How to Train a Kitten

While we tend to associate training with dogs, cats can actually be trained, too. They are a little bit more stubborn and willful, but if you train a cat from when they’re very young, they can learn quite a lot, from how to sit to understanding not to bite people – not just how to use the litter box.

Mieshelle Nagelschneider, a cat behaviorist and the owner of The Cat Behavior Clinic, says that “training helps kittens develop positive behaviors, prevents problem habits, and strengthens the bond between you and your kitten.” However, she warns that it’s important to remember that “training a kitten is going to be very different from training a puppy. These two companion animals could not be any more different when it comes to training!” 

Read on to learn more. 

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Main takeaways

• Cats can be trained, but cats and dogs are very different when it comes to training.

• Training kittens takes a lot of patience and some understanding of how cats think.

• If your cat doesn’t understand their training right away, it doesn’t mean they will never get it. 

Understanding your kitten’s behavior

When training a kitten, you first need to understand their natural behavior and impulses. Nagelschneider says that with kittens, training is about setting up the environment appropriately so the kitten focuses their natural behaviors where they should and avoid the behaviors playing out where they shouldn’t. 

Natural instincts and behaviors

Some behaviors that a person might want to train their kitten out of are natural and instinctive to cats. For example, scratching is essential for claw maintenance and territory marking. “If you don’t provide cat scratchers, your kitten may claw your furniture,’ says Nagelschneider.

Common kitten traits

Some common kitten traits you need to be aware of include scratching, meowing, biting, purring, and arching their back. By learning to read your kitten’s body language, you can better train them and be prepared for their behaviors. 

Importance of early training

Cats, particularly older ones, can be very stubborn and become set in their ways. Training kittens early, when they are malleable and more amenable to learning new behaviors, make them more likely to do what you want them to.

Setting up a training plan

If you’re planning on training your kitten, you need to get on a training plan as soon as possible. You can do this alone, but you could also consider working with a trainer. 

Consistent training schedule

Consistency is key in training any animal, particularly ones as wily as kittens. However, Nagelschneider says this might not look as rigid as a schedule. “It should be as simple as creating an environment where they can unleash all of their natural behaviors so you’re not inadvertently promoting these behaviors where you don’t want them,” she says. “Kittens come with some highly evolved traits that you are going to need to direct to appropriate areas.” This includes biting, scratching, pouncing, and other predatory behaviors.

Positive reinforcement techniques

You should never, ever use negative reinforcement when training a cat; it’ll likely just make them scared of you. Instead, when they do something right, you can utilize positive reinforcement techniques like giving them a treat, fussing them, or positively saying their name. 

Basic commands and signals

You can teach your cat similar basic commands to a dog, like “sit.” When they eventually follow the command, you should give them a treat or speak to them in a kind voice until they understand that it was what you were asking them to do. 

How to train essential skills

Litter box training

Cats will instinctively use a litter box, so you shouldn’t need to train your kitten to use the litter box. Just make it clean, accessible, and in an area that they like and travel through often. If you introduce them to it, they should figure out what to do, and if they don’t, it’s likely because something about the litter box is off-putting to them. It often takes trial and error. Nagelschneider says, “it’s important to provide uncovered litter boxes that are super simplistic to walk into. Forget about automatic litter boxes and covered litter boxes–especially for kittens.”

Socialization skills

Cats can be pretty solitary animals, but if you want to socialize them with other animals in the house, you can do that. You just need to introduce them slowly and with supervision, keeping an eye on their body language and any clues that they aren’t happy or might fight.

Discouraging unwanted behaviors

Redirecting scratching and clawing

If your cat scratches a lot, they may need a scratching post. This should redirect their attention from scratching you or the furniture to scratching the post. If you don’t have a scratching post yet, you can try a toy. Nagelschneider says that you should “redirect scratching to appropriate surfaces, like scratching posts, and provide interactive toys to channel energy.”

