Cat House Training 101

People tend to worry when it comes to house training your cat. How do you go about teaching a cat to use the litter box?  Does using a litter box come natural to a cat?  You’ve got the litter box filled with the clumping kind of cat litter.  You got the scoop, you’re armed and ready. Now you got your cat in the box, standing over them watching like a hawk.   No need to worry, cat house training doesn’t have to be such a task.

For the most part, cats tend to be very clean animals.  Cats tend to do their business in sand or dirt, mainly any substance that they can cover up their waste with. So don’t worry, cats want to use the litter box. This makes house training that much easier.  But, wait there’s more to litter training a cat than buying a box and sticking it in some room with dirt in it. Yep, like humans cats like to do their business in private. With this being said, find a spot where there is not lots of traffic from humans. Tuck the litter box in a corner somewhere where the cat doesn’t see people, they will like you for it.  

To start, show the cat where you put the box. Cats are born with the knowledge of what happens next. Your job here is to make sure the litter box stays clean.  This job became so much easier with the invention of clumping or scoopable litter as it commonly called.  Not only will your cat love you for it, but you will enjoy it also.

With the clumping litter, all you have to do is scoop the clumps on a daily basis.  Then about once a week or so, you can change the entire contents of the box.  Make sure you clean on a regular schedule.  Before putting more litter in the box, you will want to wash it out with warm water and soap.  

Make sure the sides of your box are low enough to allow easy access to the box. But, don’t make the box too small, you will want your pet feeling comfortable as they grow up to be a larger cat.

How many litter boxes are needed? General rule of thumb here is to have one more box than cats, with this being said, if you have two cats have three boxes.  I’m sure you get the idea.

Always consult your veterinarian if you have covered all bases and you’re still having problems house training your new pet.  Cats are very adept to staying clean. Cats don’t require to much in the way of house training. If your cat suddenly refuses to use the box, she might have a medical issue that needs attention.

If a cat is under a lot of stress, this could cause them not to use the box. Yes, cats do get stressed out. Introducing a new cat or kitten can cause your pet to undergo some stress. If you leave her alone, while on vacation she could be very much stressed out, even if you have someone look after her. Any changes in her environment can cause your cat to stress out..

I must mention that cats are creatures of habit. They rely on routine. They tend to wake up and go to bed about the same times each day.  They also, seem to have the most energy and want to play about the same times each day.  Any activity that breaks their routine can cause stress as well as litter box problems.

Punishing your cat for not using the litter box doesn’t work most of the time.  Any type of punishment will probably have the reverse affect.  You don’t want your pet to associate the litter box with punishment.

Instead of punishing your pet for not using the box, praise them for using it.  Then try to find out why they are not using it.  What is causing the accidents?

If your cat isn’t fully trained or recently developed a problem using the box, confine them to a small area upon leaving the house. Make sure that she has a clean bed to sleep in and clean liter box on the opposite side of the room.

Remember a cat won’t use a dirty litter box, this could be the reason she won’t use it. Make sure your removing litter on a regular basis. Chances are if she is using the box right after you cleaned it, then you found the problem.  This is easy one to fix, just clean the box more often.  You will be happier and so wont you’re feline friend.

As stated earlier, cats want to cover their waste as much as you want them to use the box. At first it could take some time for her to remember the location of the box. Once she remembers how to get to the box, she will continue to use it. If your pet still doesn’t use the box, then she is trying to tell you that she has a problem.   Not to worry, after a while you will begin figure out what the problem is. Some cat owners even toilet train their cat as a means of house training.  But that’s the next step up.