Litter Box Training: Is it Necessary?
Published March 2, 2010
"How do I train my kitten to use the litter box?",is one of the most frequently asked questions posed on Internet Feline Forums, primarily by new cat owners, or folks who have become frustrated with their kitty's sudden inappropriate elimination problems. In fact, cats that have stopped using their litter boxes are responsible for the majority of cats surrendered to animal shelters.
I never gave training a cat to use a litter box much thought, since most cats already possess a natural instinct to eliminate in soil or sand. In fact, in the over 40 years that I have been owned by cats, inappropriate elimination only became an issue when the cat that was soiling outside the box cat was ill or overly emotionally distressed.
"Training" a kitten or cat to use the litter box is not in the same category as housebreaking a puppy. Of primary importance to ensure that your kitty uses the litter box is to make sure that your kitten or cat is thoroughly familiar with their "toilet" location, especially if this is a kitten new to the household. Just put the kitten into the litter box.
Most of the time this is all that is needed, but there are those times that a young kitten may not be able to get to the litter box in time, so it is wise to provide a second litter box in a more convenient location. In fact, the rule of thumb for cats and litter boxes is one box per cat, plus one. Keep the boxes in a quiet area of the house, but sufficiently available for ease of use. It is generally not appropriate to place a litter box downstairs in the cellar, or in a remote laundry room.
Sometimes it is necessary to change the location of a litter box, so it is crucial that your kitty is aware of where the box has been relocated. Most cats do catch on very quickly, which usually will stave off any accidents from occurring.
This said, in case there is an accident, it is important never to punish or scold the cat for their mistake. Would you believe that there are still some people who mistakenly insist that "pushing their cat's nose" into its "business" and yelling loudly, or even using a squirt bottle, will lead to a positive result? In fact, these actions only confuse and frighten the cat who has no idea why their person is upset. This type of "training" can only lead to further "accidents" because the cat is now completely confused and upset.
Cats do have litter preferences. Some cats prefer sand or garden soil, or wood shavings. But in my experience, a clumping fragrant-free dustless litter is very popular with our guys. Cats really detest scented litter, even though the manufactures of these brand sings their praises.
Litter boxes come in many shapes and s. I suggest that you experiment with a variety of boxes to observe your kitten's preference. We use high sided covered boxes made by Clevercat.com, with great results. The top is optional, but if you happen to have a "macho" kitty who enjoys "standing up to pee, urine splashes outside the box will never present a problem.
Once your kitten or cat is regularly using the litter box if all of a sudden inappropriate elimination occurs, please check with your veterinarian right away. Urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney stones, or emotional stress are all common symptoms that something is amiss. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is required under these circumstances.
For additional information, visit: http://www.helium.com/items/1549776-why-cats-start-eliminating-outside-the-litterbox
Some cats do enjoy automatic litter boxes. Watch this informative YouTube video:
Please leave a comment and share your experiences with litter box training.
Shortly after retiring as a social worker and psychotherapist, I discovered my "writer's voice"…
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Comments (9)
I live in a two story single house and have 7 cats. I have 5 litter boxes in the basement. On the second floor of the house I have 4 littler boxes in separate rooms. I do this this because if one of the little ones gets trapped by an older cat they will not be far away from the box. There are all kinds of places where they can hide and it helps a lot to know they are far away from a box. Another suggestion I might add is that keeping track for any signs of problems is to check the litter boxes daily. If you notice anything different in the contents will help catch any medical problems faster. If you have a cat that is doing their business outside the box is sure sign they should be checked by your vet quickly. UTI are dangerous and move quickly through a cats system and can be fatal if not caught early.
I have had cats all my life, and I've never had to "train" any of them to use the litterbox. they seem to have a 6th sense about this and do it automatically. My only advice is that if you have a very young kitten, don't just put him down in the house and let him have the run of the place until he learns where his litterbox is located. I suggest putting him AND his litterbox into the space where the litterbox will be permanently located, so he can get used to where it is. After all, a house is a very large new space to such a tiny creature, and he could get lost or confused and have an accident. Please, please, please do not punish him if he can't make it to the litterbox. It's not his fault.
Skylark
here in washington i ended up with kittens that were too young to do anything for themselves. so every few hours, i fed them. then i had to help them do their potty business. fortunately after only a few times of helping them do the potty business, they figured it out on their own.
this one kitten that i named harry - after the first time of my helping him, he decided that was enough. so after i fed him, he wiggled out of my hands, marched over to the box, did both his numbers, then turned to me with a look that said, 'see mom, i'm a big boy. i can do it by myself!' he then proceeded to teach his other brothers how to do it too. he was such a sweet kitten. out of all those 5 kittens, i loved harry the best.
Kittens are usually "trained" by their mothers and instinctively seek out substrate that is soft and diggable, like cat litter generally is. Following the instructions you outlined and that are on the video is a "must". For times when there are "accidents", I rely on Nature's Miracle Just For Cats, and for anything really deep, I love my Bissell SpotBot "pet" shampooer, with accompanying detergent, used as directed.
And for anyone who would do what you describe to punish in event of an accident, they should NEVER be entrusted with the care of any living being, as they have some pretty nasty psychological problems.
The only other tip I can add is that if you have a multi-level house or a BIG house, take it easy on a tiny kitten...look at that house from THEIR perspective...if you suddenly had to go potty, could YOU remember that the only potty in the house was downstairs around the corner in the laundry room? When they're tiny, make it easy on them...a few extra boxes until their bladders and bowels mature a bit makes it a lot easier for them to get to a box in time :)
I've had a ton of cats in my lifetime, and I've never had to do more than show them the box, maybe set them in it, and make their little front paws do digging motions. From there...they were fine on their own. I found that when the first sandy type clumping litters came out years ago, the cats literally stood in line to use the box. The old clay litters retained too many odors I think...the scooping litters are GREAT! My cats (6) now are spoiled, as they have 2 Littermaid boxes that clean themselves 10 minute after the cat exits. Having 6 cats and only 2 litter boxes, it seems only fair to let them have the self cleaning type. :) It's a major success story in my house :)
It was very interesting to me that I didn't have to train the kittens to use the litter box. Once they were old enough to be mobile they seemsed to know that was where to go. They stay loyal to their litter boxes too. No mistakes or accidents and are very clean. I do think that occasionally you need to retrain a cat if he seems to stray from his regualr routine and the vet finds him or her healthy. I have only had to do that once.