How to train a cat with litter

For most cat owners, training their cat to use the litter is a relatively painless process. One of a cat’s natural instincts is to relieve himself in an area where he can cover his feces. This behavior may be a way for your cat to accept what he perceives to be the natural order of dominance. In the wild, feral cats will bury their feces if they are not at the top of their social pecking order, if a feral cat does. No buries its feces, the cat exhibiting that behavior is likely the dominant feline. So when your house cat buries her waste, she may recognize her role as the dominant animal in her social community. However, it’s also possible that your cat is displaying her inherited instinct to bury her feces to hide her trail from potential predators.

Kittens will generally learn the behavior of burying their feces and using the litter.

through their dam once they are weaned, assuming the dam is litter trained.

So if you are bringing home a young kitten of about 12 weeks, you may just need

place the kitten in the litter box and gently scratch the litter clean with your fingers

shortly after eating to tell him what to do.

KITTY DID NOT TAKE THE LITTER RIGHT AWAY

If your new cat won’t accept litter training after the first few tries, it may

You want to consider teaching him using another common method. confine your new

plus a small but comfortable room, preferably one with a hard floor if

Take one. Place both the litter box and the food dish in the room, but do not place

them close to each other. Your cat will naturally not want to defecate near his food.

source for her to look for another area. Get rid of pillows, blankets,

newspapers, towels, or other soft items your cat chooses to remove from

the room before locking it. If you have confined your cat to a room with

floors that you are likely to avoid removing on the floor as you are likely to splatter urinate

step back and climb on his fur. The only option left to the cat at this point is

(hopefully) the litter box.

MY CAT STOPPED USING THE SAND

yes your cat was tamed and suddenly seems to have

forgotten that instinct, there are a few possibilities you might want to consider

before giving up

1. Does Kitty have a dirty litter box? The most common cause of a

domesticated cat to stop using the litter is your cat

disagree with the level of cleanliness in their litter box. your cat is more

probably

stop using the litter if you feel it is too dirty. It is best to clean your cat’s litter

every day or at least every second or third day. The dirtier a litter box gets

the less likely it is that your cat will continue to use it. your cat wants

delete in a clean environment and if you notice that every time you delete in

the carpet, you immediately run and clean it, she perceives that it is more

desirable place to remove because it cleans up very quickly. Keep your cat’s

garbage as clean as possible is the best way to avoid this problem, and remember, what

you consider clean, you cat could not.

In addition to emptying the sand, obviously you have to change it from time to time

as well as to guarantee good health and cleanliness of the cat. The weekly change is the best,

this ensures that odors and moisture will not have too long to accumulate

unacceptable levels and also reduces the likelihood of illness due to high levels

of bacteria

2. Stress. A cat that eliminates outside the litter box can also be a sign of

stress.

The introduction of a new person or animal into the home can be putting a lot of

of stress in your cat. Cats generally like to feel that they know what is going on and

what they can expect. If you upset that balance by introducing a new creature (even

two-legged one) at home can become stressed, which can cause them

remove out of the box.

If you leave your cat alone for long periods of time (for example, while taking

vacation or business trip) and return, you can

Notice that your cat will sometimes appear aloof and aloof. This is another

instance in which your cat may react by eliminating outside the litter box as a species

of protest against what he perceives as abandoned.

A new piece of furniture, or on the contrary, a new missing piece of furniture can also

stress your cat. Order and comfort are important if you are a cat. If you

decides to get rid of that old cloth sofa because of its ugly pea green color and

because it’s falling apart at the seams and then you replace it with a new one,

chic, top-of-the-line, leather sofa with a built-in refrigerator on the side, and a

massage and heating function, your cat is unlikely to see this as a fancy upgrade

the way you would. What your cat will probably see is that one of his favorite naps

the spots have disappeared only to be replaced by something she is unfamiliar with and

intimidated by.

3. Change the grit marks. Cats are creatures of habit and can also be

quite picky (remember Morris the cat from 9 Lives?). If you have recently changed the

brand of litter that you usually buy this may be a reason for your cat to look elsewhere

go. Some litters are scented (for humans rather than cats) and your cat may

does not react well to these odors, or perhaps your cat was used to a less dusty type

of sand, the texture of a particular sand, or who knows what. Change of brands or types

Litter can disturb your cat’s comfort and the result can be a mess.

rug. If you suspect this is the cause, you can go back or

gradually introduce the new litter. Try to mix some of the new sand into the old one.

old brand at the beginning and gradually increase the percentage of the new litter each time

you change the box, eventually you will be able to replace the old brand

total. This will help your cat become familiar with the new brand of litter instead of getting upset.

his sense of the order of things.

4. Several cats. As mentioned above, a second animal can make a cat

begin to

delete outside of the sandbox, but this may not necessarily be the result of

stress. A second cat in your home should probably have its own litter box.

unless your cats have shown that they don’t mind sharing. Again, he remembers that cats are

clean creatures and can also be territorial. Some cats may not mind using

the same box, but others may refuse, which means again, the carpet becomes garbage

box number two

5. Size or location of the litter box. If the litter box does not provide enough

room for

your cat may not use it at all. Your cat will probably want to scratch and be

able to feel comfortable in the litter box. Make sure it’s roomy enough, easy

for your cat to get in and out of (box sides should be lower for kittens

than for adult cats), and not in a high traffic area as cats seem to like it a bit

degree of privacy when deleting. Lastly, make sure your cat has access to the

garbage at all times. Putting his litter box in a room that is closed off is sometimes a

recipe for disaster. If your cat has to leave and he can’t get to the room you’ve

put the garbage in it then you really will have no choice but to find another

suitable area to remove.

6. Medical problems. Your cat may be experiencing feline incontinence. As

people,

Incontinence can affect animals and this can be an indication of other medical problems.

Problems with your cat. As a cat ages, he is more likely to lose control of his

bodily functions as a human being does. If you suspect that age or medical reasons may

be the cause of your kitty’s litter box problems, then you should take him to the vet

for examination, advice and possible treatment to resolve the problem.

WHEN YOUR CAT GETS DIRTY

If your cat litters outside the litter box, it’s usually not a good thing.

practice to scold or punish her. Sticking his nose in the mess and then throwing away

she in the litter is not going to solve your problem. Being upset with your cat is

natural after such an incident, but display this behavior and then put her in the

the litter box is just making your cat associate the litter box with a bad experience.

Your cat may also start to learn to be afraid of you, which is obviously not what you

want. Your best solution is to clean up the mess quickly. put your cat in the sand

box and be friendly and talk in a soothing voice with the cat. scrape cleaning

sand with your fingers and make sure your cat sees this behavior, hopefully it will

sink into. To prevent your cat from pooping in the same spot outside of the litter box,

second (or third) time, cover the area with a plastic sheet or something hard that

will cause your cat to splash his own urine if he chooses that

place to desert again. Clean up the smell as best you can (white vinegar can help,

but make sure your furniture or rugs can handle it). You can also move your food.

dish on or near the area that used to defecate, a cat will not want to

defect near its food source. If your cat uses the litter again, even once,

reward her, play with her, pet her, give her a treat, make her associate the litter box

with a good experience instead of a bad one.

A cat that eliminates outside the box is not a lost cat. Don’t give up on her until

You have explored the possible reasons for the problem. Once you find it, you can

you will most likely correct it and the kitten and the human can live happily together once more.