Q&A for How to Litter Train a Kitten

Very young kittens such as this are not able to empty their own bladder and bowel, but hold on and only toilet when stimulated to do so by their mother licking. Also, the kitten is not yet able to walk and is still blind so they won't be able to find their way to the tray and climb in. By all means have a litter tray set up for the kitten to use, so they can discover it as they become mobile, but a one-week old kitten still needs their toileting needs seen to by the mother.

Kittens tend to investigate things with their mouths and it's not unusual for kittens to eat litter. For this reason, never use clumping cat litter if you have a kitten. The swallowed litter could clump in their stomach and cause a serious blockage.

If the kitten is not hungry and has recently been to the litter box, it may be that she's asking for attention. Try brushing her and playing with her for a few minutes, and she may settle down for a contented sleep.

This sounds like you kitten has accidentally learned to associate the tray with distress and has developed an aversion to using it. Set up another litter box in a different location and use a different substrate so there is nothing that she can link mentally to the other tray. When she poops or pees, place it in this new tray so as to give her the idea its a toilet. Play things low key and never place her in the box and hold her there or she may develop a bad association.

Most kittens follow their mother into the litter box once they are old enough to leave the nest (3 weeks or so). Before this age, the mother usually licks and cleans the kittens so that they don't soil the nest.

Most kittens are good at training themselves! Simply provide a litter box with low edges and pop the kitten in after she has eaten. It also helps if she has another cat to copy.