If you have brought a lovely kitten home or if you have adopted an adorable stray cat, one thing you have to learn is to litter-train them. This is a vital step to keep your cats healthy and maintain good cleanliness in your house as well. If you think litter training is hard, just know that cats are naturally clean animals who will support you well in the training process.
Here is what you need to do if you are ready to start toilet training your cats.
- Select an Ideal Litter Box
The first thing you have to do is select a cat litter box that is ideal for your feline. Although it may seem like a trivial task, it does make a huge difference, especially if you have a kitten. For example, selecting full-size boxes for a kitten will cause them to reject it as they find the big box quite intimidating. Hence, you should only pick a kitten litter box for accommodating the little feline. If you have an adult cat, as a rule of thumb, it is advised to choose a litter box that is 1.5 times their length.
- Pick the Right Cat Litter
Truth be told, cats are choosy and if they don’t like the litter you have selected for them, they will outrightly reject it. You may have to try out a few litters initially to determine the type of cat litter your feline prefers. Cat litter comes in types like scented and non-scented. It is advised that kittens should not be given scented cat litter as they may contain harsh chemicals that can be intolerable for them.
- Place it in the Optimal Location
Placement of the litter box is as important as the type of litter you are choosing. Kittens generally like their litter box in a corner of the house, which is free of clutter. Also, make sure that the place contains enough light, as cats don’t like to stay in a pitch-black room. It is also important to avoid distractions in the place you are keeping the litter box. You don’t want your cat to get up and chase something while in the middle of doing their business.
- Introduce Your Cats Gradually to Box
Once you have all the supplies sorted, it is time to start training your cat. Show your cat the location of your cat litter box and let it sniff them. Now gently place your cat in the litter box. They may impulsively start pawing at the litter or even using the litter box. If your cat isn’t using the litter box, try placing your cat in the litter box every time it eats, drinks, or wakes up from sleep, till they start using the box on their own.
- Use Positive Reinforcement While Training
Each time your cat uses the litter box correctly, reward them with their favourite cat treat to motivate them to repeat their action. To make this happen, the treat must be offered to them immediately after they leave the box to associate the activity with the reward. If your cat makes a mistake, do not punish or yell at them since it will only harm your training process. Calmly clean the mess with a stain & odour remover and patiently repeat the processes of training.
As a rule of thumb, you should scoop your cat’s litter box every time after they do their business. This is to prevent your cats from having an aversion to the box during toilet training. After scooping, add some clean litter to keep a litter depth of 2 to 3 inches to let your cats have enough room to dig. Once they get adapted to the litter, you may scoop daily instead of after every elimination.
- Separate Toilet and Feeding Area
You should never keep the litter box near your cat’s food as cats are highly clean animals and are particular about their hygiene. Besides, bits of litter and germs can also get inside your cat’s food and this is highly detrimental to the health of the cats. So always keep the litter box and feeding bowls in separate areas.
All in All,
You have seven highly effective tips to teach your cats to use their litter box. The strategies given above work equally great for cats as well as kittens. All you need to do is be patient, give treats and praise your cats to make them quickly learn to use their cat litter box.
