It’s decided – you want to care for a cat. But before you open up your home to your new best friend, you’ll want to swat up on litter training. Here’s our guide on the main types of litter (and litter trays), plus where you’ll want to place them.
Choosing the right litter tray
When learning how to litter train your cat – especially if they’re a kitten – it’s important to remember that accidents will happen. No matter what happens, stay calm and don’t get angry. Reward your cat with treats when they use their litter tray (and smart up on how to get rid of cat pee smell for when they don’t!). It’s also a good idea to keep an eye out for your kitten eating litter or playing with it – distracting them with a toy instead.
When choosing a cat litter box for your feline friend, there are three main things to consider:
1. Where you will place the cat litter tray
Cats prefer to do their business in a quiet, safe place where they can’t be overlooked – in short, cats like their privacy. Cats also don’t like to go to the toilet where they eat, so placing it away from food and water bowls is essential.
2. What size and height the cat litter tray is
You could opt for a small kitten litter tray, but your kitty may prefer an adult litter tray, as you won’t need to disrupt them by changing their tray as they grow up. Something to keep in mind is trays with a lower lip will give kittens and senior cats easier access to their litter tray. And while some cats may prefer an enclosed cat litter tray with a lid, others may be put off by this.
3. How many cat litter trays you should have
As a rule of thumb, you should have one litter tray per cat, plus one extra when you have more than one cat. These should all be placed in different locations around the house.
Don’t forget, you’ll want to get a cat litter scoop, too.
Choosing the right cat litter
Choosing a cat litter your kitty is comfortable with will ensure that they’re content using their litter tray. If they’re not, your cat may start peeing elsewhere. This makes kitty litter a vital part of teaching a cat to use the toilet.
Clumping cat litter:
- Forms solid clumps or balls when a cat urinates on it.
- Is highly effective at odour control.
- Absorbs a large amount of urine, making your cat litter go further.
- Eases cleaning out the litter tray (just remove the clumps, no need to replace the entire tray) – plus, the tray itself lasts longer.
Check out our selection of clumping cat litter.
Non-clumping cat litter:
- Is fairly low maintenance.
- Has a high absorption power.
- Is usually similar to natural dirt and often soft on your cat’s paws.
- Requires cleaning out the whole cat litter box more often.
Browse our selection of non-clumping litter for your furball.
Eco-friendly and biodegradable litter:
Mostly made from plant-based and recycled materials, biodegradable and eco-friendly cat litter is a great choice for the environment and your feline. Bio-Catolet is made from light cellulose paper granules which absorb 250% of their own weight, and can be disposed of on your compost heap. We’re also big fans of Catsan Biodegradable Clumping Cat Litter, with its biodegradable pellets made of wheat, and Petsentials Biodegradable Wood-Based Cat Litter, made in the UK from softwood sawdust.
Scent is also something to take into consideration – for both you and your cat. Whilst cat parents want a fresh-smelling home, it’s important that your cat is happy with the smell, too.
Now that you know about the different types of cat litter and accessories, it’s all about finding the ones that feel right. And while it may take some trial and error, your furry friend will be your best guide when it comes to finding ‘the one’.
