How to train a cat to use the litter box if he still goes to the toilet everywhere: how to train an adult cat and a kitten

Preparation

The appearance of a kitten in the house - such a decision should be made at a family council, since its presence should evoke positive emotions. If you are bothered by the noise caused by the kitten’s playfulness, its nightly “vigils,” and its fur constantly flying in the air, then you should wait to purchase a kitty.

Before the baby arrives in the house, it is necessary to make some preparations. First of all, this concerns the choice of tray. The store sells trays with different side heights. If you have already decided on the breed, you can guess the future parameters of your pet. The tray should be designed for an adult cat, since it is quite possible for a small kitten to overcome a side that is twelve centimeters high, but a grown cat will feel uncomfortable in a ditch that is not the right size.

The next step is where the tray will stand. The corner should be secluded, as the kitten does not like to show off its affairs. A toilet or bathroom is good for these purposes, provided there is enough space. The main thing is that the pipes do not rattle and the water does not make loud noise, which can scare away the baby.

It is important to find out from breeders or previous owners how their kitten went to the toilet. If you used a certain brand of filler, then purchase exactly that one for the first time, and then gradually replace it with the one you prefer. If the kitten went to the newspaper, then you will have to use this option, and then switch to a more convenient one.

Instructions for toilet training a cat

This training system is applicable for adult cats that use the litter box flawlessly. It is important to follow the instructions exactly, respecting the time intervals.

On a note! Only older animals who have previously used their own “potty” flawlessly should be trained to go to the toilet on the toilet.

First of all, it is necessary for the animal to get used to the noise of the draining water and not be afraid. They take him in their arms and, standing in the toilet, flush the water several times. If the cat does not show any anxiety, move on to the next step.

Move the tray to the toilet

If the tray is located far from the toilet, move it closer. Every day they shift it by 5-6 cm, no more. Otherwise, the cat may not get his bearings and shit in the place where the box used to be. After the animal gets used to being in the neighborhood with a white friend, they move on to the next level of training.

Raising the tray to the height of the toilet

The goal of this stage is to level the tray with the level of the hole so that the cat develops the skill of jumping. They do this slowly so that the pet understands what they want to achieve from him. It is enough to add a few centimeters per day. To do this, put unnecessary waste paper, a box, or something else. It is important that the structure does not swing. On average, this training period lasts about 12 days.

Stages of toilet training a cat.

If the cat categorically refuses to climb the hill, it is worth suspending the process for 7-8 days. Then they try again.

Moving the tray onto the toilet seat

Now they gradually move the cat litter onto the toilet. It is better to first remove the cover to stabilize the device. If the cat feels the precariousness of its position, all previous efforts may be in vain and you will have to start over.

The tray is completely installed on the toilet after 4 days and left there for some more time. This will allow the animal to develop the skill.

Tray refusal

If all stages are successfully completed, the tray is removed from view. It’s better to throw it away, otherwise it will give off a smell that will prompt the pet to search for it. Not finding their toilet in its usual place, many purrs begin to get nervous and fuss. But they quickly understand what to do - they sit directly on the toilet.

How to accustom a kitten to a litter tray

Here are some recommendations that you can follow to quickly train your kitten to use the litter box.

The first thing to do is to limit the space in which your new family member eats, sleeps, and frolics. This measure is necessary to ensure that the kitten is always visible for the first few days. Try to locate this area closer to the room where you spend most of the time. In this case, it will be possible to constantly keep the kitten in sight and quickly take action if he does not want to use the litter box.
It is necessary immediately, as soon as the kitten gets into the new room, to show him the tray and the place where he stands. From time to time, place your furry family member in a litter tray so that he can remember the smell.
Strictly control food intake and sleep time so that you can immediately take him to the potty.
When placing the kitten in the tray, see if it drips clay or sawdust. If not, then grab him by the paws and make raking movements with them. Such attempts must be repeated several times.
The kitten must be supervised at all times. If you notice that he sits down past the tray, carefully without sudden movements or haste, move the baby into the tray. He will have no choice but to use your service. When finished, be sure to pet him and praise him.
If an “accident” does occur, blot the puddle with an odorless napkin and place it in the filler. The smell of urine in cats is very persistent and will attract his attention next time.
For exemplary behavior, be sure to praise the kitten by talking affectionately to it. And if the kitten avoids the litter box over and over again, be patient, don’t even think about yelling at him, much less hitting him hard, and be persistent in the process of training the kitten to use the litter box.

