Cat House Training 101

Are you worrying if it is going to be difficult to teach a cat how to use a litter box? Don't worry about it. It’s not as hard as it seems to be. You're standing over the litter box that is already filled with litter, plus you are armed with a "pooper scooper" waiting. Don't fret about it. Cat house training is not that difficult after all.

Cats are by nature clean animals which prefer to do their "pooping" business in sand or dirt. Or rather just about any substance they can paw at and cover their waste up with. You are dealing with a feline that wants to use some kind of device, so don’t worry.

That's only half the battle won. House training a cat can be tricky as it is not simply just putting a litter box in a room and tell your cat to use it. Well, cats have a habit and that is they like to use their litter box in private and I mean private…with doors shut.

To cater to these characteristics, it is best to find a place in your house where you can put the litter box in an accessible place yet far from any kind of heavy traffic. Put the litter box in some small alcove and your cat will certainly appreciate it.

Initially, just show your cat where that litter box is and if you want put her in to start. Either way, she will know what to do base on instinct alone. Your task is only to ensure that litter box is kept clean. The clumping litter or scoopable litter also helps you when you are cleaning the box.

With all these, all you need to do is just to scoop out the waste – both urine and feces have already clustered together. Then just change the entire box contents regularly, and washing of the box regularly with soap and water.

If your pet is still a kitten, make sure the sides of the litter box are low enough for her to enter and exit with ease. However, if you have a adult cat, ensure that the box is large enough for her to be comfortable in.

So how many litter boxes should you need? Most cat experts recommend one more extra box than your number of cats. For instance, if you have three cats, then you need four litter boxes.

Always consult a vet if your cat does not like to use the box even after all of what you have done. Cats are meticulously clean animals, plus they don’t need much house training. So the reason may be some medical problem that she is refusing to use the litter box.

Stress is another reason why your cat doesn't want to use the litter box. Yes, it's true that cats do get stressed out too. Have the environment changed for her? A new cat or kitten or even a new piece of furniture might be the cause of it.

Cats are a great example of creatures of habit. They love their daily routine. They wake up at the same time everyday, sleep the same time everyday and even played their best at the same time everyday. Thus, any kind of disturbance to this routine can give them stress and cause her not to use the litter box.

You must never use punishment on your cat as it absolutely doesn’t work well and will even backfire on you. Soon, she will even associate punishment with the litter box.

Praise her instead whenever she uses the litter box and try your best to understand why she is not using it.

If your cat isn't fully trained or is not really using the litter box, then never leave the house with first ensuring your cat is restricted to a certain area. Make sure she has plenty of food and water and a warm place to sleep on one end of the room and a clean litter box at the other end.

Maybe the reason why your cat doesn’t use the box is because it wasn’t clean enough. Make sure you remove the litter regularly. If you happen to find that your cat uses it right after you clean it, then you might have come across the root of the problem.

Just remember that your cat always want to cover her waste no matter what as much as you would like her to use the litter box. At first, she might need some time to get used to where the box is. But once she knows, she will continue to use it. If she doesn't use it, then there is something wrong that she is trying to let you know. Don't worry, with some getting used to, you will figure out exactly what’s wrong. Before you knew it, you might already be toilet training cat.