Litter Training a Persian Cat

If you have a Persian, or plan to get a Persian, the chances are good that this will be an indoor cat. Most Persian owners do not allow their cats to go outside – or at the very least, do not allow their cats to go outside unattended.

Naturally, you will need to litter train your Persian, if he wasn't already trained by the breeder. The good news is that litter training is quite easy, as it is a cat’s natural desire to do his business in a place where he can bury it.

First, start with the right sized litter box. For kittens, buy the smallest litter box that you can find. Fill the bottom of the pan with litter, and put it in a small room, such as the bathroom. Ideally, the place that you put the litter box will be the place where the litter box will always reside. This is important.

It may sound cruel, but you will need to keep the cat enclosed in the small room with the litter box unless you are holding him. Do not allow a small kitten to roam freely around in your home until you are sure that he is well trained to use the litter box. The Persian kitten is tiny – and to him, your home is huge! He may find himself on the opposite side of the home and in need of a litter box that he can't get to fast enough – or worse, can't remember how to get to. This is why confinement is important.

After you've fixed the litter box for the kitten, place him in it. Let him sniff around. He may even decide to nap in the litter box, but there is no need to worry – he won't do this for long. The first time that the kitten does his business on the floor, scoop it up and put it in the litter box, and then place the kitten in the litter box as well. You may have to do this a few times before he gets the idea, but he will get the idea, and he will start using the litter box – as long as he is confined.

After he is consistently using the litter box, you can let him out of confinement. Keep an eye on him the first week, and make sure that he is going to the litter box to do his business. If you find that he is doing his business elsewhere, get a second litter box, and put it in that spot.

Again, cats really prefer the litter box over your carpet, because they can dig. However, if there are other digging opportunities, such as plants or piles of laundry, the cat may be inclined to use these as well. The trick is to not make these digging opportunities available.

Litter training really is easy, and it should only take a week or two to get your Persian completely litter box trained – if it even takes that long. Also, make sure that the litter box grows with the cat!