>> Site Map >> News
Training Your Cat to Use a Litter Tray by Liz Canham
#12 - 10 - 0 - Training Your Cat to Use a Litter Tray by Liz Canham
[ 2007-09-03 07:05:06 ] - lizc
#
Do you dread trying to get your cat to use a
litter tray? Don't despair - it's really
quite simple to train a cat.
litter tray? Don't despair - it's really
quite simple to train a cat.
Any cat owner will tell you, cats are
wonderful pets to have around. They are tame, cuddly and are indeed beautiful.
Most cat owners want them to be indoors, to keep them safe and clean always.
However, that same owner can also tell you that one of the downsides is needing
to deal with their pet’s waste.
But that should not be a drawn out
problem if you take the time and proper care in training your cat to use the
litter tray.
Cats should be trained early on,
starting when a kitten is around 8 weeks old. Generally, a kitten that is
raised together with a mother that uses the litter tray will learn to use the
tray itself.
Cats generally are not difficult to
toilet train. For one, they have the instinct already to bury their waste. Thus
all that is needed is to provide a litter tray.
Before any training commences, make
sure you have the right litter box. Choose one that is made of durable plastic
for easy washing. It should also be deep enough to contain just a little less
than 2 inches of soil, sand, sawdust or commercial cat litter.
Do not think that by putting more
litter in the box will mean that you have to change it less often. Your cat
will probably refuse to use a soiled box even if there’s a lot of litter in it.
Cat litter comes in different varieties
of grades and scents. However, the benefits of scented litter only affects the
pet owners. In fact, cats dislike scented litter because it seems unnatural to
them. They will very likely reject eliminating in the box and go somewhere
else.
The kind of litter grade your pet will
prefer varies with each one, but it is observed that cats are particularly fond
of smaller grades. Perhaps this is because smaller grains make the litter
softer.
Make sure that the litter tray is
placed in a quiet and secluded place as cats do not like to be watched when
they do their toilet.
Now that you have a good litter tray
set up, it’s time to teach your pet to use it.
For kittens or cats that still have to
be trained, it is best to acquaint them with the litter tray. The cat should be
introduced to the tray after being fed, after play or when it wakes up.
Lead your cat to the box. Move the
litter around with your hand to intrigue the cat with the texture of the
litter, inviting it to step into it.
Encourage your pet once it steps
inside, speaking to it in gentle tones. Make the cat feel that the box is a
nice and comfortable place. Whether your cat soils in the tray or not, be
consistent with that tone. Eventually, your pet will like the litter tray and
do its business there.
When the cat uses the litter tray, make
sure that you praise it for its good behavior. If it soils elsewhere, just pick
it up straight away and put it in the litter tray. Under no circumstances
should you punish the cat for not using the litter tray.
Finally, be consistent and patient.
Results may not come right away, but the training will pay off in time.
Liz Canham is the proud owner (or maybe servant)
of three cats and is webmistress of The Cat Lover.
wonderful pets to have around. They are tame, cuddly and are indeed beautiful.
Most cat owners want them to be indoors, to keep them safe and clean always.
However, that same owner can also tell you that one of the downsides is needing
to deal with their pet’s waste.
But that should not be a drawn out
problem if you take the time and proper care in training your cat to use the
litter tray.
Cats should be trained early on,
starting when a kitten is around 8 weeks old. Generally, a kitten that is
raised together with a mother that uses the litter tray will learn to use the
tray itself.
Cats generally are not difficult to
toilet train. For one, they have the instinct already to bury their waste. Thus
all that is needed is to provide a litter tray.
Before any training commences, make
sure you have the right litter box. Choose one that is made of durable plastic
for easy washing. It should also be deep enough to contain just a little less
than 2 inches of soil, sand, sawdust or commercial cat litter.
Do not think that by putting more
litter in the box will mean that you have to change it less often. Your cat
will probably refuse to use a soiled box even if there’s a lot of litter in it.
Cat litter comes in different varieties
of grades and scents. However, the benefits of scented litter only affects the
pet owners. In fact, cats dislike scented litter because it seems unnatural to
them. They will very likely reject eliminating in the box and go somewhere
else.
The kind of litter grade your pet will
prefer varies with each one, but it is observed that cats are particularly fond
of smaller grades. Perhaps this is because smaller grains make the litter
softer.
Make sure that the litter tray is
placed in a quiet and secluded place as cats do not like to be watched when
they do their toilet.
Now that you have a good litter tray
set up, it’s time to teach your pet to use it.
For kittens or cats that still have to
be trained, it is best to acquaint them with the litter tray. The cat should be
introduced to the tray after being fed, after play or when it wakes up.
Lead your cat to the box. Move the
litter around with your hand to intrigue the cat with the texture of the
litter, inviting it to step into it.
Encourage your pet once it steps
inside, speaking to it in gentle tones. Make the cat feel that the box is a
nice and comfortable place. Whether your cat soils in the tray or not, be
consistent with that tone. Eventually, your pet will like the litter tray and
do its business there.
When the cat uses the litter tray, make
sure that you praise it for its good behavior. If it soils elsewhere, just pick
it up straight away and put it in the litter tray. Under no circumstances
should you punish the cat for not using the litter tray.
Finally, be consistent and patient.
Results may not come right away, but the training will pay off in time.
Liz Canham is the proud owner (or maybe servant)
of three cats and is webmistress of The Cat Lover.
comments: 0
viewed: 172
Cat Behaviour Training by Liz Canham Training Cats by Inducement by Liz Canham
