How do I train my cat for the litterbox?

Question

My cat is doing her business in the wrong places around our house! Is their any way to train her?

Answer 1

The Litter Box
Your cat does not simply need a litter box - she needs a clean litter box with fresh litter. Your cat will be inhibited from using her litter box if it smells of urine. Think about it from the cat's viewpoint. When she soils your dining room carpet, the area is immediately and thoroughly cleaned. Given the choice between a regularly cleaned place and a litter box that gets changed only once or twice a week, your cat will naturally prefer the carpet.
The litter box must be cleaned daily. The old litter must be discarded and replaced with about 1 1/2 inches of fresh litter. Rinse the litter box thoroughly with water. Adding a little vinegar or lemon juice to the water will help neutralize the odor of the cat's urine. Do not use ammonia; this will make the litter box smell worse.

Make sure that the litter box is in an appropriate place. Cats do not like to soil the areas close to their sleeping or eating areas, so place the litter box some distance away. However, do not place the litter box in an area that is too inaccessible. For example, if the litter box is placed in the bathroom, make sure the door cannot swing shut preventing the cat from getting to it. If the cat is new to your home, she may go into hiding for a few days so place a litter box close to her hiding place.

Some additional factor may be inhibiting your cat from using her litter box, so put down an extra one in a different location. If there is more than one cat in the house, have several litter boxes available.


Housetraining Success: Reward for Using the Litter Box
In order to reward your cat for eliminating in her litter box, you must be there at the time she eliminates. You need to have some idea of when your cat urinates and defecates. Most cats, especially kittens, will eliminate shortly after waking; after eating; and after exercise.
To help you predict when your cat will eliminate, feed her at regular times. If the input is on a regular schedule, the output will follow likewise. Before feeding your cat, spend ten to fifteen minutes playing with her. Then put down the food, allow her fifteen minutes to eat and then clear up any leftovers. After your cat has eaten, it is time for another gentle play session. Call her to her litter box from a variety of places around your house, especially areas where she has soiled. When your cat gets to the box, scratch the litter to get her interested. Similarly, throughout the day, whenever your cat has been asleep for over two hours, wake her up and call her to the litter box. Encourage your cat to hop into the litter box, praise her when she does so. Even if she does not eliminate, she is learning that the litter box is a great, CLEAN place to be. This is especially important for cats that are now avoiding the litter box because they assume it is always dirty or because they associate it with being punished. If your cat does eliminate, praise her in a gentle voice. Once she has finished, gently stroke her, give her a treat and take the time to tell her how pleased you are.

Answer 2

You may need to move the litterbox to a more private area, cats do not like going where they can be seen. Once you have the litterbox in one spot do not move it around. Also, do you scoop out the dirty litter everyday. Cats do not like going in a dirty litterbox, and is there at least 3 to 4 inches of clean litter in the box? Cats have an aversion to a smelly litterbox as well, perhaps there is a heavy urine smell that you might want to check into. If none of these things work, then I suggest that you take the cat to the vet, as there might be a medical reason for it not making it to the litterbox.

Answer 3

It depends on why she's doing it. First make sure it isn't a health problem. If she's never done this before and all of a sudden starts, it may be that she has some urinary tract infection or disease and she's associating the litter box with pain. If that's the case, you need to get her to the vet right away. Making sure it isn't a physical issue is always the first step.

If it isn't physical, she may be expression her dissastisfaction with her litter box, marking territory, or she may have just developed a habit. Before you can change her behavior, you need to clean the areas she's used with a special cleaner that has enzymes that will neutralize the urine. You can get it from a pet store. Regular cleaners will not eliminate the smell, and as long as it smells to her, she'll keep doing it there.

Next, make sure her litter box is clean, and keep it clean. Now try putting food in the areas that she's peed. If they associate it with food, it will no longer be "the bathroom." That's worked so far (two weeks) for my cat who peed on the bed every morning.

Inappropriate elimination is the number one reason people get rid of their cats. Take the time to figure out the problem, and you'll both be happier.

Answer 4

Have you had the cat for a long time or is it a kitten? I've had cats for years and they usually go to the litter box without any training. They like it to be really clean and in an out of the way place. They like their privacy. Sometimes it's the type of litter they don't like. Try moving the box to another location and put her in it. She could be nervous if she's new to the house. If it doesn't resolve itself, though, take her to the vet. She could have a physical problem. Good luck.

Answer 5

First have you changed your brand of litter recently? If you have your cat may not like the new litter. Try either the old brand or even try a new one. My cat's love the arm n hammer scoop able litter. Also make sure you keep there boxes clean. Once you have omitted that, pick up your cat and carry him to the box place her in the box and take her front paws and brush them on them litter as if she was to cover her mess. Do this several times (IE: in the am if you have time, as soon as you get home, and before you go to bed) and hopefully within time she will go on her own. Good luck with that.

Answer 6

When ever you see your cat sniffing around in one spot. just pick your cat up, and place the cat in the litterbox.If the cat jumps out of the litterbox place it back in, you might have to keep placing the cat back in the litterbox several times,intill the cat does its business you keep doing this, and the cat will get the idea of using the litterbox.It worked for my kitten, he uses the litterbox real good now. hope that helps.

Answer 7

I have a peeing kitty. I love her to bits but she is going all over the place too! I have tried the show her the box thing, the no mark spray (which did work for a while), right now my kitty is living in a cage with a litter box ,food, and water. Hopefully this will "retrain" her. If not I guess she will have to live her life in the cage. I let her out of the cage only when I am willing to follow her around the house.
Good luck!

Answer 8

Just after your cat is done eating put her in the litterbox. She will most likely have to go and then will learn it is ok to go in the litterbox.

Answer 9

cats are born knowing how to use it. she is doing it for some reason. maybe she cant find the litter box for a couple of days put it in a place she goes often then slowly pull it back until it is in it regular place. good luck!

Answer 10

Also...take her to the litter box, and hold her little front paws in your hands, then go through the digging motions she would normally make to prepare a little spot for herself. Re-enforce this behavior by repeating the procedure several times over the next few days. Instinct should take over fairly quickly.