> Training
Litter
box training
Virginia Beach SPCA
http://www.vbspca.com/
House soiling or
missing the litter box accounts for about 50% of all cat behavior
problems. This is the number one reason why cats are surrendered
to shelters. And cats are not born with the knowledge of knowing
how to use their litter box; this is something that is learned
from their mother and litter mates. There are a variety of reasons
that a cat might stop using its litter box. The most common reason
is that it was never really house trained in the first place.
Often a change in the cat's environment may precipitate the first
mistake. The litter box may not be clean or maybe it is in an
inappropriate place. Most house soiling problems are self-limiting
and will clear up within a couple of weeks or months.
Cats are
extremely fastidious. If the problem was initially caused by some
environmental change, once the cat has adapted to the change it
reverts to its normal clean litter box habits. The owner may speed
up the process with a couple of these simple measures: Simply
confining the cat to a single room with a sleeping area at one end
and a litter box at the other will generally resolve the problem
in a couple of weeks. Resolution will be even quicker with a
reward program. Owners should not take a cat's good behavior for
granted, have you ever praised your cat for using his litter box?
If the owner punishes his cat the cat will only learn not to
eliminate in front of its owner. This will make retraining more
difficult. Now the owner will have to rebuild the cat's
confidence.
Until the cat is
fully house trained, it should not have the full run of the house.
Confine him to one room until you are positive he knows how to use
his litter box. Your job is to supply the cat with a clean litter
box in an area that is not a high traffic area and one that is
easily accessible. The litter box should be cleaned at least once
a day, twice is even better. Old litter should be discarded and
replaced with new fresh litter. And remember cats, like dogs, do
not want to soil too close to where they eat or sleep, so place
the litter box away from this area. Have you switched to a
different type of cat litter? Some cats have extremely sensitive
noses and do not like additives which are placed in clay litter
for the benefit of our noses. Keep the box cleaned out daily and
you will not have an odor problem. It is also advisable to
instruct children to never bother you cat/kitten when he is near
his box. However, praise given to your cat from you when he is
near his litter box can only help in getting the message across to
your cat about appropriate use of the litter box.
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