Cat Training

Whether you think of it as cat litter training or cat toilet training, training your cat to use a litter box is very important. Cats are naturally very clean animals and therefore they easily appreciate being trained in how to use a litter box properly. Always begin as early as possible as kitten training as in kitten litter box training is an integral part of your kitten’s development. Some people train their cat to use the toilet but that is not always easy to accomplish.

When litter box training your cat always position the litter box in an area of your home that is quiet, clean and away from things but in an area that is accessible as possible to your cat. If you have children preferably keep it away from where their little fingers can go and keep it away from other pets in the home such as dogs.

In order to train your cat or kitten show him or her where the litter box is. Pick her up and put her in the pan and let her sniff around. Another trick is to run your fingers through the litter or use them as a rake so she will begin to understand the concept of the litter box.

If you have more than one cat consider having a different pan for each as most cats prefer to urinate and defecate in their own individual pan, although some will share with no problem. If your cats must share then always clear the waste from one cat away so it is clear for the other one to use.

In order to properly litter train your cat you must train yourself as well to keep the litter pan as clean and as full of fresh litter as possible. Get rid of the soiled litter at least once a day and change the litter in the pan once a week, making sure to add plenty of fresh litter because that is what cats like most. Approximately an inch and a half of fresh litter should be enough. Clean out the litter pan by washing it with a solution of warm water and vinegar. You can also add some lemon juice to neutralize the smell of cat urine if you like. After the litter pan has been cleaned and dried add a few drops of baking soda to it before pouring fresh litter into it.

Whenever you cat has a litter accident outside of the box clean it up immediately and resist the urge to get after your cat or punish her. Mix a solution of water and whiter vinegar (half and half) and spray it on the soiled area. This should prevent her from returning to this spot to soil it again. You might want to place newspapers under the litter box if your cat is older and/or sometimes urines over the side of the litter pan.