Did your kitten potty train himself or herself?

United States
May 3, 2008 7:41pm CST
Hello all, I have a 6 week old kitten. She weighs only about 2 or 3 pounds. I purchased some kitten litter and poured it in a big cardboard box until I have the funds to buys her the real thing. I cut a big door through the cardbox so she can enter and exit the box on her own. Everytime she needs to use the bathroom, she goes straight to the box and does her business. Then she rakes and cover the spot up with the litter. Is my kitten a genuious or do cats naturally potty train themselves? Please share.
4 people like this
11 responses
• United States
4 May 08
In most cases the mother cat teaches her kittens to go to a litter box. Right after birth the mother eats what the kittens pass as it is not the typical waste but nourishment for the mother. Then she teaches them how to use a litter box if she is herself using one. If she is wild, it is a different story. If you get a kitten that is from a feral litter you may have litter problems but you probably can fix that as the kitten is used to going in the dirt and covering.
• United States
4 May 08
most do figure it out themselves-all i had to do with my last two kittens was show them the litterbox. one i had though,when he was a kitten,i had to put him in it again and again.i changed brands,everything.i think he just didn't like the feeling of the litter.he finally did figure it out though,just a bit later.
• Australia
6 May 08
I've had four cats that have kitty litter trained themselves. Cat 3 & 4 were actually ferals who at the time of taking them in, we couldn't even really pat them let alone show them a kitty litter tray. Needless to say both used the kitty litter straight away without a problem & we've never had a problem with them in that regard since.
@Ceciliah (56)
• Canada
14 May 08
Hi, Every one of my cats that I have brought home as kittens have used the litter box, with no accidents. I have just set up the box, shown it to them, put them in it and then waited and sure enough when the time came they used it. I guess they just have a natural instinct to be clean. And they are pretty bright. ceciliah
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
5 May 08
all my cats past and present, naturally potty trained themselves. i didnt teach them anything. i think it is natural instinct for cats.
@Amber4106 (540)
• United States
4 May 08
This is one of my favorite traits of a cat. No training needed in the potty area. They just have that instinct to cover their scents along with "waste". The only bad thing is when they are outside and if you have a garden in, they will literally terrorize the plants in no time. I had about nine kittens outside at one time and they tore up every tomato plant out of the garden. I was so mad at them, but they were only doing what their instincts told them to.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 May 08
Cats seem to know, naturally, that this is the right place to do their business. I never had any trouble training a cat to use the litter box. Most of the time, all I gotta do is place them inside the box the first day they arrive in the house and they seem to know what to do after that. The only time I've had a cat have a problem is when the litter box wasn't in a place that they like. They generally don't like high-traffic areas out in the open.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
4 May 08
Cats are fairly intelligent and they do pretty much train themselves. Once you show them where the litter is that usually all it takes. Occasionally you have to show them the box when they go to do their business in the wrong spot but that's rare. All the cats I've had I've only had to show them and that was it. They used it from then on.
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
4 May 08
Your kitten is likely to be a genius all the same, but it is actually natural for them to learn quickly and be quite tidy and cover it all up. =D I certainly still think that my kitten is a genius. She was the same age when I brought her home, and after one tiny incident at the front door, when I luckily got her in time and put her in her litter box, she has known the right thing to do ever since, even though sometimes she gets a bit ridiculous with the "raking" and pushes all the clean litter onto the floor around her box =P
• United States
4 May 08
your kitty knows how to potty trains itself. they know by instinct and also from the mother. it's really strange to see a little thing like that be so smart. and they are very very strong too. they can open closet doors with ease. they arent afraid of anything until they learn to be afraid from bad experiences, just like people.
@taface412 (3175)
• United States
4 May 08
That's the beauty of a cat as a pet, they are very independent and clean animals. I have had many kittens and cats all my life and everyone of them are this way. Unlike dogs who you basicaly have to teach everything and they want attention all the time, cats will let you know if they need something. So as long as you keep the food dish full, and water dish full and litter box clean you have a happy cat. Oh, and they all have their own personality. So if you haven't named it yet wait and see how they act and name her accordingly. They are gorgeous confident creatures and enjoy. Have you named her yet?