I recently took in a stray cat. He is very friendly and loves to be petted, but he gets very angry if I try to pick him up or push him towards the litter box. Everything I see about training cats says to introduce them to the box and they will figure it out on their own, but I can't put him in it because I can't pick him up. How can I go about teaching him to pee in the box when I can't get him started?
2006-10-08 17:16:24 · 12 answers · asked by Jessie E 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Just leave the box there and the kitty will sniff around until he finds it....
Have you taken the kitty to the vet for a check up? He might be sore from someone abusing him or neglecting him....
Might help if he is neutered too.:)
sometimes it just takes a while for them to get used to being with a new person..
Good luck with him...just give him love and attention...hopefully he will find the box on his own.;)
2006-10-08 17:19:32 · answer #1 · answered by lunarbuni 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He should be confined to a small space, say a bathroom with his food, water and litterbox. Maybe it is too late for you to do this with him.
Is he going elsewhere in the house? Then you must take him back to confinement immediately. Do not let him soil in the house.
I rescued a very ill cat who had lived totally outdoors all her life. She was confined to the bathroom so she would not be stressed by other cats in the house and where it was warm and quiet so she could recuperate in peace. She used the litterbox there and now, seven years later and at the age of 22, she still always uses the litterbox.
Sometimes with a cat who has lived outdoors putting a layer of garden dirt on top of the litter will be familiar to him and then he will use the box. If this seems to work I wouldn't clean up his first "productions" immediately. Leave them there till next time and he will smell them and go there again.
2006-10-09 00:27:29 · answer #2 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What you read is correct. When cats use look for a place to "do their buisness" they look for lose ground. The naturally draw themselves to the litter box. However, it should be in a quiet place. When we were younger and stupider, we tried putting my cat's litter box by the washing machine...BAAAAD idea. She didn't use it. However, she "picked" a spot...we put it there, no problems ever again!
Also, is there a lid on it? He may not like the lid. Try it with the lid off if there is one.
One last suggestion...stores such as PetSmart sells stuff that attracts cat to their litter boxes. When I moved out of my house (to college) my cat got very depressed and stopped using her litter box. Once the litter box was moved (she got locked out of my room because my bed is what she started to use) and the stuff (which I forget the name of..but your vet or retailers at PetSmart or other similar store should know) was placed in the litter box...the problem was fixed.
Basically there is no way to "train" your cat to use the litter box...they just do it on their own and sometimes you have to give in to putting the litter box where THEY want the litterbox to be used!
Hope this helps!
2006-10-09 00:23:13 · answer #3 · answered by purduetigger 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep it in a smaller room with a litter box, like the bathroom, laundry room, or a small bedroom. Once you notice he is using it, then you can let him roam around the house. They will naturally want to dig around in a litterbox, so it shouldn't take more than a day or two of confinement.
Good luck! It was very nice of you to take him in, make sure you get him neutered!
2006-10-09 00:40:23 · answer #4 · answered by imnlove22 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He leaves his litter some where else,so I would scoop up some and put it in the litter box, but only his own litter. If it belongs to another cat that will be a turn-off
2006-10-09 01:07:56 · answer #5 · answered by EC 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well if he goes in the house then put his face close to it and tell him no and put him in the litter box but if he is going to scratch or bite then try catch him in the act than spray him with some water. If you have a covered litter box than try without the cover.
2006-10-09 00:43:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he wont let you pick him up to put him in it, and you dont have a litter trained cat of your own, then borrow one from a friend for a few days. Kind of monkey-see, monkey-do sort of thing.
Btw, I would make sure you get him to a vet for a check up, neutering, shots, etc.
Paul
2006-10-09 00:31:08 · answer #7 · answered by Paul S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Find a friend who has a cat box. "Borrow" a few kitty turds and a scooped blob of cat pee, and stock your cat box with them.
Keep the cat and his food and the litter box in ONE room until the stray uses the box.
Purrs to you .... thanks for taking in a stray. (I think he needs a name, don't you???)
2006-10-09 00:19:38 · answer #8 · answered by Harvie Ruth 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is natural for a cat to use a sand or dirt substance....leave the beasty be and it will use the litter box
2006-10-09 00:26:07 · answer #9 · answered by DJ_BammBamm 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there's a type of product thats called comfort zone. I think it comes in a spray bottle and a aroma thingy. try that out and see what happens. results vary on all cats. It's suppose to relieve stress and let them pee in comfort, hence the name haha.
2006-10-09 00:24:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