Every cat owner will need to prepare several things even before buying a cat. A Litter box and proper brand of sand is one of the most important things. Without effective litter box training conducted at an early age, keeping your cat in the house can become very problematic.
Basic Cat Training
Basic cat training, apart from teaching your cat to use his toilet, is connected more with daily cat care than actual training. Cats that are well tended to will not develop any abnormal behaviors and will behave themselves well.
Teach Your Cat to Use the Litter Box Step-by-Step
Start litter box training at an early age. New born kittens will not be able to understand any commands and they won’t be receptive of typical training stimuli before reaching 6 weeks of age. At this point, you can start your basic cat training.
- Buy the cat’s litter tray in any pet supply shop. It should be made out of plastic or enamel; litter box should be filled with special sand (commercial cat litters to be bought in a pet store) so that the cat can use his natural instinct to cover his wastes with soil.
- Even when your cat is very young, you can already place him inside the tray every time he finishes his meal. Your cat needs to be acquainted with the box so he can understand it’s designed for him.
- Place the litter tray in a secluded area. Your cat must feel safe and comfortable when in the tray, as otherwise he won’t be using it later. It should be placed next to the wall so it wouldn’t be accessible from all possible sides. It should also be located far away from his food bowls. Don’t change its location without good reasons too often.
- You can use special liquid, usually available in typical pet stores, and spray with it all areas on the floor your cat used instead of his litter box. These liquids are designed in a special way – their smell discourages cats from staying nearby the marked area.
Your cat’s veterinarian can advise about the proper brand of cat litters. Some sorts of it may contribute to the development of allergies, others your cat might find disturbing or unpleasant; still others may even discourage your cat from using his litter box. When you notice that after several days your cat still stubbornly refuses to deal with his litter box – the sand may be at fault, rather than your cat’s temperament.
It can take some time before your cat gets used to his litter box. If, after some time, your cat suddenly refuses to use the tray, it might be due to cat’s depression. For more information on cat training, see How to Deal with Cat’s Aggression. Also, you should browse through articles in Cat’s Health and Nutrition.
