Cat owners don’t have to train their cats to go to the bathroom. So how do cats know to use a litter box?
How Do Cats Automatically Know How to Use a Litter Box?
Updated on Apr. 30, 2025
Cats are pretty tidy creatures. They clean themselves, keep their fur relatively knot-free and don’t need to be potty trained. Plus, from a young age, domestic cats know how to use a litter box, unlike puppies who use your floor for the first couple of weeks (if you’re lucky!) before being trained to go outside. Isn’t it strange that cat elimination habits require no input from you? Yes, this instinctive behavior is pretty amazing. Whether you’re a new pet parent or you’ve lived with cats for years, you’ve no doubt wondered How do cats know to use a litter box?
Reader’s Digest spoke to veterinarian Jordan Cassidy, DVM, to put together this helpful guide. Ahead, you’ll learn how cats know to use a litter box naturally and why your cat may be struggling with it. Dr. Cassidy also offers up some key tips for pet parents. So keep reading to better understand everything about this fascinating cat behavior.
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How do cats know how to use a little box without being trained?
From pampered housecats to rugged strays, all cats share a deeply ingrained evolutionary behavior—an instinct to bury their business! Doing so helps them mask their scent from predators, a survival trait passed down from their wild ancestors.
“Cats have an inherent desire to bury their waste in order to cover their scent from other animals,” says Dr. Cassidy, a lead veterinarian with Pet Dental USA. Starting at about four weeks of age, they are drawn to the litter box when they need to go to the bathroom.
In the wild, burying waste helped deter predators and prevent the spread of disease, and when cats began hanging around humans (about 10,000 years ago), they just kept up the habit. That’s right: Even the ancients could skip litter box training for cats!
Why do textures matter to cats?
Cats have a lot of nerve receptors in their paws, and they develop a preference for a certain litter texture and consistency when they are kittens, according to the ASPCA. So getting a litter that they like (and can stick with over their lifetimes) is key to resolving litter box problems before they start.
Cat litter manufacturers offer many choices, from clumping to scented to fancy litters that alert you to health problems. But the purpose of each is the same: to allow cats to bury their waste. “Given the texture and consistency of most commercially available cat litters, it makes it easier for cats to cover their droppings, which is what naturally draws them towards a litter box,” Dr. Cassidy says.
Do some cats never learn how to use a litter box?
According to Dr. Cassidy, it’s rare to find a cat that doesn’t know how to use a litter box. “A cat’s natural instinct [even a stray one] is to bury their droppings and cover their scent,” she says. “If your cat stops using their litter box, it is important to speak with your cat’s veterinarian to determine if there are health or behavioral concerns that need to be addressed.”
What should you do if your cat doesn’t use the litter box regularly?
If your cat typically uses its litter box but, every so often, pees on your carpet or floors, it’s not because it forgot how to use the box. There are usually underlying reasons, and the problem will persist if you don’t figure out why.
“The litter box may be too small, in a busy area of your home or difficult to access,” Dr. Cassidy says. “The litter box may also be too dirty; cats are clean animals and will typically avoid the litter box if it isn’t emptied regularly.” (If you’ve ever spent 20 minutes cleaning your cat’s litter box only to have your pet jump in immediately and get it dirty again, you know what she’s talking about!)
She says there are also behavioral and health concerns that may be causing your cat to avoid the litter box. If you’ve cleaned the litter box, tried a different-sized box and moved it to a different spot in your house but your cat still isn’t using it, she recommends seeing your veterinarian. Not using their litter box is just one way cats communicate with humans, so it’s important to pay attention to these cues.
Tips for encouraging litter box use
Before you bring your cat home for the first time, prepare a place where your kitty will “go.” You wouldn’t want to stress over where you go to the bathroom, and neither does your pet. Here are tips for having a smooth transition and resolving litter box problems before they start.
- Have designated, quiet litter box areas, away from the action of the house.
- Get bigger boxes rather than small. Cats need room to move around.
- Use one more litter box than the number of cats in your home. (So two cats need three litter boxes.) That way, each cat can choose which box and place he or she prefers.
- Place litter boxes on each floor of your home so your cat doesn’t have to race to find one.
- Avoid moving the boxes unnecessarily. Cats like consistency.
- Keep the litter box clean. Scoop daily, and clean the box once a week.
Even kittens will know what to do, so just show your cats where the boxes are and let them handle it. You do not need to micromanage this process! By allowing cats privacy and freedom, you will have happier, healthier pets.
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Sources:
- Jordan Cassidy, DVM, lead veterinarian at Pet Dental USA; interviewed, 2023
- Animal Humane Society: “Preventing and solving litter box problems”
- ASPCA: “Litter Box Problems?”
- BBC Science Focus: “The (very adorable) reason cats pretend to tidy up after pooping”
- LiveScience: “The history of cat domestication”