Secrets of litter training a cat

The wild ancestors of domestic cats were ambush predators and hunted in individual territories, the boundaries of which were strictly defined. With this way of life, it is very expensive to leave your waste on the surface of the earth and at the same time scatter it throughout the hunting area - potential victims will guess by their smell and appearance who lives here and will avoid this place. Accordingly, natural selection simply forced cats to be careful - those who did not want to take care of hiding their waste simply died of hunger.

The easiest way to organize a cat's litter box is to train your pet to do its smelly business in the toilet. However, not all cats find this device convenient and safe. And not in vain - a variety of surprises can await a cat sitting on the toilet. And his owner too.

It would be appropriate to tell a cautionary tale here. My friends have a cat who, since childhood, has been trained to use the toilet for its intended purpose. One day, while he was sitting thoughtfully on a toilet seat, the toilet lid suddenly fell on him.

Fortunately, the animal did not receive any injuries other than psychological ones. And, most interestingly, she did not give up using the toilet. It’s just that from that time on, the cautious cat sat on this device not with its back to the hole, but with its front (to keep an eye on the “aggressor”). It is not difficult to guess that everything that he spewed out of himself ended up not in the sewer, but on the floor of the toilet room. The owners had to arrange the cat litter based on other principles.

How to accustom a kitten to a litter box without litter

The purchase of filler entails significant expenses for the family budget. If you can't afford it, you can train your kitten to use a litter box without litter. Show the tray to your baby and rummage along the bottom with your paws. If, however, a puddle appears in the wrong place, blot it with a clean, odorless napkin and place it in a tray to transfer the kitten’s amber into it.

After some attempts, the kitten will learn to go to an empty tray. But it is important that after each use of the toilet, be sure to wash the cuvette with clean water, without bleach or any detergents. Otherwise, a urinary stone will quickly form at the bottom.

Often cat owners use torn newspaper as litter for the tray. Kittens like this method. But again, this “filler” must be removed after each trip to the toilet. Otherwise, the pet will ignore the wet tray and do its business elsewhere.

The version of the tray without filler is suitable only for owners who are constantly at home and can clean up after the kitten in a timely manner. If the kitten is alone at home all day or most of the day, then the option of loose litter for the tray will be the only acceptable one. If filled with enough filler, your pet can go several times without any problems. Just when you come home from work, do something nice for him - put the tray in order.

How to train a cat to use a litter box: adaptation

Regardless of the presence or absence of previous “toilet” experience, such animals experience stress when moving to a new home, weaning from their mother, or other unpleasant situations. Therefore, the following recommendation will also be useful when deciding how to accustom a cat to a new litter box. Experts advise limiting the movement of the tailed and mustachioed animals in the home to one or two rooms during the adaptation period, and not giving access to the rest for now. It is preferable that these are rooms where the owner himself spends a significant part of the time. It is necessary to monitor the pet’s behavior in order to seize the moment of acquaintance with the “toilet”.

If the cat shits everywhere

But sometimes it happens, no matter how much effort you make to accustom your cat to the litter box, from time to time she craps wherever she pleases. It often seems that the cat does this because of its grievances. But this is not true. In fact, this “disgrace” may have several reasons.

In this state of affairs, experts advise doing a full examination of the cat’s body. After all, persistently ignoring the filler can signal the initial stage of serious diseases. These could be kidney or bladder problems, constipation, or inflammation of the thyroid gland. If the doctor did not reveal any pathology, then the cause of hooliganism lies only in your uncleanliness. To make a cat feel comfortable, a minimum of effort is required, namely:

Throw away a lump of wet litter every day;
Renew it in small doses;
Once a week, be sure to remove all the litter and then thoroughly wash the tray using urinary stone removers and disinfectants. Wipe the tray dry.

