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Kitten Toilet Training

Kitten Toilet Training

How to toilet train a kitten?

Cats are fussy about toilet habits and kittens usually learn to use a litter tray by copying their mother. You may just need to show where the litter tray is and place the kitten on the tray after meals, waking from a sleep, or when sniffing, scratching or beginning to crouch and generally looking as if they are about to go. If your kitten is inclined to mess elsewhere in the house, confine them to one room with a litter tray until the animal learns to use it regularly and follow the aforementioned procedure.

You will require a plastic litter tray, which can be filled with cat litter available from pet shops.  Earth from the garden should never be used as it may harbour diseases from other cats.  The tray should be placed on newspaper to catch any litter pushed over the side during digging; a large tray will prevent such problems, but make sure it is not too deep for your kitten to climb in.

If you intend to let your kitten out to use the garden in the future then a simple open tray will suffice for the few weeks involved. If you intend the cat to continue to use the tray, you may want to purchase one of the covered types which gives the cat more privacy, stops smells from escaping and prevents mess with the litter.

Place the tray in a quiet, accessible corner where your kitten will not be disturbed.  Make sure it is not next to food and water bowls, as the kitten may be reluctant to use a tray close to its food.  The litter tray must be kept clean and emptied regularly. Some disinfectants which go cloudy in water (such as Dettol) are toxic to cats so use only hot water and detergent when cleaning out the tray.
For more information speak to one of our vets or veterinary nurses.

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