Many cats and kittens will instinctively use a litter box without needing to be taught, because of their instincts to expel bodily waste in dirt or sand. Therefore, with a new kitten, owners usually need to simply show the kitten where the litter box is located, and how to get in and out.
Step 1: Show your kitten the locations of each litter box and let your kitten sniff them. Step 2: Gently place your kitten in the litter box. They may instinctively start pawing at the litter or even using the litter box. If they don't, run your fingers through the clean litter to demonstrate the pawing action.
It can take some time for a cat to get used to a new litter box location, and it is important not to punish your pet for any potty accidents in the meantime.
Today we're going to learn how to train—or retrain—your cat to use the litter box. Contrary to popular belief, mother cats do not teach their kittens to use the litter box. Kittens begin to dig in and use dirt and dry, loose material at just a few weeks old without ever having observed their mothers doing so.
Safeguarding The Litterbox
Felines are protective about their litterbox and don't like sharing with anyone else, including their species. To avoid fights, you should place a couple of litter boxes around your house.
Many kittens will catch on quite quickly, and get it right most of the time. Others may need to be placed in the litter box several times a day for several days before they start to grasp the idea. Overall it may take up to four weeks to get a kitten fully and reliably litter box trained.
You may have even heard that your cat can smell their dirty litter a mile away. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that a cat can smell their litter box from that far away. More realistically, they might be able to smell it up to a few hundred feet away (depending on wind and weather conditions) and often a lot less.
Basements and laundry rooms are popular choices but not actually recommended. Instead, Geller suggests the bedroom. "Your bedroom is a good location for a cat litter box since it's usually a quiet place," she says.
Your cat could be just trying to maintain her scent in the box, even though you're cleaning it. Animals usually go to the bathroom to give us a message. If it's outside the litter box, they could be stressed or in need of a clean place to go.
If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks. If you use a non-clumping litter and have only one cat, changing the litter twice per week is a good guideline. If you have more than one cat, every other day may work better.
Your cat will let you know where they prefer their litter box to be placed – or, to put it more bluntly – they will simply refuse to use a litter box that's in a location they don't like! Possible places where a litter box could go depend on your home but the bathroom, living room or bedroom are all possible options.
Ideally, the litter box should be placed in an area away from the cat's food and water dishes, as well as away from busy areas like the kitchen or foyer. If you live in a spacious home, you may be able to place the litter box in a seldom-used bathroom or guest bedroom.
Keeping a litter box in a bedroom is only an appropriate option when the bedroom's extremely large and the litter box is set up far away from your bed. But we'd recommend avoiding this placement whenever possible for these five crucial issues: Pungent Odor. Health Risks for Pregnant Women and Children.
Boxes can become scratched and worn over time from cats clawing around to bury their waste. These scratches are great hubs for bacteria to hide and build up over time, which can cause odors. You should get a new cat box at least once per year.
The smarter cats gravitated toward soft dirt or sand, since their granular consistency made it easier to bury their waste. This is why cats are naturally attracted to the feel of cat litter and know what to do once they feel it beneath their paws.
If cat litter boxes are not regularly cleaned, the urine and feces accumulate and ammonia fumes build up. Ammonia is a toxic gas made from a combination of nitrogen and hydrogen. Living in an atmosphere filled with these ammonia fumes can cause a great deal of respiratory discomfort and problems.
Most cats prefer an open litter box. Most cat owners prefer a covered litter box. Covered litter boxes may trap odors and make the human environment smell better but for those reasons they may not be as desirable for the cat. If boxes are not cleaned regularly, the odor may be aversive to them.
That's right, cats who call the outdoors home enjoy having their own litter box just as much as cats who live indoors. Outdoor litter boxes make for happier neighbors, too. If a person is concerned that cats are using their flower garden or front yard as a toilet, an outdoor litter box is the solution.
Because cat urine (especially) is difficult to clean from carpet (and carpet padding…and drywall… ask me how I know…) using something like clear vinyl carpet runner underneath your litterboxes can save you a TON of work because messes are so much easier to clean up.
Most cats require little training to use their litter box, because cats have a natual desire to dig and bury their waste. But once a cat has developed undesirable toilet habits the problem can be very difficult to resolve. Follow these suggestions to prevent and solve litter box problems.
As a rule, cats will sleep 18 hours per day, spread over a series of naps that average 78 minutes each. They sleep during the day as well as in the middle of the night, only to get up and become active right when we are heading to bed, and again shortly before we want to get up. This can be a definite clash!
Scoop out urine-soaked clumps and poop at least once or twice a day, or more if needed to keep the litter box fresh and to minimize odor. Each time you scoop the litter box, you'll be taking a fair amount of litter with you, so be sure to top off the box with extra litter afterwards.