How can do I train my cat to?

Question

potty in her litter box instead of my bathroom rug? Also, how do I make her stop bothering me in the middle of the night? She constantly rubs up against my face, puts her butt in my face, and bites my nose. It keeps me up at night. I don't know what to do besides put her in the garage? She stays up all night and then sleeps all day.

Answer 1

Hi there...some cats are naturally drawn to soil bathroom rugs because they have a rubber bottom which smells like urine even if you repeatedly wash the rug. Many of these bathroom rugs are made with ureac acid so to a cat this can be a territorial behaviour to mark it with it's own urine. It's also important to make sure to rule out any underlying medical problem as lower urinary tract infections--commonly mistaken as urine marking items around the home. Cats associate pain when using the litter box and often times will soil inappropriately believing it won't hurt. Here's a website by Cornell Univ College of Veterinary Medicine for Feline Health about inappropriate soiling causes: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html
House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

...please see website for more details

For the loving rubs and nibbles on your face: she has been conditioned to be rewarded for having done this in the past. Now the idea is to change the pattern with some behaviour modification techniques. For example many cats who are fed at a scheduled time will learn when to expect their meals, the family members come home and leave for day, etc. It's more of a conditioned response from a pattern which is being continually reinforced...and is why I'm making this assumption.

If you would like to change/adjust her schedule to yours consider by playing with her using more physical active activities (e.g. laser light) using interactive play for 10-15 minutes prior to bedtime to exhaust her so she'll sleep longer. If your cat isn't free fed (food available at all times) some people who feed their cats on schedule (once in the morning and once at night) have found that by feeding right just before bedtime also note that this has a sedating effect because their tummy's are full.

This particular method isn't known to many as most people are not willing to consider it, however one the things we as animal trainers/behaviourists do to break bad behaviours with animals is to ignore the undesired behaviour. What follows is called an extinction burst where the behaviour becomes progressively worst for awhile hoping for the same positive reinforcement as received in past. Eventually the animal learns this behaviour does not gains them any positive reinforcement and eventually fades away.

Here's another example of how an extinction burst works: This happens when a proven method of doing something that brings a desired response (i.e. stealing socks always elicits a chase from a human), all of a sudden stops working. The extinction burst is the part where the dog tries the proven method again and again, and hundred times stronger before they figure out that it just doesn't work anymore. Human equivalent: you're at the elevator. You pressed the button 10 seconds ago. This has always made the elevator come and pick you up. For some reason, there's no sign that the elevator's coming. You press it again. And again, and again and again, harder and harder, with more force (extinction burst!), until finally you just give up and use the stairs. If the original method doesn't work anymore, why use it?!

More on Extinction Burst:
http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/archives/bursts.txt

Answer 2

haha this makes me laugh.. I LOVE CATS!!!
my solutions.(these worked on my cat and i still use the same principles in training him.)

1.always let him know where it is. every now and than just put him in the box n let him sniff around. i trained my cat from a young age, and i used to watch him alot. i got to learn his personality n i could tell when he needed a dump. so id take him to his box. in not to long he was using it instead of the corner.

2.I'd have have to disagree that "cats are 'just' night animals n u have to put up with that." when my cat was younger he did that exact same thing. (thats what i love about em.haha. there so innocent and cute) the best thing for this is get him into routine and habbit. i would feed him at about 830 and from 9 unitl 10 i would play with him. wear him out and tire him down. than by 10 he was ready for bed. at first he would get up through th night n try n play more but he eventually got the hint. now he goes to bed when i go to bed and he wakes up from my alarm at 530 every morning. you can teach a cat just like u teach a child.

Answer 3

show her that she has to use the litter box for the bathroom and not the floor. As for keeping you up at night...cats are night animals and thats why they stay up at night and sleep in the day. Just lock her out of your room at night and go to sleep.

Answer 4

there are two different problems--first, the litter box problem--when you see her start to go on the rug, pick her up and place her into the litter pan. as she goes, in the poan, tell her how good she is to go in the pan. clean the rug with, first, natures miracle. then wash the rug. then re-treat with natures miracle. kitty will not be able to find her old spot on the rug.

as for keeping you up at nite and messing with you at nite--kitty is probably hungry. feed kitty at nite just before you go to bed.
leave dry food out all the time for kitty to nibble--they like to nibble.
do everything else same--play with kitty when you get home and keep kitty awake with yu for the eve until you go to bed--make sure kitty eats just before you go to bed--kity will sleep, too.
they hunt for their food at night. nibbles help keep humans rested.

Answer 5

This is what cats do. There is no training. You could get a dog, let the dog sleep on your bed and the cat will leave you alone. But then dogs bother you too. Maybe you should have stuck with stuffed animals.

Answer 6

Cats are night animals and they are gonna stay up all night!!!! Thats just the way they are!!!! Pick up her $hit and put it in the litter box.... let her know what its for!!!

Answer 7

well you have to shut her in the bathroom (or where her litterbox is) for 30 mins when she goes outside of the box. push her off in the middle of the night she just wants attention rub her for a little bit the move her to your feet or somewhere where she wont be in the way... hey its just what cats do!

Answer 8

you'll have to put the litter box on or near the rug and pick up her stuff and put it in the box. eventually the scent will be in the box and she'll know to go in there. if you ever catch her in the act, you can always pick her up and very quickly stick her in the box, too.

Answer 9

when she uses the rug pick it up and put it in the litter box and if possible wash the rug and as far as he keeping you up at night close your door and she wont be able to wake you

Answer 10

Put the litter box on the rug and it will use the bathroom there.Or just give your cat away to a cat traing center.That will work.