Training & Handling - Toilet Training

A new kitten or cat makes a wonderful addition to any family and, when properly cared for, will provide you with many years of unconditional love and enjoyment. They are cuddly, soft, affectionate, independent and do not require a lot of maintenance, just love. Moving to a new home is often stressful for any pet and this is especially true for your newly adopted feline companion. Most of the time your new kitten or cat will already be toilet trained and know how to use a litter box with little or no training but sometimes with the excitement and stress of adjusting to its new surroundings your pet may relieve itself in inappropriate places. You do not want them to wet on your favourite furniture, soil your bed sheets or kill your houseplants. This could become a very unpleasant, smelly, unhealthy experience. Toilet training your cat or kitten to a litter box should start the day you bring your new pet home. Litter training your pet when it is young will become a habit they carry as they grow. Any cats, even ones that will be an indoor and outdoor pet, should always have access to a litter box or set area.

Your new cat or kitten definitely needs a littler box to do its business and selecting the perfect one is beneficial to your cat's health as well as your happiness. It is important to get a cat box that is comfortable and appealing to your cat, as this will normally guarantee toilet training success. For a multi-cat household, you should have one litter box per animal. For kittens, a litter box that is shallow, no more than three or so inches deep is best and an adult cat requires a box about six inches in height. You need the area of the litter box to be approximately fourteen inches in width and eighteen to twenty-four inches in length.

Durable, heavy plastic is the most practical material with the basic flat box being the easiest to clean and most inexpensive to purchase. The drawback to this type is that most cats knock litter out of the box requiring a lot of clean up. Covered boxes prevent most waste and cat litter from being scattered but do need a filter to prevent them from being smelly. The self-cleaning cat boxes, which keep it tidy and neat, will still require cleaning occasionally. There are also designer or hidden litter boxes, sifting boxes, and other kinds available on the market.

There are several types of commercial cat litters available so try experimenting to find the one that works best for you and your pet. Stay away from scented litters as you may prefer the smell but many kittens and cats do not. Avoid the clay lumping litter for kittens because if accidentally ingested, this could cause intestinal blockages.

Place the kitty litter tray in a private, quiet, out of the way area where there is very little traffic and noise. Do not put the tray near the cat or kittens water or food bowls or out in the open. Be sure the box is near by and the cat knows where the box is located. Remember that kittens and cats do not like heavily soiled litter, so scoop it out frequently and then wash and change the litter box at least one a week.

Kittens normally learn about toilet training from their mother so if you get your new kitten from a reputable breeder it will most likely be litter box trained. The mother cat normally toilet trains her kittens and any good breeder will reinforce this behaviour. Find out from the breeder which type of kitty litter and litter box they used for your kitten. This is important because if you suddenly change to another type of litter box or a different brand of kitty litter the kitten could stop using this, as it does not understand what you expect of him or her. If, for some reason, you do want to change the type of litter or litter box from the kind the breeder used start by changing the litter box but using the same litter the breeder used. Once your kitten is used to this start changing the litter slowly by adding some new kitty litter into the old brand. Add this a little at a time over the course of a few weeks until you have completely replaced the old litter with the new litter you selected.

Not everyone gets their new kitten from a breeder so some kittens come from surroundings where they have never even seen a litter box. Your new kitten may have been found outside or be a rescue kitten and you have no idea of its history. If you need to toilet train your kitten do not give it full run of your house but instead contain him to the room which you spend the majority of your time in so you can keep an eye on him.

Cats are very fastidious animals and instinctively prefer to bury their faeces and urine so if your kitten suddenly starts scratching at the floor or quits playing and hurries behind a couch, goes into a corner or finds a quiet area, this usually indicates that your pet needs a toilet break. Quickly but gently pick up the kitten, put him in his litter box, then take his paw, and scratch at the litter with it. His natural instinct is to dig and kitty litter is a perfect place for digging, so nature should take over. If this is successful make a big fuss of your kitten or if he does not use it, keep trying until it is successful. Never get angry, raise your voice or make him afraid of the tray. Also, be sure to establish a routine, so a few minutes after eating or waking up from a nap place your kitten in his litter box, as these are times they will most likely need to go to the toilet. Once your pet uses the litter box and leaves his smell this will encourage your kitten to come back when he has to go the next time.

