How to Rookie Litter Train a Cat (Easy Method) ? (2020)

Adopting or receiving a cat as a gift proves to be a great reward. It is truly one of the most enjoyable experiences which life offers. Kitties are delicate, playful, cheerful, and fiercely faithful to the people they love. They become a perfect companion to their owners. However, the happiness of owning a cat brings with it some petty misfortunes which may include handling the cat well. occasional hairball and waking up at the break of dawn for serving them food. Apart from these tasks, dealing with a cat that does not or will not use the litter box is a difficult task for few people. Of course, how to litter train a cat is supposed to be pretty serious trouble initially.

The positive thing here is that it can be fixed with some efforts. Most cats are inherently tidy animals with an intense instinct to bury their own waste. And therefore the chore of how to litter train a cat turns out to be a breeze.

 Generally, cats tend to relieve themselves in soil or dirt. They may gladly use the litter box when we introduce them to the box, hence you don’t need to put many efforts on how to litter train a cat and what they need to do with the litter box as their intuition will normally take over. It does not take much time to litter train a cat.

 

Right litter – training supplies.

To help your kitty develop good bathroom habits, you’ll require to stock up few supplies. Let’s have a look at the necessary things you may require to litter train a cat

 

Litter boxes

Acceptable and available litter boxes are the foremost need for litter training of a cat. Maintaining an extra number of boxes than the cats who will use them is quite a good idea. For your one cat, you may begin with two litter boxes. These should be placed in areas that are easily accessible and offer privacy as well. The cat might not feel comfortable enough to use the litter boxes if they are exposed.

 

Kitty litter

Choosing the right kind of litter is quite important for the cat to learn the usage of litter boxes. A lot of options are available for you to select from which range from affordable non-slip clay litter to high-end, environment-friendly alternatives made from substances such as pine pellets, recycled paper and sometimes even wheat. Although many cats are not choosy about the type of litter used, but some cats are extremely particular and they may not use litter if they dislike the texture or smell. The best thing you can do is to start with an ideal, unscented clumping waste and afterwards you may experiment with other wastes as well.

 

Treats and toys

Reward your kitty every time she uses her litter box with a cat treat or her favorite cat food. Appreciating and praising the cat will help in creating positive associations with the usage of a litter box. Although this can play a good role in the initial training process eventually you need to break off this habit of expecting a  treat every time she uses the litter box.

 

So let’s show you how to litter train a cat and let the journey of your cat parenthood begin.

 

Choose a Litter Box

Making decisions for a litter box seems to be a trivial task but it makes a huge difference to your cat. While understanding how to litter train a cat, care has to be taken for different aspects of a litter box like:-

 

Size

You need to fetch the appropriate size litter box. Full-size litter boxes could be too large and discouraging for a small cat. A 13 by 9 inches litter tray is recommended for kittens as they need smaller size boxes to begin with. Older adult cats require full – size litter boxes. It is important to note that along with the growth of your kitten, the litter box also needs to grow. The size of the litter box should be nearly 1-1/2 times the length of the cat. The cat should be comfortable with the entrance and exit of the box.

 

Number of boxes

It is advisable that you provide more than one box to your cat. At the very least there should be always one litter box extra in your home than the number of cats. For instance, one cat needs two litter boxes.

 

Covering of the boxes

Deciding whether to use an uncovered or covered litter box is another important question while learning how to litter train a cat. Your cat has the option of choosing a restroom with or without a roof. Some cats prefer the privacy offered by covers but others often avoid feeling trapped while using the litter boxes. Its a cat’s personal preference to eliminate in an open or enclosed space.

 

Deciding the litter

It is important to pick the right kind of litter.

Research has shown that mostly the cats opt for fine-grain litters, probably because these have a softer and smoother feel. Cats have their own choices when talking about clump-forming or non-clump-forming litters. For easy scooping, clumping litter might be preferred. The decision regarding the use of clay litter or the litter made from different materials is also crucial as the cats may or may not like the litter consisting of corn or wheat. You may try out some different types to be sure about the type of litter that your kitty prefers. 

