What is the best way to get my kitten to use a cat door?

Question

I have a five month old kitten and I want to move his litter box into a large walk in closet that I have.

I already had a cat door installed, but since he was a baby I have kept the litter box in a different location because he could not get in and out of the door at that young of an age.

What is the best way to introduce him to the cat door and the change in litter box location?

Thanks!!

Answer 1

The ease of transition all depends upon how picky your cat is. If the litter box is currently across the room from where you want it to be then just gradually move it across the room.
You may want to leave the original box where it is for now, place the new box behind the cat door and prop the cat door open. Place kitty in the new litter box and he'll probably be glad to dirty it up for you.
Play a game of "peek-a-boo" with kitty on one side of the door and you on the other. Get a cat toy on a stick and let him chase it. Then you get inside the closet and play with him through the cat door until he is interested enough to jump through the door. Leave it propped open until he is comfortable going in and out of the door and is using the new litter box. I suspect this shouldn't take more than a day or so.
As for the original litter box. There are two ways to handle it, one a tad riskier than the other. If you're lucky kitty will take to the new box and completely ignore the old one. If not then you can simply get rid of the old box if you are certain he is going in and out of the cat door and using the new box on a regular basis. If he is resistant in giving up the old box even though he's using the new box, then slowly reduce the amount of litter you put in the new box. Clean it daily, replacing all liter in it with a little less than used for the previous refill. This should take 7-10 days, depending on kitties level of reluctance to giving it up. In the meantime, make sure the new box is a comfortable, clean place to go.
Once you get to the point that the old box has almost no litter, you might want to try some of the aversion techniques used for inappropriate elimination in cats. Put a piece of aluminum foil near the entrance of the old box, cats don't like to walk on it. Try putting some fresh orange peel near, on top of, or inside the old box; cats don't care for the smell of citrus.
The key here is that kitty makes the decision to start using the new box and is totally comfortable with going in and out of the cat door. If he isn't using the new box then give it up. The last thing you want to do is upset his routine and have start eliminating outside the box.
I think that he will have so much fun playing with the two of you on opposite sides of the door that he will be passing through it in no time. (also...is it absolutely necessary to put the swinging door on the set up? He may prefer just popping through the hole in the door with out having to deal with the swinging object.)
Good luck!

Answer 2

For the moment, leave the old cat box where it is and also place a new cat box on the other side of the cat door.
Prop up the cat door for a few days or even a week.(you can place a string around the door knob and then around the cat door) For a few minutes every day sit on the opposite side of the door with something the cat likes(wet food, tuna, a treat, etc.) When the cat comes through the door,give the food item, then pick up the cat and place them in the litter box.
Then do the same thing with the cat door closed for another week.
You are trying to teach the cat two new things at one time. The first week you are teaching the cat where the new litter box is without scaring him with the new door. The second week you are teaching him that the cat door is nothing to fear and can be gone through with no problems. After the 2nd week, you will be able to remove the first litter box. Just make sure you take the cat to the location of the 1st one so he knows it isn't there and then the 2nd one so he knows where it is.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Its better to move the litter box a few feet at a time everyday until its closer and closer to the new location. If you just move it from one room to the next, the cat might get confused. In the meantime, while you're moving the litterbox closer to the new location, you can start holding the cat door open and showing the cat some treats or canned food on the other side of the door so he gets interested in using the door.

Answer 4

try putting a cat treat on the other side of the cat door, and hold the cat door open so he can go through, keep doing it until he feels comfortable to go through the cat door to get the cat treat by himself.

Answer 5

I already answered this question.

Answer 6

show them it and how to use it.