How to quickly train a kitten to use a litter box?

From the very first days of the appearance of a kitten in the house, you need to start accustoming him to the tray. The younger the pet is, the easier it is to toilet train it. However, the difficulty arises if the owners do not want to use the filler. Perhaps they prefer to put granules under the grate or do without them altogether - lay a newspaper, pour water, pour soda. In any case, potty training without litter is more difficult.

Each cat and cat owner chooses for himself whether to use a special cat litter for the litter box. Each case has its own advantages and disadvantages. The pros of using an empty pot are as follows.

• The hostess does not have to collect the pellets scattered by the cat all over the house every day. In addition, many species can stick to the pet's paws and spread around the apartment.
• Some cats do not recognize litter at all, it is more convenient for them to visit an empty litter box. Although in general it is still a rarity.
• Many pets cannot resist the temptation to taste the pellets, with most fillers negatively impacting the pet's health when ingested. Kittens especially love to eat filler.
• In many cases, the use of filler is unhygienic. Some species (for example, clumping) collect a lot of dust and leave marks on the animal's fur.
• The use of filler is not recommended in an apartment where small children live, as young owners are often not averse to playing with pebbles.
• Another plus of avoiding filler is cost savings. Some varieties are quite expensive.

At the same time, the use of filler has significant advantages.

• Most cats still like to dig in granules, hide waste products behind them.
• When using filler in the house, there is much less smell.
• The use of some granules does not require instant cleaning of liquid waste.
• It is easier to clean the tray after the filler, it can be done more thoroughly.

In a responsible and patient owner, the kitten will begin to walk in the tray without fail by 2 months. It is possible to accustom your baby to a tray without filler by observing the following steps.

1. First, it is important to teach your kitten how to use a litter pot. Pour some pellets into the tray and place the kitten on top. Do not force him to go to the toilet, do not sit down, just watch. Plant it several times throughout the day. If the fluffy baby goes to a different place to use the toilet, transfer the waste products to the tray for a while. You can soak a piece of newspaper with liquid waste and put it in a pot. After a while, the kitten will understand why the litter box is needed.
2. Do not remove the litter as soon as your pet gets used to going to the right place. Leave the pellets for 3-4 weeks, do not forget to clean the pot regularly, teaching the kitten to cleanliness.
3. After the specified time has passed, you can try to train your pet to toilet in an empty litter box. Now the baby knows where he should perform his intimate procedures, has studied the container, even a thoroughly cleaned tray retains the appropriate smell, and the kitten will quickly get used to when it is in an empty tray.
4. If the kitten does not immediately figure out what to do with an empty tray, you can try to free the pot of granules gradually, reducing the amount of litter every week, thereby weaning him off the use of absorbent lumps. When at the end of the weaning period only a handful of pebbles remain in the container, of course, the kitten will not like it, but over time he will get used to it.

To help the kitten quickly get used to the new regimen, heed the advice of veterinarians on potty training for young animals.

• Place the litter box in a quiet, peaceful place where there are no crowds and no one will disturb your baby.
• Choose a tray with a wide area and low sides. It will be more convenient for kittens to get used to such a container.
• Dispose of any liquid waste under the grate immediately. Solid waste products also require instant cleaning.
• Rinse the litter box after each kitten use.

Instead of filler, sand or sawdust can be poured under the grate. Another option is to use plain water. Pour a little liquid on the bottom, you can sprinkle a little soda (it absorbs the smell), and put a grate on top. This option is suitable for trays where the grid is located quite high.

You can use the above-mentioned soda in the case of using sand or sawdust. Sprinkle the powder on the bottom and sprinkle the granules on top. This method will allow you to maintain a pleasant atmosphere in the house for longer. Some owners do not add anything to the tray at all - they leave it empty and put a grate on top. However, in this case, an unpleasant smell may spread throughout the apartment if the pot is not rinsed in time.

For tips from your veterinarian on litter training, see the video below.