Litter Training

Top tips for cat owners

In the words of a fellow cat owner (after rescuing an adorable little kitten a few weeks ago): ‘It’s all fun and games until someone poops on the carpet’. He was referring, of course, to the incredibly frustrating task of litter-training his new addition to use the litter box and not his $3000 rug.

Everyone who has been through the experience of toilet-training an animal (or child!) knows that it can be a harrowing ordeal. Which is why we’ve searched through piles of opinions and stories on the Web to try to find the best tips and tricks to make it as quick, simple and pain-free as possible for you and your moggie.

•    Be consistent
Training is essentially forming a habit, and a habit needs consistency in order to form. When you first purchase a litter box, find a spot for it in the place where your kitten seems to prefer to play the most. If your kitten has a favourite corner or nook in which he spends most of his time, situate the box there so he will have easy access. Note, do not place it too near the kitten’s sleeping quarters or eating place… cats are reluctant to toilet where they eat and sleep (which makes sense!). Once you have chosen a place, ensure the litter remains there. You want it to become familiar to your kitten.

•    Reward positively, don’t punish negatively
Almost everyone responds best to positive reinforcement. The same goes for animals. By placing your kitten in his litter box after he’s eaten or had a drink, you’re optimising your chances of him depositing something in the box. Positive words, tones and of course a tasty kitten treat will trigger a connection between using the litter box and pleasure. Reprimanding your kitten by showing him the mess after the event is problematic because animal memories are not as sharp as human memories, and therefore messages can be misconstrued. The message your kitten gets may be more like ‘Don’t do it where they can see me’ rather than ‘Don’t do it outside my litter box’.

•    Keepin’ it fresh…
Cats are, by nature, very clean animals, so don’t expect your kitten to want to ‘go’ in a litter box that is the feline equivalent of a back-alley drop-toilet in a slum. Keep the litter fresh, and when you introduce your kitten to the new batch, remember to scratch his paw around in it to show him how it all works.

Remember that the most important tool you have in this time is patience. Pay attention to your kitten to ensure that there isn’t something about the type of litter or the position of the box that is putting him off. Take heart, though, he will eventually get it and when he does, you’ll be glad you persisted!!

•    Have any other litter-training tips or hints? Let us and others know about it!

Images by marajane creations and meyerkm17