Litter Training a Cat

By Samantha Matheny

A good friend of mine just adopted a new adult cat. The bad news is his new cat is not litter trained. So after talking with him for a while, I came up with some tips to ease litter training, and to make it very simple.

Cats are naturally tidy animals. When given a clean litter box in a quiet, accessible location, your cat should naturally use the litter box. Here are some tips for triumphant litter training.

1. Make sure kitty has a clean litter box. No one likes using a dirty toilet!
2. Make sure kitty knows where his litter box is. I found it useful to rake my fingers through the clean litter to show kitty what I wanted him to do.
3. Do not place kitty's litter box near his food or water.
4. Pick up any accidents right away. Make sure you clean with a half vinegar half water solution. The vinegar smell reminds kitty he is not to go potty right there.
5. Clean the litter box daily. I cannot stress it enough. Cats like clean potties!

If you follow these simple rules and kitty still will not use his littler box, try to figure out why.

• Is the litter box dirty? It might not be dirty from your point of view, but you are not a cat.
• Is there a new cat in the neighborhood? Or are the children away from home? Stress is often a reason for kitty to not use his litter box. If none of these fit, it is time for a trip to the vet for a checkup. Any sudden changes should always be discussed with your veterinarian.
  

Want to know more? Come to check out more articles at 4 Legs and A Tail and learn more about teaching and caring for your cat!