When you bring a stray cat into your home, litter training is just one part of the process. It's also important to follow a general adaptation plan (see: Adapting a Stray Cat to Your Home), but here we'll focus specifically on how to teach them to use the litter box.

1. Prepare a litter box area in advance and show it to the cat as soon as you bring them home. Try not to change its location until the cat is fully used to it.
2. Use an open litter box at first. Don’t try to introduce a closed or automatic box right away—this could be overwhelming.
3. If it’s the cat’s first time indoors, give them time to adjust. This may take anywhere from a few hours to several days—or even weeks—especially for feral cats.
4. It’s best to start the adaptation in a small space like a bathroom, laundry room, or crate, and gradually allow the cat to explore more of the home.
5. Never punish or scold the cat for missing the litter box. It won’t help with training, as the cat won’t understand why you’re upset. It may also cause fear or stress, making things worse.
6. Cats often use the litter box right after eating. Place the cat in the litter box after meals, and gently scratch the litter with your hand or help them do it with their paw to show them the purpose of the box.
7. Try the confinement method if the cat is very scared or hiding. Confine them temporarily in a small space (like a crate or bathroom) with a litter box, food, water, and a bed. Cats are very clean animals and won’t relieve themselves near where they sleep or eat. This method usually takes only a day or two.
8. You can sprinkle a small amount of soil in the litter box—preferably clean potting soil, not dirt from outside, which may contain unfamiliar or threatening scents from other cats. The natural smell can help the cat recognize it as a toilet area.
9. In more difficult cases, try using soil and leaves from the area where you found the cat. Place this in the litter box, then gradually mix it with cat litter or switch to a different litter type until the transition is complete.