Litter Training Your Cat

The most common reason a cat stops using or won't use its litter box is because the litter box is dirty. Some cats are more finicky than others. Cats often react to any form of stress by suddenly urinating or defecating outside the litter box. The stress can be caused by many factors, a new piece of furniture, a change in its environment such as undo noise, a prolonged visitor, or a new member to a cats household can really cause rock a cats world. Here are some helpful tips on litter training your cat or in some cases retraining your cat to use its litter box.

If a cat is not house litter box trained the cat should not have free run of the house until it is well trained to use its litter box. If your cat continually makes mistakes, the behavior can and most likely will become a habit. Punishing a cat after the accident teaches it to be afraid of you. Yelling and then taking the cat to her litter box after she has already voided, teaches it to associate the litter box with harsh treatment. Punishment doesn't work with cats. Perseverance, and praise for getting it right are the keys to training a cat to use the litter box. When you leave the house, confine your cat to a single room, preferably one with nonporous floors, a basement or garage if you live in a good weather climate. Provide your cat with a bowl of water and a warm place to sleep at one end of the room and a freshly cleaned litter box at the other end of the room. Cats are very clean, and will not void around their feeding area. In the confined area its instincts should kick in, and the cat most likely will use the litter box. The cat will become very accustomed to using the box, and start to prefer it.

Your cat needs not only a litter box, it needs a clean litter box. Litter should be fresh, and changed daily. Cats dislike the sent of urine. As I mentioned above, cats are basically very clean animals. If your cat should soil an area in your home, that area is cleaned quickly, and is left clean smelling. The cat will most often void in that area again, knowing the area will be cleaned, and ready to use again and again. Given the choice between a dirty litter box or a clean carpet, the cat will choose to void on your clean carpet.

Keep the litter clean with a pet slotted scoop after your pet has voided, and change the litter daily. Use about 1 1/2 inch of litter, it is a cats instinct to cover its discarded stool and urine. Before adding the clean litter, make sure to rinse the pan and dry it well. A final rinse of lemon and water really cuts odor. Never use harsh chemicals such as ammonia or bleach. These cleaning products, even if rinsed will leave fumes. The harsh fumes will keep your cat from using the litter box.

Make sure that the litter box is no where near the cats eating or sleeping areas. Put it in an area that the cat is provided privacy. But keep in mind to place the box in an area that is accessible to your cat. For example make sure the box is not placed in a room where the door can accidentally swing shut, and the cat cannot access the box. If possible have two boxes in different locations.

Try to reward your cat for eliminating in her litter box. Make sure you take time to catch your pet at the time it voids. Most cats have routine voiding times. Such as just after waking or a short time after waking, after eating or exercise.

To help you predict when your cat will void, put the pet on a routine eating schedule. If the feeding is on a regular schedule, the elimination as a rule becomes routine, and predictable. Before feeding, spend some time playing with your cat. Then put down the food, allow her to eat, and clean herself. Give the cat a bit of time after it has eaten. About 15 minutes, or better yet play a bit more with the cat after her meal. Go to the litter box and call the cats name. When your cat gets to the box, scratch the litter as if you are playing, the cat will as a rule get into the box to further the play. After the pet voids praise it, and pet the cat in its favorite way. Goodies also can be given as a reward at this time. Throughout the day, every few hours repeat calling the cat to the litter box, and repeat the routine. Be sure to add the verbal praise, and petting. Even when the pet has not voided, she is learning that the litter box is a pleasing place, a clean place, and a good place to void. Plus the cat will love the petting and love it is receiving.

This routine training is especially important for cats that are now avoiding the litter box, possibly due to the assumption it is always dirty or because they associate it with being punished. Be very patent with a cat that has for one reason or another slipped into the bad habit of eliminating where it should not. Cats are very intelligent, and with a little attention, and retraining, your cat will likely return to its prior good behavior.