Training a Cat to Use the Litter Box
- In This Quick Guide:
- Litter Box Training Basics
- Types of Litter
- Litter Box Cleanup
Most kittens and cats are naturally clean about their toilet practices. Mother cats normally teach their offspring to use the “proper facilities,” but even kittens who miss out on Mom’s guidance usually learn proper potty etiquette easily. Still, you can help encourage good habits. Here’s how to teach them to find and use the litter box, some tips on litter, and how to keep the box clean.
Litter Box Training Basics
Many different types of litter boxes are available, from the simple, inexpensive plastic model to the pricey, self-cleaning electronic contraption. Fancy boxes might appeal to cat owners, but all your cat really needs is a litter box that’s large enough for her to be able to fit into it comfortably, turn around, and dig in the litter.
Place the litter box in a quiet, low-traffic area. If you have a dog, find a way to keep the dog out of the litter box—many dogs are attracted to the rich, high-protein odor of cat feces. If you have more than one cat, you might want to provide more than one litter box—the cats will decide how to divvy them up. (I’ve had cats who each used individual boxes, and other cats who both used both boxes, one for urine and one for feces.) If you use a single box for multiple cats, remove waste at least once a day and clean the box once or twice a week. If your cat seems to track litter out of the box, place the box on a washable rug or plastic mat to catch the litter.
If you have a very young kitten, he might need a little extra help with potty training. When you can’t supervise him, confine him to one room or a cat cage with access to a litter box. Place him in the litter box immediately after meals, naps, and play times, when he’s likely to need to go. If he’s too small to climb in and out of an adult-size litter box, give him litter in a low-sided aluminum or plastic pan.
Types of Litter
You’ll find a wide variety of litters available in pet supply stores and many other outlets. Some cats (and their owners) have specific preferences, but in general, cats seem to like relatively fine-grained, unscented sand or clay litters. Let’s look at some litter options.
- Traditional clay-based litter absorbs some urine. Most people with one cat remove feces once a day and change the litter once a week. If you have more than one cat using a single box, you’ll need to scoop and change more frequently.
- Clumping litters are popular and are designed to form clumps or balls when wet with urine. The advantage of clumping litter (in theory, anyway) is that “pee balls” are easy to remove and litter doesn’t need to be changed as often. Clumping litters are made of various ingredients, but many include sodium bentonite, a very fine-grained clay that forms clumps and swells to more than 10 times its original size when moist. If you’ve ever cleaned this type of litter out of a litter box, you know the clumps can glue themselves to the litter box surface.
- Not all litters are made from clay. At least two inexpensive types of litter are made from ground corncobs. One, a sandblasting grit, is said to clump as well as clay-based litters and smell better. Another type consists of coarsely ground corncobs and is used with a specially designed litter box that has a screen over a drain pan. These types of litter can usually be found in farm and feed stores.
- Wood shavings, often sold as animal bedding, can also be used for cheap litter. Some cats are fine with shavings, but others dislike stepping on them because they tend to be wet. Pelletized pine litter is more expensive but is said to be dust free, nearly odorless, and needs changing less frequently as long as waste is removed regularly.
Clumping litters have other potential disadvantages: some people are sensitive to the very fine dust these litters release, and because the litter tends to stick to cat fur, it gets tracked through the house more. More important, clumping litters pose a potentially lethal health hazard for some felines. Ingestion of litter particles has been linked to intestinal blockages—the minute particles clump together and swell into a ball of solid clay in the stomach or intestines. Kittens seem to be at higher risk than adults because they don’t have to ingest much of the litter to block their tiny organs, but adult cats have reportedly had problems as well.
On the other hand, lots of cats have used clumping litter with nary a problem. If you want to try the clumping litter, avoid it until your kitten is full-grown and even then, keep a close eye on your cat so if a problem does develop, you can catch it immediately.
If your cat isn’t using his litter box, try changing the type of litter. Sometimes that makes all the difference.
Litter Box Cleanup
Many cats are fussy about their litter boxes and will stop using one that doesn’t live up their cleanliness standards. If your cat is tinkling outside the box, try scooping more often. Many people scoop once in the morning and again at night.
Proper disposal of cat waste is essential to control odor and protect the health of people and animals. Some litters are flushable, but some shouldn’t be put down any toilet, and some are especially bad for septic systems. (Clumps of litter can stick to the inside of pipes and block your home’s plumbing.) If you’re disposing of litter and waste in your garbage, it’s a good idea to double bag it in heavy plastic bags. You also might want to wear disposable gloves for litter box cleaning, and whether you wear gloves or not, always wash your hands with soap and hot water after cleaning.
Some people like to use plastic litter box liners, which hold the litter in the box and can make litter removal easier. Liners work with some cats, but other cats shred the plastic when they dig to cover their urine and feces, making the liner pointless.
Cleaning the litter box regularly will help control odors. Some litters are less smelly than others, and mixing plain baking soda into the litter will help. Don’t use strong scents to mask odor—remember, your cat’s nose is more sensitive than yours, and a scent you like might overpower her. The most effective odor control practice is regular cleaning. When you change the litter, scrub the box with hot soapy water. Don’t use scented disinfectants. If you want to use something stronger than soap and hot water, a 10 percent bleach solution (1 part bleach in 9 parts water) is effective against most bacteria and viruses—but be sure you rinse the box until all trace of bleach odor is gone.
Teaching a cat to use the litter box is not hard at all—it just may take a little patience. But once they have the hang of it, you and your cat will both be happier. Good luck!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting and Owning a Cat by Sheila Webster Boneham, Ph.D.
