Litter Box Training Your Cat
Overview:
By the time most
kittens leave their mother & come to live with their new family
they have already been toilet trained, making life easy for the
new carer(s). This is because mother cats train their kittens
proper toileting habits. However, sometimes it will be necessary
to train your new kitten or cat how to use the litter tray. This
may be the result of the kitten being orphaned or taken away
from it's mother too early.
What you will
need:
-
Litter tray
-
Cat litter
-
Litter scoop
Which type of
litter tray?
This depends on
the cat. If you are training a young kitten then a smallish tray
with low sides is best to start off with. If you are training an
older cat then a larger tray will be necessary.
Some types of cat
litter:
-
Clay
-
Clumping
-
Crystals
-
Recycled paper
It is not advised
that you use clumping litter with kittens.
How to train:
Confine your
kitten to a small area such as the laundry. Cats are
fastidiously clean & by nature, bury their urine & faeces. So,
if you provide your cat with a litter tray, and some fresh,
clean cat litter and no other possible places to go to the
toilet such as a pot plant, then the chances are your cat will
take to the litter tray immediately.
After a meal or a
sleep, pick up your kitten & place it in the litter tray. Take it's paw &
gently scratch the cat litter with it.
If you see your
kitten sniffing & beginning to dig in a corner, immediately pick
him up & place him in the litter tray, again gently take the paw
& scratch the litter with it. When the cat follows through &
eliminates in the litter tray, give lots of praise.
Location,
location, location:
Cats like privacy,
so make sure you place the litter tray in a quiet & private
spot. They also don't like toileting near their food bowls.
How many litter
trays do I need?
The rule of thumb
is one litter box per cat, plus one extra. So, if you have one
cat, you will need two litter boxes, if you have two cats you
will need three litter boxes etc. Some people get by with less
litter boxes, but this is the general rule of thumb to go by.
How often should I
clean the litter tray?
Cats are
fastidiously clean animals, and it is of great importance to
make sure their litter trays are scooped at least once a day &
regularly changed. Failure to do so may result in your cat
refusing to use the litter tray. Put yourself in your cat's
shoes, would you like to use a filthy toilet?
Accidents:
Never punish a cat
who has had an accident, this will not teach it to use the
litter box, it will however teach it to fear you.
When cleaning up
accidents, be careful which product you use. Anything with
ammonia in it will encourage your cat to return to the spot.
Enzymatic cleaners such as Bio-Zet (available in Australia) are
safer to use. Pet shops & veterinarians will also be able to
supply you with various products which not only clean up cat
waste but also eliminate the smell too. If the smell isn't
eliminated your cat will quite likely continue to return to the
same spot.
