The Best Spots For Placing Cat Litter

BY | November 26 | COMMENTS PUBLISHED BY

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Much to the anguish of a cat lover, the unsightly and smelly cat poop and urine can be a turn off for many such people. Training your kitty to do its business within the prescribed premises isnโ€™t such a herculean task as it may seem! Knowing a few basic things about a catโ€™s inherent nature can help in sorting out many a โ€˜potty accidentโ€. They prefer a soft, clean, quiet spot, shrouded in the veil of privacy though not completely hidden out of sight, far away from its food and water bowl. The age and medical condition of a cat also needs to be taken into consideration. An old or arthritic cat should have its litter box within reach as it most probably wouldnโ€™t waste time looking for the box when nature calls!Also, choose a location where your feline buddy can be mostly caught chilling, as it does make sense to plant the litter box in its favorite and most frequented corner of the home. If you plan to push up the box to some unfrequented location, you can be rest assured to find the litter at any place but the litter box.Choose a low-traffic area for placing the box and in a place which you are most likely to keep frequenting too, as cats do love to be in the vicinity of their owners.Still in a fix? Think about where would you build a washroom? Someplace well-lit, warm, comfortable and easily accessible, isnโ€™t it?! So if you place the box in a room far away from the warm living area, somewhere outside, in the winters, donโ€™t blame your kitty if it refuses to comply and relieves itself on your pillow instead. Well jokes apart, ensure that the box is kept in a low noise room where the decibel levels arenโ€™t too high and jarring, ultimately resulting in a quick escape from the box with unfinished business. So if you intend placing the box in the washroom, ensure that it is placed at a safe distance from the noise of the washing machine or dryer.Also, they usually prefer to urinate and defecate in separate boxes, so you might want to keep two of those. They are in addition, quite sensitive to smell, hence keep the litter boxes away from the food and water containers.They also like to have their privacy ensured while going about their business. Itโ€™s a wise decision to cover one end of the box with a soft cloth and keep one end open so that it remains aware of its surrounding and gets just the right amount of privacy as well!Cats are usually not to keen sharers. So if you have many kitties, it will indeed be a wise decision to invest in separate boxes for each kitty. And you might want to spread them out, by keeping them in a different corners taking into consideration the above factors.

How To Train Your Kitten To Use The Kitty Litter

So you have a new kitten! These must be very exciting times for you. Adopting a new kitten is without doubt, one of the best decisions youโ€™ve made โ€“ or youโ€™ll soon discover it to be so. But taking care of cats can be a lot of work and a big responsibility. Youโ€™ll have to teach her to behave and follow orders from scratch.One of the most important things youโ€™ll have to teach her is how to use the kitty litter or the litter box. Many cats donโ€™t really have a problem using the litter box because they are basically clean, self-grooming creatures. Chances are that she has already learnt from her mom about using the litter box. But if she was adopted from a very young age, she might need some help. So all youโ€™ll have to do is push them in the right direction. Here are a few tips that you can use to teach your new kitty how to use the litter box.

  1. Fencing InJust like how you would train your dog using a crate, train your new kitten by using a modified version of the crate technique. Youโ€™ll need to section off a part of the room and place the bedding, litter box, toys, and dishes in there. You can then introduce your kitten to the space. By fencing them in, youโ€™re not giving them much choice other than to use the litter box.Although some may get it right at first try, it may take some getting used to so stock up on cleaners, paper towels, and a lot of patience. Remember to use non-toxic cleaning solutions.
  2. Your Choice of Kitty Litter MattersShe wants to be comfortable when she does her business. Most cats prefer unscented litter that has the consistency of garden soil or beach sand. Kittens are pretty small and they might sometimes eat the litter and this can cause blockages. Avoid using clay litter to prevent blockages.
  3. Less is Not Always MoreCats are free animals. Donโ€™t just keep one litter box at one place in the house. Especially is you have multiple stories. Have at least one litter box per floor. Place them in private, quiet places so she can have her peace while sheโ€™s doing her thing. Donโ€™t over fill the box.
  4. Be the Mom CatIf your kitty lacks a mother figure who would usually show her all the dos and donโ€™ts, then be the mommy cat for her. Walk her to the litter box after she wakes up or before a meal. And after sheโ€™s finished, take her paw in your hand and show her how to hide the evidence.

Cats are intelligent creatures and theyโ€™ll get the hang of using a litter box soon enough. If you have any trouble at all, donโ€™t hesitate to call the vet.

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