Train 'em Up

• Make sure your kitten has immediate access to his/her litter box and that s/he can climb in and out easily. A full-size litter box may be too big for a young kitten – try using a pie plate.
• Watch your kitten closely and place him/her in the litter box when they wake up, after meals or anytime they begin nosing in corners or squatting.
• If your kitten has an accident, wipe it up with a paper towel and place it in the litter box.
• Gently scratch the kitten's front paws in the litter, so that they learn this is the place to deposit and bury waste.
• When the kitten is successful, praise him/her lavishly
• Do not allow your kitten to play or sleep in the litter box. Consider a non-clumping litter if your kitten tends to play in the box.
• Cats will generally not soil their sleeping area, so placing them in a very small room or cage with the litter box should prompt them to do the right thing. Once your cat is using the box, gradually increase their house privileges.
• If they don’t respect their roaming privileges and soil areas other than the litter box, you may need to temporarily confine them. But make sure your cat isn’t ill, as this can sometimes cause deviant manners.
• With multiple cats, or a small cat in a large house, more than one litter box can be helpful for them...and for you.