But that should not be a drawn out problem if you take the time and proper care in training your cat to use the litter box.
Before any training should commence, make sure you have the right litter box. Choose one that is made of durable plastic for easy washing. It should also be deep enough to contain just a little less than 2 inches of litter.
Do not think that by putting more litter in the box will mean fewer times you would have to change it. Your cat will very likely refuse a soiled box even if there's a lot of litter in it.
Cat litter comes in different varieties of grades and scents. However, the benefits of scented litter only applies to the pet owners. In fact, cats dislike scented litter because it seems unnatural to them. They will very likely reject eliminating in the box and go somewhere else.
The kind of litter grade your pet will prefer varies with each one, but it is observed that cats are particularly fond of smaller grades. Perhaps this is because smaller grains make the litter softer.
Next, place litter boxes in areas where your cat usually soils. You are building on the cat's association of places and activities. Eventually, you may move the litter box around when your pet has gotten used to eliminating in the box.
Now that you have a good litter box set up, it's time to teach your pet to use it.
Cats usually do their business after a meal or a nap. So take note of these times. Before feeding take 10-15 minutes to play with your pet.
Allow about 15 minutes for the meal and clear up leftovers after that period. When the meal is finished, play with your cat for another 10-15 minutes, this time somewhere near the litter box.
Lead your cat to the box. Move the litter around with your hand to intrigue the cat with the texture of the litter, inviting it to step into it.
Encourage your pet once it steps inside, speaking to it in gentle tones. Make the cat feel that the box is a nice and comfortable place. Whether your cat soils in the box or not, be consistent with that tone. Eventually, your pet will like the litter box and do its business there.
Finally, be consistent and patient. Results may not come right away, but the training will pay off in time.
My cat, Oscar, isn't the brightest of cats, so I didn't want to fool around with one of those "Johnny-come-lately" imitations. Plus, they are all so over-priced! Can you believe one is about $90?
Anyway, my experience in training Oscar paralleled instructions in the kit. Oscar always needed more love with everything because he's a little slow. I figure that if Oscar can get it, any normal cat can.
The Kitty Whiz package included:
(A) Bag of Herbs. (B) Clear Plastic Form. (C) Cartoon Style Instruction Booklet. (D) Diploma for when Oscar graduated.
There was warning to wait if Oscar just had a litter. But, Oscar didn't have to worry about pregnancy. Also Oscar was to be using a litter box already, which he did.
The warning went on for male and female cats. If your cat was is in heat, pregnant, or recently had kittens, you were to wait 6 - 8 weeks. But, that only makes sense, right?
The Kitty whiz "transfer" was to take about 2 weeks. I lost track of time, but it was about that for Oscar to get into the groove. Of course, I changed the litter daily and kept everything clean as usual.
There was a recommendation to use a padded toilet seat cover for off-balance cats and Oscar qualified because he is pretty clumsy. The poor thing stumbles over his own shadow.
Kitty Whiz divided their training into stages. Everything I personally did was covered in the instructions.
STAGE 1
I took Oscar into the spare bathroom where nobody would bother him. Remember to start this training in the evening because your cat will need to stay in the restroom overnight so they will do their first poops and pees.
While Oscar was meowing around, I placed the large clear plastic form and the large white form together- with the clear form on top.
I chose to train Oscar with the toilet seat down because I thought it was safer and it is usually down anyway. The padded lid stayed up.
I then took the old litter box out to the shed so Oscar couldn't find it and he would be focused on his new toilet facility. Good riddance to that smelly thing that I could never figure out where to put anyway.
Per instructions, I filled the bowl part of the form with regular litter so it looked vaguely similar to Oscar's regular litter box.
Since Oscar had been known to poop and pee in everything resembling nature, I covered my houseplant soil with aluminum foil where possible and rocks where possible.
In the restroom where Oscar was training, I put his bowls with his favorite food and fresh water.
I opened the herb package and took a whiff. It did nothing for me but Oscar loved it. He followed the package as I led him up onto the toilet seat.
I sprinkled a little on the litter and Oscar sniffed around. This was to help Oscar take note of where his kitty litter was now located.
It was a little heartbreaking, but I closed Oscar in his restroom for the night. He needed to poop in peace, and he doesn't like for anyone to interrupt his "work." Instructions mentioned that cats are that way.
In the morning I checked on Oscar and he was perfectly content and maybe a little too proud. The litter was saturated with pee and there was a healthy mound of poop.
There are instructions for cat owners who have not been as successful as I was with Oscar. But, neither my parents nor my children have ever had problems.
I read over the steps to take if one is unsuccessful. They boil down to doing things over, keeping things real clean and encouraging one's cat with love and finesse. Oscar may not have been blessed with smarts, but he was blessed with a loving family. I'm sure your cat also has a loving home environment.
STAGE 2
I was glad to move on to the next stage because Oscar was really going through the litter and leaving me with mounds of love each day. I think he was laughing at me.
After four days, Oscar was accustomed to using his new litter box on top of the toilet. So, I saw the principle involved there. I gradually removed parts of the plastic form until nothing was left. In about two weeks, Oscar was going into the restroom all by himself and using the toilet like a regular human.
This is my own personal touch to the toilet system. I secured the toilet seat lid so it was always in the up position. I also had the door fixed so it was always open enough for Oscar to walk through. I did these two things to make sure Oscar was never prevented from doing his "work."
Nowadays, it is quite humorous to see Oscar get up from his favorite TV program and wander off to use the restroom. My only responsibilities lately are to flush the toilet. Maybe Kitty Whiz will someday invent a way to train Oscar to flush the toilet.
I think Oscar was proud to officially join the human race as a toilet user. He always knew he was human, but it was good to have official recognition in the form of a degree. We gave him a graduation party and presented him with his Kitty Whiz Degree. He wore a blue ribbon and we framed his degree and hung it in his "office," right above the toilet.
I was so moved, I sent some pictures to Bluejayz Pet Supplies, from whom I had purchased Oscar's Kitty Whiz Kit. Maybe I'll see Oscar's picture on their web site.
Bluejayz encouraged me to email any suggestions, pictures, and success stories about Oscar and other cats to success@bluejayz.com
I need to add the policy regarding images and testimonials as a courtesy to Bluejayz.
All pictures stories and suggestions sent to BlueJayz Pet Supplies become the exclusive property of BlueJayz Pet Supplies and can be utilized in any way, manner, shape and form without consideration or compensation of any kind to submitter.
Here is my personal testimony about Kitty Whiz:
I remember Kitty Whiz from the 1970s. It was around a long time before other cat toilet training systems. It is proven and trusted in my family. And I know other families that used it with success and I recommend it to first-timers. I've seen many imitations on the market lately and they are usually way over priced. I saw one for about $90 dollars. All I can say is, "Get real!"
Both Ken Charnley & are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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