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No matter how much you adore your little furry pet, you don’t
want to spend your day cleaning up after them as they go around
peeing everywhere, except inside their litter box. Also, it could
be very disheartening to witness them dirtying your expensive
carpet or linen on a routine basis. So how do you break this
annoying habit and get your cat to use the litter box? Let’s find
out.
Tip#1: Check for an underlying medical issue
Before you begin to address your cat’s problem, it is important
to assess whether it is medically fit or not. Sometimes a cat may
appear to be absolutely fine, but a detailed veterinary exam
could help reveal a complete picture of its health.So what is the
connection between your cat’s health and peeing outside the
litter box? Well, veterinarians inform that resistance to pee in
the litter box could be a clear sign of a medical problem in the
cat. In majority of the cases, the cat might be experiencing
excessive urination, urinary incontinence or painful urination.
Therefore, a visit to the pet is critical to ensure that there
isn’t any medical reason behind this behavioral problem.
Tip#2: Keep the litter box clean
You know how cats are naturally inclined towards cleanliness,
right? A dirty litter box might discourage them from using it and
cause them to find other places to urinate (such as your carpet
or living room floor). Therefore, it is important to keep your
cat’s litter box clean throughout the day.
Tip#3: Get an extra litter box
For most cats, a single litter box may not be enough. It is a
good idea to have a second litter box in the home so that the cat
does not have to run to another floor or to the other end of the
house to pee. The idea is to make it easier for your feline buddy
to use its litter box. An alternative litter box could prevent it
from dirtying other general areas of the home.
Tip#4: Check for territorial problems
Often when there are too many cats in a single home,
territory-related issues are likely to arise. These problems can
also affect the cat’s peeing behavior. There might not be enough
litter boxes placed at different locations in the house. Cats
like privacy; so you need to ensure that there are sufficient
litter boxes, preferably placed in private spaces for all cats.
Covered litter boxes are even better.
Tip#5: Positive reinforcement
It is a great idea to reward your cat with a treat or a playing
session whenever it does end up using its litter box. Similar to
dogs, cats also respond well to any kind of positive
reinforcement.
Litter Training Your Cat
When it comes to clean pets, cats rank right at the top. They are
very clean animals and the best part is they often pass on the
qualities to their young ones. So, if you’ve adopted a kitten
from another owner or a pet store, there’ s a very good chance
the little guy or gal has already been trained to use the litter
by his/her mother. The only thing you need to concern yourself
with is providing a big enough litter box for your kitten to get
around easily. However, if you’ve adopted a stray kitten or a
very young kitten, you will be tasked with the responsibility of
litter training it. So, here are a few tips to help you out.
Basics
Young kittens (3 weeks old) need to be stimulated to pass stools
or urine right after they’ve been fed. To get this done, wipe the
kitten’s genital area with a paper towel/washcloth that has been
dampened with warm water. Remember to be gentle.As your kitten
grows older, his//her natural instincts will kick in. As soon as
he/she starts walking, introduce the litter box. Use a box with a
lower lip for easier access. Initially, you will need to place
the kitten into the litter box yourself, for him/her to get used
to it. One trick is to scratch the litter with your finger after
she/he has been fed. This scratching actually communicates to
them that the litter is to be used as a toilet. If that doesn’t
work, confine your kitten to a small place with the litter box
inside. Once he/she realizes that there isn’t enough room for
pooping/peeing, and sleeping, he’ll/she’ll start using the litter
box to create space for everything else.
Keep it Clean
As mentioned already, cats are clean animals and one of the top
reasons why they avoid the litter box is because it might not be
clean enough. So, make sure the litter box is cleaned on a
regular basis. In fact, the litter box must be cleaned every day.
Discard the old litter and replace it with fresh litter. To
neutralize smells, use lemon or vinegar. Avoid ammonia as it only
worsens the existing odor. Also, make sure the litter box is
placed in a proper location. Never keep the litter box too close
to areas where your cat sleeps or eats.
Reward
During the training process, there are bound to be a few
accidents. That’s okay. Your cat/kitten is still learning. Never
react to these accidents by punishing him/her. Punishment rarely
works. Instead, reward the little guy/gal every time he/she
actually uses the litter box. This will encourage the habit of
using the litter box.
