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Home / Nutrition Advice / Puppy Guide / Kitten Guide / Puppy Guide

New Kitten Guide - Training

Litter training

Until you’re kitten is allowed outside, you will need to provide indoor areas for toileting. Ideally, you should purchase one litter tray per cat or kitten in the household plus one extra. Place the litter box in a quiet place where it can be used in peace. Make sure your kitten can access the tray and get into it, i.e. the sides aren’t too deep if your kitten is very small. Make sure the tray is cleaned out regularly (wear gloves if you are pregnant).

Litter training in kittens is usually very straightforward – the mother cat has usually done the work for you. To help your kitten to recognise where to go to the toilet try using the same litter that they have been using up until you got them. If they have an accident, try to remember that they are still learning and try not to tell them off. Instead, clean it up with some tissue and place this in the tray to help them know where to go next time. In the beginning place your kitten on the tray when they wake or after they have eaten as they are likely to need to go to the toilet.

Rules for humans

Bad manners such as jumping up on surfaces and walking over tables can be cute when your kitten is small but become a nuisance later on. Furthermore, cats and kittens can represent a health risk to humans if they are allowed to walk on surfaces where food is prepared. After all, your cat may have previously been using their litter box! Try to avoid these behaviours by not allowing your kitten to do them from the start. It’s also important not to threaten or punish your kitten. Instead, just remove it from the area quietly and consistently.

You are likely to form a strong bond with your kitten whilst spending lots of time with them. It is important to remember to allow them some time to themselves whilst you are around which will help to ensure that they do not become over-dependent on you. A cat that is not used to being left alone may become stressed when you go out; this is especially true for the more interactive breeds, such as the Siamese.

Play time!

As kittens are very playful pets you will do well to invest in a variety of toys. Playing with your kitten is important for many reasons; including helping to build a strong bond and releasing excess energy (so that your kitten can feel tired and relaxed when left alone). Furthermore, using toys to play with can stop kittens biting and scratching humans by accident.

Soft toys are fun for kittens to play with and can often help relieve pain whilst teething. Balls and stringy toys are also great fun for your kitten to chase. Try to avoid playing roughly or any games where hands or feet are the target for the kitten to attack. As your kitten grows, their teeth will get bigger and stronger, these types of game can become painful or even dangerous for people and your kitten will be learning the wrong way to interact. Fishing rod type toys where the ‘prey’ is at the end of a string can be lots of fun and keep claws away from hands. Supervise your kitten with their toys to ensure that they do not swallow any pieces, or hurt themselves. It is beneficial to allocate time to interact with your kitten and to be creative with your games.

Take care that:

No small pieces can come off or be chewed off the toy and swallowed.
There are no sharp pieces or string etc, which can be swallowed.

Drinking Water

With all this training and play time, your kitten will need plenty of fresh, clean water. If you have other cats at home, they will also be getting used to their new mate, so you may notice that they obstruct your kitten from drinking. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have a few bowls of water in different rooms around the house.

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