Stress Free Litter Box Training

Litter box training is one of the things cat owners love about cats. Cats naturally gravitate to the litter box.

Few people like to clean litter boxes. After all, they can be a bit smelly.  I've had dogs too and I know their poops were major smelly.  Especially if you hit one with the lawn mower.  Give me a litter box any day.

Now if you have a cat litter box that looks like the on in the picture above, you may have a sick cat.  Cats rarely leave their 'leftovers' on top of the litter.  This is picture someone did of a cat litter box 'cake'.  Those brown things are really baked Tootsie Rolls.  Gross, but it gets the point across.  Clean the litter box often.

It is fairly easy to teach your kitten or cat to use a litter box. The most important things for you to do are to position the litter box in the right place and to keep it extremely clean.

• Remove the potty from the litter boxes daily,

• Clean the litter boxes twice a month with detergent,

• Two potties for each cat,

• Place the cat litter box in a private area,

• Don't make the litter box hard to get to,

• Don't let the kitten sleep in the litter box.

The Number 1 reason why cat's don't use their litter box is because its not cleaned often enough.

Basic litter box training

Consider placing 3-4 boxes in about the house and let your cat help you determine her favorite locations.  Leave access to the area. Please don't forget and shut the doorway to the cat potty.  After a month you will know which potties she favors. You can remove a couple, but leave her two favorite potties in place.

You can start training your kitten or cat by taking her over to the litter box.  Rake your fingers through the clean litter. Use your fingers just like you want your cat to use his paw.

Next, gently take her paw and do the same thing.  If this is a kitten she may start to play 'Crazy Scrape' in the box.  That's ok.  Don't scold her.  Enjoy the moment.

Just watch.  It won't be long until she does her potty while she scrapes.  Should she use the litter box right then, praise her lavishly.

If she simply hops out, but doesn't potty don't fret.  Play with her a few minutes and then place her back in the box. Repeat this procedure several times, but do not overdo it. You don't want to frustrate your cat.

After your cat eats, wait approximately ten or fifteen minutes and then place your cat in the litter box. If she uses the box, praise him. Also, when your cat is napping, keep an eye on him so that you can take him to the litter box when he awakens.

If your cat does not use the litter box, do not scold her for her accidents. He will just become frightened and frustrated. Instead, place the box in the spot where he most frequently has accidents and encourage him to use it.  Try to do this immediately after an accident.

Timing is critical for behavior modification. The closer you execute the corrective pattern to the timeframe of the undesired behavior, the more successful your cat behavior training.

Once your cat uses his litter box a few times, she should continue to use it. If he stops using the box, be sure it is clean. If the litter box is not dirty, he may have a health problem, so be sure to consult your veterinarian.

If you cat is straining at the litter box, be cautious.  She may be exhibiting signs of a feline urinary tract infection.  This can quickly turn into a life threatening situation. When in doubt, get you cat to the vet the very same day.

Use  these simple cat litter box training tips and positive reinforcement your cat will quickly take to using the litter box.