If the activities described above are carried out by you with enviable regularity, you need to look for another reason for refusing the tray. This may be the quality of the filler itself. It is good to use the filler that was used by the breeder. It is possible to use the same absorbent composition. The cat, out of established habit, will definitely sit on such soil.

When changing the filler, this must be done with caution. First add it a little at a time so that the cat can get used to it, and then after a while replace it completely.

It is necessary to talk separately about the filler. It comes in various qualities, sizes and purposes. Fillers are divided into:

Moisture-absorbing;
Clumping;
Selicohelium.

The first and second are made from a certain clay or wood shavings, pressed into certain granules. The latter are made from specially processed polysilicon clay. But due to the complex form of manufacture, this filler is much more expensive than others. Its high cost is compensated by its high efficiency, so one serving can be used for up to four weeks.

If the cat does not go to the litter box, but poops anywhere, then the litter is not suitable for her. And you will have to start selecting it.

What to do if your cat shits on the floor

The cat has an excellent litter box with excellent filling, but he still prefers the floor, then you should think about whether the family pet is looking for a girlfriend? This will be shown by his behavior - on the one hand, an excited state, accompanied by wandering around the apartment with an unnatural meow, and on the other hand, the cat shows increased affection, constantly rubbing, “hugging.” Puddles will appear in different places and have a very rich smell. If you are careful, then during such a period you can notice how the cat lifts its tail from time to time and shakes it.

Of course, the best way out of the situation is to provide the cat with a sexual partner. But if this is not possible, then you will have to limit yourself to special drugs that inhibit the cat’s sexual activity.

How to train an adult cat to go to the litter box: educational nuances

Regardless of whether you have to solve the problem of how to accustom an outdoor cat to a litter box, or cope with a similar task in relation to an individual previously “cultivated” by others, you will have to immediately orient it to its new home. Having limited the space for moving to one or two rooms, you need to show your pet where his place for bowel movements will be located. It is possible that the pet will quickly understand everything, and the very first visit to meet large or small needs will turn out to be a success. When the toilet debut is not so successful, you need to act differently. If the animal went for a certain thing, this dirty element (in the case where it is not a pity to sacrifice it) should be moved to a designated tray. Then the cat will be guided by the smell the next time.

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The cat shits on the carpet and in the corners

When training a kitten to use the litter box, you may accidentally hear an unpleasant odor coming from the carpet in the living room or from the most distant corner.

The reason for this behavior may be health problems. If a cat has chosen a fluffy carpet, it means that something hurts him, and it is painful for him to go to the toilet made of hard litter. It could be urolithiasis. To find out, take the test to a veterinarian to confirm or refute your concerns.

A cat may choose corners or places under the bed if it is in a state of fear, received from evil and cruel owners or from strong external noise, for example, repairs. Change your attitude towards your furry family member or complete repairs as soon as possible, and then the animal’s condition will improve, and he will easily get used to the tray.

There are often cases when a cat, being small, goes to the toilet perfectly. And when they reach sexual maturity, problems arise, and all methods and means turn out to be useless, there is only one way out - castration in cats or sterilization in cats. And then peace will be established in the house.

Taming stages

To quickly teach an adult pet to relieve itself in the tray, it is recommended to follow the proposed algorithm:

Sometimes a special repellent spray helps get rid of the problem.

