How do I litter train a kitten?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Start your kitten in one quiet room with a low-sided tray of soft, unscented litter, away from its food and water. Put it in the tray after naps, after meals and when it sniffs or paws at the floor. Scoop at least daily, clean accidents with an enzymatic cleaner, and never punish. Most kittens learn quickly.
Keep the kitten in that room, or supervised, until it uses the tray every time, then open up the home gradually with more trays. A kitten that strains in the tray or has diarrhoea needs a vet, not more training.
What are the steps to litter train a kitten?
From VCA, Battersea and International Cat Care.
1. Start in one room
A cosy room with a bed, food, water and a tray. VCA says a kitten should not roam the home unsupervised until it uses the tray consistently. VCA Animal Hospitals
2. Choose a kitten tray
Battersea suggests a small, low-entry tray at first, then a full-size adult tray once the kitten can climb in easily. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
3. Use the litter it knows
Ask the breeder or rescuer what litter the kitten used and keep it, or change gradually. International Cat Care
4. Time the visits
Stay with the kitten through a nap, when it is likely to need to go, and watch for sniffing or pawing at the floor. Pop it in the tray then, and after meals. VCA Animal Hospitals
5. Let it dig and go
Give it quiet and space. Cats like to dig, so keep enough litter in the tray. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
6. Open up slowly
Once it uses the tray every time, give it more of the home, with more than one tray so it never has far to go. International Cat Care
What tray and litter should I use for a kitten?
What the sources recommend, side by side.
| Recommendation | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| Tray size Battersea Dogs and Cats Home | Low-sided for a kitten; as an adult, at least 1.5 times the cat's length from nose to base of tail | Many trays labelled 'large' are too small |
| Covered or open VCA Animal Hospitals | Open is safer to start | Covered trays can trap smells; VCA says cats generally prefer uncovered boxes |
| Litter type International Cat Care | Fine, soft, unscented, sand-like | International Cat Care says most cats prefer this texture |
| Litter depth Battersea Dogs and Cats Home | At least 3 to 4 cm | So the kitten can dig |
| Liners and newspaper Battersea Dogs and Cats Home | Avoid | Battersea says they can catch on claws and feel uncomfortable |
| Number of trays Battersea Dogs and Cats Home | One per cat, plus one extra | More choice, fewer accidents |
Where should the litter tray go in a flat?
Do
- A quiet, low-traffic spot the kitten can always reach, away from its food, water and bed. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
- A tray on each level if your home has more than one floor. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
- In a home with several cats, trays spread out so no cat has to pass another to reach one. International Cat Care
Don’t
- Next to the washing machine: Battersea warns sudden noise and vibration in utility areas can be stressful. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
- By a large window where outdoor or community cats can look in. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
- Moving the tray suddenly. If you must, VCA suggests moving it only 6 to 8 inches at a time. VCA Animal Hospitals
How do I keep the tray clean?
Cats generally don't like using a soiled tray, International Cat Care says.
- Scoop solids and clumps at least once a day; International Cat Care and Cats Protection suggest twice. International Cat Care
- Empty, wash and refill the tray weekly with mild, unscented soap. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
- Avoid bleach, strong-smelling cleaners and disinfectants that turn cloudy in water, which often contain phenols that are toxic to cats. International Cat Care
- Avoid scented litter and strong deodorants. International Cat Care
- Replace an old, scratched tray: VCA suggests once a year. VCA Animal Hospitals
What if my kitten has accidents?
If You catch the kitten going outside the tray.
Interrupt with a brief, novel sound such as a whistle, without scaring it, and take it to the tray. VCA treats mistakes as a reason to supervise more. VCA Animal Hospitals
If You find an accident later.
Clean it thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner made for cat urine. Avoid ammonia-based products, which smell like urine. International Cat Care
If Accidents keep happening in the same spot.
Put a tray there for now, as VCA suggests, then move it gradually. VCA Animal Hospitals
If The kitten strains, cries, or passes only drops of urine.
See a vet urgently. A cat trying and failing to pee can have a blocked urethra, an emergency. International Cat Care
If Accidents come with diarrhoea.
Call your vet. Diarrhoea can leave a kitten unable to reach the tray in time. International Cat Care
Should I ever punish a kitten for missing the tray?
No. VCA says not to punish a kitten or cat for a mistake: no shouting, striking or rubbing its nose in the mess, because punishment can permanently damage your cat's trust in you. International Cat Care puts it the same way: whatever the cause, punishment is not the answer and makes cats fearful.
Kittens' bladder and bowel control is still developing, International Cat Care notes, so easy access to a clean tray matters more than anything you say. If your kitten is doing well and then starts to miss, look at what changed: the litter, the tray's place, a new pet or visitor, or a health problem. Petym's answer on cats peeing outside the litter box goes through the causes.
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Questions owners ask
How long does it take to litter train a kitten?
- Most kittens pick it up quickly, often within days, if the tray is easy to reach, clean and filled with soft litter. Keep the kitten in one room or supervised until it uses the tray every time, as VCA advises, then open up the home gradually with more than one tray.
What litter is safe for kittens?
- International Cat Care says most cats prefer fine, unscented, sand-like litter, and VCA says fine clay clumping litter is the usual favourite. Keep at least 3 to 4 cm in the tray. Avoid scented litter, and ask your vet if your kitten eats litter.
Can I use sand or soil instead of cat litter?
- Some owners in India use clean sand, and International Cat Care says most cats prefer a fine, sand-like texture. Whatever you use, keep it unscented and at least 3 cm deep, scoop it at least daily and change it fully every week. If your kitten avoids it, go back to the litter it knows.
Why does my kitten poop next to the litter box?
- Common reasons are a tray that is too small or has high sides, a dirty tray, a scented litter or a noisy spot. Battersea notes that a tray too small or with high sides can cause accidents. Try a bigger, open tray with soft, unscented litter, and see your vet if it continues.
How many litter trays does a kitten need?
- Start with one in the kitten's room, and as it gets the run of the home, follow the rule Battersea and International Cat Care give: one tray per cat plus one extra, in quiet places away from food and water, and one on each floor.
Keep reading
Free tools for this
- Cat age calculatorCat years to human years from International Cat Care's chart, with the life stage.
- Cat food calculatorDaily calories from weight and life stage, as grams of dry or wet food from the pack's kcal.
- Pet care sheetA printable instructions sheet for your sitter: meals, walks, vet and house notes.
Words on this page, explained
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- VCA Animal Hospitals: House training for kittens and cats (opens in a new tab)
- Battersea Dogs and Cats Home: Cat litter trays (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Choosing a kitten (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Soiling indoors (updated 26 September 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Cat behavior problems: house soiling (opens in a new tab)
- Cats Protection: Behaviour: to pee or not to pee (The Cat, Autumn 2013) (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Feline lower urinary tract disease (updated 28 November 2025) (opens in a new tab)