Are cats naturally litterbox trained?

Question

Someone told me that you dont have to litter box train a cat because there born litterbox trained...is that true?

Answer 1

i believe cat are that way. you might have to show them the potty a few times but they get it and start using them and some cats just know.  

Answer 2

Untrue - they make one h**l of a mess. But they do catch on quickly once you've shown them the box and put them in it a few times, that is true.

Answer 3

No thats not true , but they learn it when they see their mother doing it , and its sooooo cute when to go to the litter box XD

Answer 4

They're trained but not by humans - the mother cat shows them.  That's why it's important that kittens stay with their mothers till their at LEAST 8 weeks of age - better - 10 or 12 weeks.

Answer 5

Not exactly. They'll naturally look for a spot to bury their waste, but for kittens, you'll have to show them where it is. And oftentimes help them get there in time.

Answer 6

Sure are. They have a natural urge to bury their leavings.

I've never had to litter train a cat. I've just taken them to the litter box (kittens maybe 2-5x) so tehy know where it is.

Answer 7

No not true. Cats have a normal instinct to go in sand or soil and if their mother uses a litter tray they will pick it up from her.

But they are not born knowing to use a litter box.

Answer 8

I've had cats all of my life and I would have to say there is some truth to that because I never had any problems getting my cats, when they were kittens, to use the litter box.  All I would do is put the kitten in the litter box, he would play in it for a bit - but he would seem to know instinctively what it was for and would use it later when he finished exploring.  Actually, that part is instinct; cats like to cover up their mess with sand or soil and since the litter box is the only thing in a home that they can use to cover their little messes, that is what they will use.

Edit:  For those answerers that state the kittens are trained, or shown, by the mother cats, that is not true.  My current cat and the cat I had previous to him came from friends of mine that lived in the country.  The mother cats were outdoor cats that did their business outdoors and never used a litter box.  Also, at 10 weeks old, the age I got my kittens, they are too young to be trained per say.  As I mentioned in my answer above, it is actually the instinct they are born with that will make them look for sand or soil to do their business in so they can cover it up and therefore I stated that there was some truth in the question asked because a litter box is the only thing in a home that has sand in it, and in that respect they are litter box trained because once introduced to the litter box, instinct takes over and they know this is the place they should use to do their business.

Answer 9

This is definitely NOT TRUE. They have to be trained by hand for this.