 

Location of the litter boxes

You have to do careful planning regarding the location of the litter boxes. The placement and availability of litter boxes is indeed an essential factor to encourage your cat for using the box. Mostly we don’t want the litter boxes to be visible and we prefer to keep litter boxes in corners and closets of our house, but this should be avoided. There is no need for hiding the litter boxes as the cats don’t want to feel trapped during bathroom time. Keep the box in quiet and safe places which are easily accessible by cats. You should place boxes at such a place where there is availability of ambient light.

Introducing the cat to litter boxes

So when all the arrangements are done and the supplies are taken care of, it’s time to introduce the cat to the litter box.

Step 1: Show your cat the positions of each litter box, kept at different places and allow it to sniff each of them.

 

Step 2: Now, gently place your kitty in one of the litter boxes. There are possibilities that the cat may instinctively begin pawing at the litter or even use the litter box without your directions. If it does not, it’s your turn to help it out. You may run your fingers gently through the clean waste to indicate the pawing action.

 

Step 3:  If the initial introduction of your cat with the litter boxes failed and the cat didn’t use any of the boxes, you need not worry much. Just take some more measures and try to place your cat on any of the litter boxes after their every activity like when they eat, drink, play or wake up after a sound nap. And eventually, they will attain success in how to litter train a cat as they begin to use the litter box by themselves.

 

Cleaning of the litter boxes 

Here is a Wikihow Article, The litter boxes should be kept clean. After every elimination, you should remember to scoop the litter box. Clean the box with soap and water for keeping it in good condition. After scooping, add some neat litter to maintain a litter depth of 2 to 3 inches which may give your kitty plenty of room to dig. When the cat becomes older and the litter box is used consistently, scooping should be done daily. Don’t use harmful chemicals for cleaning purposes.

You must occasionally empty out all litter present in each box and clean the box properly. The litters often hold a label giving information about the frequency of changing them.

 

Tips on how to litter train a cat:

Now, when you are armed with basic steps that you require to litter train a cat, it’s time to learn few pro tips. These cues will definitely make your training easier.

1.Choose a cat- safe litter.

You should opt for natural litter which are pellet – based. The litters which consist of harsh chemicals and fragrances may turn to be toxic and dangerous for your cat. Hence such types of litters should be avoided.

2.Reinforce positive litter box manners

“Praise and not punish” should be your motto while working on how to litter train a cat.

Expressing appreciation with the correct use of litter box will build positivity with the activity.

3.Avoid distractions 

You have to make sure that your cat doesn’t get distracted while using the litter box. They need to do their business with full focus.

More:

• If you live in a grand house consisting of multiple floors then try to keep the litter boxes on every floor so that your cat can easily reach out to them.
• A sufficient amount of litter should be kept in the litter box to permit easy digging and burying.
• Create a calm and supportive environment to litter train a cat.

 

Conclusion 

Building a harmonious relationship with your kitty requires patience and encouragement. When learning how to litter train a cat, you have to remain positive and calm with your cat. It won’t attain perfection in beginning but with practice, it will eventually learn this art. Although training requires time, your love, support, and attention will accomplish this task.

How much time does it require to litter train a cat?

It does not take a long time to litter train a cat as they instinctively know how to use the litter box to some extent. Just some practise is required.

Why my cat has stopped using the litter box?

The cat may stop using the litter boxes due to several reasons which include medical issues like urinary tract infections and environmental stress.

Can cats use a litter box automatically?

Yes, some cats may use the litter box without any training aa their intuition works in this process.

At what age should we introduce the cat to the litter box?

Introducing the cat to litter boxes is appropriate at the age of 3 weeks. The introduction should be done at the right time for helping the cat to go on the right path.

How should I change the type of litter for my cat?

Shifting to a new type of litter will ne r be easy for your cat. Don't change the litter all of a sudden. The process of changing the litter should be gradual and gentle.