Cat Litter Tray Training

While some kittens may have already been litter
tray trained before they become a new part of
your family, other kittens will lack the potty
training skills and will need to be taught how
to use a litter tray. Litter tray training a cat
is necessary for all indoor cats so that they
will know where it is acceptable to go to the
bathroom and where it is not. An accessible and
clean litter tray will cut down on accidents
around the house and help keep you and your cat
in harmony. To litter tray train a cat, you'll
need a litter box, cat litter and a litter
scoop.

The litter tray that you choose for your cat
should be determined based on the size of your
cat. While kittens will only need a small tray
with low sides, a larger cat will require a
larger litter tray or box. The cat should be
able to comfortably stand and urinate or
defecate in the litter tray without struggle and
also have enough room to cover their droppings
without pushing the cat litter outside of the
tray. Choosing the cat litter is personal
preference, although many owners choose to go
with clumping or crystal cat litter to cut down
on smell and messiness. Clumping cat litter is
not advised for use with kittens, however.

When beginning to train your cat to use a litter
tray, first start by choosing a location away
from their food and water dish in a semi-private
area. Cats like privacy and quiet, so a room that
doesn't get a lot of traffic like a laundry room
or bathroom would make a good spot for the
litter tray. Put the cat in the area where the
litter tray is and remove any other tempting
spots where the cat could urinate, such as a rug
or plant.

Cats are clean animals by nature, so if you make
the litter tray the only enticing area to
urinate, they will be more likely to use only
the litter tray and learn that the litter tray
is their area to urinate and defecate. After
feeding times, place the cat in the area with
the litter tray so that he or she can continue
to use only the litter tray. If your cat is
starting to sniff and scratch at a place other
than the litter tray when you think he or she is
about to urinate, gently lift the cat into the
litter box until they urinate in the correct
place.

To increase the chances that your cat uses a
litter tray instead of having accidents around
the house, provide one extra litter tray per cat
in the beginning stages of training. If you have
a large house, you might want to consider
keeping two litter trays in different parts of
the house to make sure no accidents occur. Also,
be sure to clean any messes out the litter tray
once a day and regularly change out the cat
litter. Cats like to be clean, so providing them
with a clean area to use as a toilet is
important. If your cat has an accident outside
of the litter tray, never punish him or her, as
this will only lead them to fear you and not to
use the litter tray.

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Alison Wood is a co-founder and managing partner
of Woodmors.com, a new commercial/informational
website offering an array of products and ideas
for everyday living. For more articles on cat
care, product reviews and pet related interviews
please visit ==>> http://www.woodmors.com/cats

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