Preventing biting and nipping

Kittens tend to bite and nip more than adult cats, but if yours is doing it in excess, there are ways you can curb the behavior. You can try saying “no” and walking away, showing that you are not playing. You can also try replacing your skin with toys as a distraction. Nagelschneider says that you should “stop play immediately if your kitten nips, so they learn biting ends the fun. They should have already learned this with their littermates as well as how to inhibit bite pressure.” 

However, at 16 weeks, their prey drive spikes, which means a lot of extra play behavior, including biting. Try limiting hand activity at this time.

Managing excessive meowing

If your kitten meows excessively, they may be stressed. The only way to manage it is by ensuring that they have a stress-free environment, and they may stop meowing. However, for most kittens, how much they purr or meow is a part of their personality. They want your attention, food, or something else, and this is how they get it.

Advanced training techniques

Clicker training for kittens

Clicker training a cat is actually similar to the process of clicker training a dog. You start by clicking and giving your cat a treat at the exact moment they do the action you want, and eventually, the click alone will reinforce the behavior. 

Nagelschneider says that “clicker training is excellent for teaching advanced tricks or behaviors. Pair a click with a reward to mark the exact moment your kitten performs the desired action.” She says that, at first, this would be as simple as the cat looking at you when you say their name or when you see them clawing their scratcher. “Eight weeks would be the earliest to begin clicker training, and the session length needs to match their attention span, which can mean two to three minutes for a young kitten.”

Fun tricks

Nagelschneider says that expecting advanced tricks from a young kitten is unrealistic, so don’t rush. Nagelschneider says that, when they are under three months, you should stick with the basics. “Dogs have the obedience component and want to please the owner and stay a part of the pack, but kittens lack this obedience model,” she adds.

Eventually, there are many fun tricks you can teach your cat, including spin, lie down, paw, roll over. Cats don’t grasp vocabulary as quickly as dogs, but they can eventually learn to recognize the words you are saying, and with positive reinforcement, will do the trick on command. 

Leash training and outdoor exploration

If you are looking to leash train your kitten, you need to start young. However, it’s not much more difficult than it is for dogs. Find a harness that fits and is comfortable, and start walking them on it in the house. When they seem comfortable, you can start taking them outside.

Common training challenges to address

Overcoming fear and anxiety

If you have an anxious or stressed kitten, it might be harder to train them. You need to ensure that they are completely comfortable in their home and environment, getting to the root of any fear they may have around training.

Handling stubborn kittens

If your kitten is very stubborn, it may take longer to train them, or you may need to bring in additional support. You should figure out what motivates them – food, play, kind words – and use that as a method of positive reinforcement.

When to know if your kitten needs additional support from a trainer

You can bring in a trainer for support at any time, particularly if you are struggling to train your kitten or don’t understand how to convey to them what you want them to do. Nagelschneider adds, “if your kitten shows signs of persistent aggression, extreme fear, or you’re struggling to address certain behaviors, a certified cat behaviorist can provide tailored guidance.”

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FAQs

Is it easy to train a kitten?

How easy it is to train a kitten entirely depends on lots of factors, including their unique personality. Every kitten is different and it may be more or less easy to train yours.

How do you discipline a kitten?

You should only train a kitten through positive reinforcement. There are no ways of negative reinforcement or “discipline” that will do much more than make them scared of you. 

Where should kittens sleep at night?

Kittens can sleep wherever you want them to at night, but bear in mind that they can be very playful and disruptive while you’re trying to sleep.

How do you teach a kitten no?

If you need your cat to stop doing something, you can try saying “no” until they understand that behavior isn’t desired. However, Nagelschneider says that cats repeat behaviors that give a positive outcome and stay away from behaviors that give a negative outcome. “While using the word ‘no’ can be effective with some cats, it’s also important to not break the human-animal bond.” Instead, you should use deterrents for their behavior, like furniture sprays.