Cat House Training 101

Don’t worry. It’s not going to be difficult. You’re wondering how you teach a cat to use a litter box, aren’t you? You’ve got the box filled with litter (ah, yes! The clumping variety I see. Good choice.) and you’re armed with the “pooper scooper”. And you’re standing over the litter box waiting to see what your new cat does. Don't worry, cat house training doesn't have to be hard!

Cats are clean animals. They prefer to “do their business” in sand or dirt . . . just about any substance they can paw at and cover their wastes up with. So don’t worry. You’re dealing with an animal that “wants” to use some device.

That’s half the battle. But there’s a little more to housetraining a cat than simply plopping a litter box in a random room. This may sound a bit strange to you, but cats like to use the litter box in private. Yes, if they were people, they would be the type that would not only close the bathroom door completely, they would probably lock the door as well.

Armed with this knowledge, find a place in your home where the box is easily accessible to your cat, but far enough away from the heavy traffic. Tuck the litter box away in a corner of a room or in a small alcove that’s not used much. Your cat will certainly appreciate it.

Show your cat where the box is and place her in it to start. She knows instinctively what to do. Your job is to help her out is to ensure that the litter box is kept clean. This task is vastly easier than it used to be, thanks to a handy innovation called clumping litter. Also called scoopable litter, not only will you love this, your cat will love this as well.

With this all you need to do is to scoop the feces and urine out daily (it’ll be clustered in and among the clumps of litter). Then on a regular basis change the entire contents of the box. You’ll also want to wash the box out regularly with soap and water.

If your feline friend is still a kitten, be sure the sides of the litter box are low enough that she can enter and exit it with ease. If you have a large cat, be sure to get one large enough that he can comfortably move in there.

How many litter boxes do I need? Most cat experts recommend that you have one more box than you have cats. If you have two cats, you need three litter boxes.

If you’ve done all of this but you discover your cat doesn’t like to use his box, then you need to consult your veterinarian. Cats are fastidiously clean animals. They don’t need too much house training. If your cat is suddenly refusing to use her box, she may have some medical problems that you can’t see.

A common reason for cats not using the litter box is stress. Yes, cats do get stressed out. Have you brought a new cat or kitten into the house? That could cause your cat some stress. If you go on vacation and leave her alone – even if you’ve had someone looking after her – she could be stressed. Even a new piece of furniture (believe it or not) can cause her stress.

Cats, it must be noted, care creatures of habit. They love the daily routine. They rise at about the same time each day . . . sleep about the same time every day . . . and get revved up to do their best playing the same time. Any activity that breaks this routine could very well cause them stress and cause litter box accidents.

Punishment for not using the litter box doesn’t work with well. Actually, any type of punishment will probably backfire on you. She’ll soon associate the litter box with punishment.

Instead, praise her when she uses the box . . . and try to decipher why she is not using it.

If your cat isn’t fully trained or has been having problems using the litter box, never leave the house without first making sure your pet is confined to a certain area. Ensure that she has enough food and water and a warm place to sleep at one end of the room . . . and a clean litter box at the other end.

Perhaps you cat isn’t using the box because it isn’t clean enough. Be sure that you’re removing the litter regularly. If you find right after you clean it, you discover she uses it then you may have just hit upon the problem.

Just keep in mind that your cat wants to cover her waste in some fashion as much as you would like her to use the litter box. Initially, it may take her a time to remember where the box is. But once she knows where to go, she’ll for the most part continue to use it. If she doesn’t, she’s trying to let you know something’s wrong. Don’t worry, with a little time, you’ll figure out exactly what it is. Before you know it, you'll even consider toilet training cat.