During the first days of your pet's life in a new home, carefully monitor it. Usually the desire to go to the toilet appears soon after eating. Characteristic signs indicating a desire to relieve themselves are restlessness, sniffing corners, scratching the floor with claws. If this behavior occurs, the cat should be taken to the litter box and placed there. If the cat goes to the toilet, you should praise him and treat him with something tasty.
If it was not possible to trace and a puddle appears on the floor, you should blot it with a rag and put it in the tray. The area where the cat pooped must be thoroughly washed and disinfected. Next, you need to take your pet to the toilet and let him smell his feces. There is a high probability that the cat will understand the purpose of the item and next time use it as it should.
Sometimes the cat categorically does not recognize the tray, preferring to relieve himself where he likes. In such a situation, it is recommended to move the toilet to this place, and as soon as the pet begins to visit it regularly, return it back to the area where it was originally planned to be placed.
If the animal is stubborn and no methods help to wean it from going to the toilet anywhere, it is recommended to use a special trainer in the form of a spray. There are also products that repel cats with scent. They treat areas previously marked by the pet.
Until the cat is litter trained, it is not recommended to leave shoes on the floor. The specific smell attracts the animal, which is why it can shit the shoes without a second thought.

How to get rid of unpleasant odor

In the process of training a kitten to use the litter box, it is distressing when the baby passes by. But the smell of urine from a prepubescent kitten is not very irritating to the sense of smell and can be easily cleaned out. But if an adult cat confuses the tray with a sofa, carpet or the owner’s clothes and commits an obscene act, then it will be very difficult to completely get rid of the strong odor.

Here are some tips suggested by our readers:

The easiest way is to blot the wet spot on the upholstery of the sofa, carpet, bed with an old cloth or paper towel, toilet paper or newspaper. At the same time, make only pressing movements and under no circumstances rub. This will increase the area emitting the smell significantly.
A solution of vinegar and water in a ratio of one to two removes a specific odor well. It is necessary to apply this solution with a spray bottle several times to the stained area, each time allowing it to dry. The effect will be enhanced by using a washing vacuum cleaner for cleaning.
Regular baking soda works well to remove urine odor. Sprinkle the washed area with baking soda, and apply a mixture of three percent hydrogen peroxide and dish detergent on top. Thoroughly distribute the soap solution over the baking soda powder, let dry and clean with a vacuum cleaner.
They perform excellent disinfection, and therefore remove odor, potassium permanganate or iodine. To do this, prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate or an iodine solution of ten drops per liter of water. But it is worth remembering that each of these products can stain the surface being treated. Therefore, before use, be sure to test in an inconspicuous area.
You can use fresh lemon juice. The citrus scent will not only remove urine odor, but will also prevent relapse, since the cat does not like this smell.
A universal remedy in the fight against the consequences of cat uncleanliness is laundry soap.

Tips from our readers for getting rid of urine odor

You can leave your feedback on how to train a kitten to use the litter box and how to get rid of the smell of urine: Galina, 38 years old. Novosibirsk

“In our house there lives everyone’s favorite cat, Musya. This is a very smart cat, but willful. Very rarely, without any reason, it can make a puddle past the tray. I tried many folk recipes. Some worked better, others poorly. Therefore, I decided to conduct an experiment and combined two recipes into one, namely, I combined vinegar, vodka and water in equal parts in one solution. I treated the surface with this product, left it to dry and then washed it thoroughly, first with soapy water and dish soap, and then with clean water. The smell was completely removed."

Valeria, 42 years old, Samara.

“If a cat gives unpleasant surprises on the carpet, this is what I do. I blot the moisture as thoroughly as possible and rinse with water. But in this case, I try to moisten it more strongly and cover the area with a thick layer of regular washing powder. I leave it overnight, and in the morning I just rinse with clean water.”

How to train a cat to go to the litter box: avoiding coercion

Some people use approximately the same methods with these animals as in the case of dogs: they poke the cat baby into a puddle or pile they have made. With cats, this will lead to an undesirable effect: these vulnerable creatures will simply stop trusting the new owner. Regardless of whether the question is how to accustom a cat to a tray without filler or with special granules that absorb liquid excrement, you need to act more delicately. Punishment will not work for the reason that the fluffy ball decides: he is being scolded not for the place where he discharges his natural needs, but for their outcome. Therefore, he will simply begin to hide what he has done more carefully.