Litter training your cat

Cats are just adorable pets! They are not as needy as dogs, mind their own business and groom themselves! However, if there’s one thing I hate about cats it has gotta be their stinking poop which in my opinion is the worst smelling poop in the entire universe! This is why I make sure to litter train every cat I adopt. It’s a good thing that cat mothers train their kittens to use the litter box by the time they are weaned! Cats are very fastidious and always cover their feces in the wild.

If you rescued or adopted kittens, you will need to take the mother’s place in the litter-training process. My friend and personal cat whisperer Shawn Ulmsted shared some valuable tips in litter-training cats.

Shawn says that every time your kittens look like they are about to crouch or start sniffing near corners (which are classic signs of oncoming urination or defecation), pick them up and put in the litter box. Putting kittens in the litter box first thing in the morning is also a great idea.

Another good trick is to put their food bowl near wherever they had an “accident” since cats never poop where they eat,

Cats like to do it in private, away from loud noises or other interference such as dogs and toddlers. If your cat likes to relieve herself in hidden places like under the bed, this could mean she feels too vulnerable in her box. There are litter covers available in pet stores or you can make one from a cardboard box to lure your cat back to her original litter box.

It also helps to confine your cat to a small area, like one room instead of the whole house. That way, your cat is never far from her litter box and has a lot of time to think about getting familiar with it again. Once the cat is using the box again, slowly let her have access to the rest of the house.

Thoroughly clean wherever your cat had an “accident”. This is necessary not only because you don't want your house smelling like cat pee, but also because the lingering smell of her feces or urine will serve to jog her memory later that this is a toilet area. So get rid of the smell. Never clean with ammonia though, as that will only enhance the scent of urine.

If you need to change the location of the litter box from one place to another, one technique is to move it a couple of feet at a time, with a few days in between, so the cat gradually gets used to it being elsewhere. If the cat stops using the box, this is your clue to move it more slowly.

The most important thing is to keep that litter box clean. Make sure that you clean the litter box every day, and completely change all the litter and wash the box out at least once a week.