How to Train Your Kitten: A Comprehensive Guide for Australian Cat Owners

Most people look up kitten training when something small starts to snowball: a kitten missing the litter tray, turning hands into chew toys, or shredding the sofa with sharp new claws. Left alone, these habits can harden into routines that are difficult to unwind.

Kittens learn fast, but they learn what works. Calm handling, a predictable set-up, and simple reward-based cues shape behaviour without a battle of wills. The sections below focus on the everyday basics—litter habits, scratching, gentle play, and early socialisation—plus a few quiet checks that stop common problems from becoming long-running ones.

Understanding kitten behaviour (what you’re actually seeing)

Kittens are built for practice. Their “mad five minutes”, pouncing, climbing, and batting at moving objects are rehearsals for adult skills: coordination, stalking, and learning what in the environment responds to them.

They also take quick notes on cause and effect. If an action reliably earns attention, access, or a fun chase, it tends to reappear. Reward-based training works because it uses that learning style rather than trying to override it with punishment.¹

Why starting early matters

Early experiences shape what feels normal. Handling, gentle play, and exposure to everyday sounds and people during the kitten’s early development can support confidence later on, while rough play and inconsistent responses can leave kittens rehearsing the wrong patterns.⁶

Training principles that hold up (even on tired days)

• Reward what you want repeated. Treats, a favourite toy, or a calm pat—delivered immediately—help the kitten connect the behaviour to the outcome.¹
• Make the right choice easy. Put the litter tray where the kitten already is. Put the scratching post where the kitten already scratches.
• Keep sessions short. A minute or two, sprinkled through the day, often lands better than a long “training time”.
• Avoid punishment. It can create fear or confusion and rarely teaches the behaviour you actually want.^{1, 2}

Litter tray training (setting up success)

Most kittens take to a litter tray quickly if the set-up is practical. Problems usually come down to access, cleanliness, location, or stress—rather than “stubbornness”.²

Quick set-up checklist

• Location: quiet, easy to reach, not beside food and water.
• Number of trays: more than one tray helps in larger homes, or when the kitten is still learning the map of the house.²
• Cleanliness: scoop often. Many kittens avoid a tray that smells “used”.²

How to teach the habit

• Place the kitten in the tray after waking, after meals, and after energetic play.
• Let them hop out if they want—hovering can make the tray feel unsafe.
• When they use it, reward quietly right after they step out (a tiny treat, gentle praise, or a quick play).¹

If there’s an accident

Clean thoroughly and remove the scent cues. Cat welfare groups recommend avoiding punishment and using an appropriate enzymatic cleaner, because many standard cleaners won’t fully remove odour markers (and ammonia-based products can be especially unhelpful).²

If toileting outside the tray keeps happening, treat it as a clue: the tray may be in the wrong spot, the kitten may be stressed, or a medical issue (such as urinary problems) may be brewing—book a vet check rather than trying to “train it out”.²

Scratching: redirect, don’t suppress

Scratching is normal. It maintains claws, stretches the body, and leaves visual and scent marks in places the cat considers part of its core territory. The goal is to make the approved option the best option.

Make scratching posts irresistible

• Provide posts immediately when the kitten comes home.³
• Put them where scratching already happens: near resting areas and along common pathways in the home.³
• Offer variety: some cats prefer rope, cardboard, or other textures; giving options helps you discover the favourite surface.³
• Reward use: a treat or a wand-toy session right after the kitten uses the post teaches the “correct” location quickly.¹

Teaching simple cues (come, touch, sit)

Cats can learn cues reliably when the reward is worth it and the steps are small. A cue like “come” is less about obedience and more about safety—moving your kitten away from a door, a balcony, or a hot stovetop.

A simple pattern that works

• Choose one word (“come”) and one sound (a kissy noise or clicker), and keep it consistent.
• Say the cue once, then immediately lure with a treat close to the kitten’s nose.
• Reward when they reach you. Stop there. Repeat later.

Over time, increase the distance. Practise when the kitten is calm, not mid-zoom.

Socialisation: steady exposure, no flooding

Socialisation is the quiet work of making everyday life feel ordinary: different people, gentle handling, household noises, carriers, and short car trips. Done gradually, it can reduce fear responses later on. Early handling and positive interactions during key developmental periods are linked with more confident kittens.⁶

Introducing new spaces

Start with one safe room—food, water, bed, litter tray, and a hiding place—then expand access as the kitten moves about with relaxed body language. In cramped or stressful environments, separation of key resources (food, water, litter) can help cats feel safer and more settled.⁴

Introducing other pets

Go slowly. Swap scents first (bedding), then allow brief visual contact, then supervised time together. In multi-cat homes, competition often flares around core resources, especially vertical space, so provide perches and resting spots in more than one location.⁵

Common behaviour issues (and what to do instead)

Biting and “attack play”

Many kittens bite during play because they’re practising and because hands move like prey. Keep hands out of games. Use wand toys, kickers, and balls, and end the session before the kitten tips into frantic, grabby play.

If teeth touch skin, go still and quietly remove attention for a few seconds, then redirect to a toy. Avoid yelling or physical corrections—punishment doesn’t teach what to do, and it can make some kittens wary of hands.¹

Night-time activity

Kittens are naturally crepuscular, often most active at dawn and dusk. A longer play session in the evening, followed by a meal, can help settle them. Keep the sleeping area dark and calm, and avoid rewarding late-night noise with attention—any response can function as a payoff.¹

Creating a safe, stimulating home

A kitten-friendly home is less about gadgets and more about layout: plenty of resting spots, a few good hiding places, easy access to trays, and safe vertical space. Thoughtfully distributed resources support normal behaviour and reduce conflict, especially as your kitten matures.⁷

Simple, high-value additions

• A stable scratching post and an alternative surface (like a cardboard scratcher).³
• A perch or cat tree placed near a window (securely), plus a quiet retreat spot.
• Food puzzles or scatter-feeding for part of a meal, to slow eating and occupy the mind.

Health and wellbeing checks that support training

Training goes better when the kitten feels well. Pain, parasites, and stress can show up as toileting problems, irritability, or restlessness. Regular veterinary check-ups are part of the groundwork.

Vaccinations and preventive care (Australia)

Australian guidance commonly places core kitten vaccinations starting at 6–8 weeks of age, with follow-up doses every 3–4 weeks until at least 16 weeks (sometimes up to 20 weeks), depending on your vet’s assessment and local risk.^{8, 9}

Non-core vaccines (such as FIV or FeLV) are recommended based on lifestyle and exposure risk—for example, outdoor roaming or high-density cat environments—so it’s worth having a plain conversation with your vet about how your kitten actually lives.¹⁰

Final thoughts

Kitten training is mostly habitat design and timing: place the right resources in the right spots, notice what your kitten repeats, and reward the behaviours you want to keep. The tone matters. Calm, consistent handling builds trust, and trust makes learning stick.

References

1. RSPCA Pet Insurance — Reward-based positive reinforcement training for cats
2. Cat Protection Society of NSW — Care factsheet (litter tray problems and cleaning)
3. AAHA — 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines (Kittens: behaviour and environmental needs)
4. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (via PubMed Central) — 2022 ISFM/AAFP Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines
5. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (PubMed) — 2024 AAFP intercat tension guidelines
6. Cats International — Kitty Kindergarten (sensitive period and early handling)
7. AAHA — 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines (behaviour and environmental needs)
8. RSPCA Australia — What you need to know about pet vaccinations
9. RSPCA Knowledgebase — What vaccinations should my cat receive?
10. The University of Sydney Veterinary Teaching Hospital — New kitten care: vaccinations