can read more about kittens and cat care in our article Cat Health and Care: What to Consider.