The technique for training an older, untrained cat is not much different from training a new kitten. Get off to a good start by purchasing a plastic, easy to clean litter box that is size appropriate for your new pet. The sides should be low enough for the cat to climb in and out of easily, but high enough to keep the cat litter in the box. Start litter training your new cat by putting him into the litter box after eating, playing or waking up. If this does not work, it is time to try another common toilet training technique.

Start by confining your new addition to a comfortable, small room numerous times daily, preferable one that does not have carpet. If the room does have carpet, cover it with a sheet of plastic, so a pet accident will not ruin your rug. It is far easier to clean up an 'accident' off a floor or plastic than it is off carpet. Remove any blankets, pillows, towels, newspaper or other items your cat may decide are great for using as its toilet. Place your cat's food dish, water dish, and litter box in the room, but make sure you place the litter away from the cat dishes, preferable on opposite sides of the room. The reason for this is that cats do not want to toilet near their food source so it will look for another area to use. Put your cat in the room numerous times daily especially after he wakes up or finishes playing. Never leave your cat alone in this room for long periods and make sure fresh water is always available along with toys to play with. Once your cat has used the box successfully, praise him and let him out of the room. Continue this procedure until you have the cat toilet trained and he automatically goes to the litter box. Some cats learn very quickly while others take longer to train.

Even a cat or kitten that is litter box trained may suddenly stop using their cat litter box. If this only happens once, it is not a real problem but if it continuously happens, you could have a serious problem on your hands. Cats get used to feeling kitty litter under their feet when they go to the bathroom, so you definitely do not want them to get used to the feeling of carpet or bedding as their toilet area. If the cat quits using its litter box, you need to investigate the problem quickly and find a remedy immediately. Below are a few of the reasons a cat may not use it or suddenly stop using the litter box.

One of the most common reasons a cat goes to the toilet in places other than its litter box is because the litter is dirty. A cat's sense of smell is a lot more sensitive than a human's sense of smell, so what may look and smell fine to you may not to your pet. If you do not clean its litter box on a regular basis, your cat may decide to use somewhere else to do its business. Scooping the litter box daily and completely emptying it, washing it, and putting in fresh litter once a week, will likely solve the problem. There should be at least one litter box available for each cat in a multiple-cat household. Use an antibacterial, mild soap to wash the litter box as a harsher cleanser sometimes leaves an offensive odour in the plastic, which you cat may dislike. There are also self-cleaning litter boxes available which are wonderful for busy people that are away a lot during the day.

The size of the litter box may be a problem. Many of the boxes available in pet stores are too small for a large cat and the cats are not comfortable trying to use the box. This causes them to find another place to use as a toilet. If you have a very large cat, purchase a shallow, large plastic storage container instead of a standard litter box. Not only is it roomier than a pet store box but it also costs less than a traditional cat litter box.

Sometimes a cat hrefuses to use the litter box because it does not like the location. Put the litter box in a quiet, low traffic area, away from the hustle and bustle of a busy household, but be sure it is in a place that is easy for your pet to find. Never place it near something that causes noise that might frighten him, such as a loud television or noisy furnace, and never put your cats' food station anywhere near its litter box.

If you have recently changed your normal brand of cat litter, change back to the old one or try changing to another brand or type. Some cats are more inclined to use litter that is similar to what they use outside, such as fine wood chips, sawdust, or sand. Once the cat starts using this, gradually add regular litter, a little at a time, until you have their litter changed over. Avoid scented litter as many cats and kittens find the smell unpleasant so are hesitant to use this.

If your cat still hrefuses to use the litter box and soils all over your house, speak to your veterinarian, as the problem could be physical. Your vet will examine your cat to find out if he is sick. Diseases such as a urinary tract infection or other problems could be the cause. Some signs to watch for are diarrhoea, discomfort, straining or repeated attempts to go, consuming more water than usual, or blood tinged faeces or urine.