Do
I need to train my new kitten
to use a litter box?
Most
cats by nature use a soil type
surface for elimination. By
providing a litter box with
an appropriate and appealing
substrate (material), most cats
do not need to be trained to
use it. At about 30-36 days
of age kittens leave the nest
to search out a loose substrate
for elimination. The kitten
learns specific areas and substrates
to use by observation of the
queen (mother). Although some
cats, especially those on their
own property will dig and bury
their wastes, many cats only
partly cover their feces especially
if they are off of their home
territory. Some cats do not
bury urine or stools at all,
even on their own property and,
for obvious reasons these cats
may prove harder to litter train.
Is
there anything that I need to
do to aid this process?
Initially
it is best that the kitten be
confined to a small area with
an appropriate sized litter
box. This allows you to take
advantage of a cat's tendency
to eliminate in a loose material.
As long as the kitty litter
is easily accessible and is
the only loose substrate available,
very
little effort should be required
to litter box train the kitten.
About the only other indoor
area that might be equally or
more appealing to some cats
is the soil around houseplants.
Ensuring that the cat is prevented
from getting into houseplants,
except when you are around to
supervise deals with this problem.
Kittens, like dogs, will need
to eliminate after they eat,
after they wake up and after
play. At those times place the
kitten in its litterbox and
praise her for elimination.
A kitten does not need to be
confined continuously, but should
be supervised to prevent accidents
and frequently brought back
to the appropriate elimination
location. A little of the urine
or stool odor from previous
elimination should help to attract
the cat back to the box. In
fact, if the kitten soils in
a location other than its box
on the first attempt, clean
up the area thoroughly using
a product that is designed to
neutralize cat urine odor, and
perhaps even move a small amount
of the stool or a few drops
of the urine to the box to attract
the cat to that area.
What
type of litter material should
I use?
There
are many types of litter materials
available today. These include
plain clay litters, fine "clumping"
litters, plastic pears, recycled
newspapers, wood shavings and
many others. Some have materials
added to control odor although
scented litters may be aversive
to some cats. The type you choose
is up to you. Since the kitten
will first start eliminating
by following the cues of the
queen, continuing with the same
litter as used in the first
home is helpful.
What
size and type of litter box
should I buy?
Initially,
the size of the litter box should
be determined by the size of
the kitten or cat. A very small
kitten may need a box with shorter
(lower) sides or a ramp for
easier access. As the kitten
grows, a larger box is generally
more appropriate. Some owners
prefer litter boxes with covers
on them. This is acceptable
if it is acceptable to the cat.
You need to be sure that the
cat can negotiate the opening
by stepping into it and that
the cat is not too large to
fit into the opening.
Where
should I put the litter box?
The
litter box should be placed
in a location that is easily
accessed by the cat, yet out
of the way. Try to avoid congested
household areas. The cat should
have some privacy and quiet
to eliminate. Laundry and furnace
rooms are often used, but be
sure that noise from household
equipment is not disruptive
and aversive to your cat. Make
sure that the cat does not get
locked out of the room at a
time when it may have to eliminate.
Try to put the litter box in
an area that is convenient for
you to check on and keep clean.
Do not put food and water bowls
right next to the litter box.
If there are dogs in the home,
then the litter box should be
located where the cat can eliminate
without being bothered by them.
How
often should I clean the litter
box?
One
of the most important factors
in continued litter box usage
by house cats is cleanliness.
Cats are very fastidious animals,
and spend time each day making
sure their coat, feet and face
are clean. One can assume that
they would like a clean place
to eliminate. The number of
cats in the home and litter
usage determines the time between
litter cleaning. Fecal material
should be removed on a daily
basis, whether the litter material
type is clumping or plain. Litter
boxes should ideally be cleaned
each day, and except for the
clumping types the litter should
be changed and the box should
be cleaned out once per week.
Remember that each cat is an
individual. Your cat may like
more frequent cleaning of the
litter box to maintain good
usage patterns. Some cats dislike
the odor of the cleansers used
to clean litter boxes, so rinse
the box thoroughly after each
cleaning. A number of products
are self-cleaning and this can
be particularly appealing to
some cats. However some cats
might be frightened of the motors
and cleaning mechanisms.
How
many litter boxes do I need
in my home?
The
number of litter boxes needed
depends on the number of cats,
the size of the home, the temperament
of the cat, and other pets in
the home. When there are multiple
cats, multiple pans should be
available in different locations,
not all side-by-side in one
place. Because there can be
varied interactions between
individuals, multiple boxes
in multiple locations allow
housemates to avoid one another
if they so choose. Even for
only one cat, two boxes may
be appropriate depending on
the layout of the home and the
individual preferences of the
cat. Some cats prefer one box
for urine and one for stool.
Some physical limitation may
prevent a cat from climbing
stairs and so a box in the location
the cat frequents is needed.
In general, there should be
at least one litter box per
cat, and some behaviorists advise
one more box than the number
of cats in the house.
What
if the kitten does not use its
litter box?
Should
the kitten begin to eliminate
in locations other than its
litter box, first review the
steps above. Is the litter in
an area that is appealing and
easily accessed by the cat?
Is the litter box being cleaned
often enough? Are there enough
litter boxes for the number
of cats? Try and determine what
there is about the area that
your cat is soiling that is
so appealing to your cat. And
perhaps most important is there
anything about the area, box
or litter that might be preventing
its use (or scaring your cat)?
To determine the most appealing
litter for your cat, offer two
or more different litters in
the same type of box, side-by-side
and see which one, if any, the
cat uses most frequently. Next,
determine the type of litter
box the cat prefers by offering
two or more litter box types
side-by-side (each with the
preferred type of litter). You
can determine the cat's
preferred location by offering
the preferred litter box with
the preferred litter in two
or more locations and determining
which one, if any, the cat uses
more frequently. If litter box
problems then persist, additional
guidance and perhaps a behavior
consultation might be required.
(Also see our handout on ‘House-soiling
in cats').
This client
information sheet is based on
material written by Debra Horwitz,
DVM, DACVB and
Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB.
© Copyright 2002 Lifelearn
Inc. Used with permission under
license. March 11, 2004. |