It’s essential that our cats know what they’re allowed to do in the home and one of the issues that many of us face is making sure our furry friends understand the idea of the litter tray. After all none of us wants to return after a long day at work to find there has been an accident on the living room carpet.
However, it’s never as simple as putting a litter tray or box in the house and hoping our cats will knows when it’s to be used. Some cats are very choosy and others take time to become accustomed to the process.
It’s to be expected. Cats tend to be very private animals, whose instinct is to relieve themselves outside in unused and open areas. Going indoors is an alien prospect in a cat’s unconscious mind. It’s simply not the natural way.
Overlay centuries of evolution with the fact that cats like to be clean and it’s not difficult to understand why many cats do not instantly take to a tray inside the house.
All is not lost because there are ways they can be encouraged to use trays and boxes. There are many on the market.
Litter maintenance
Having chosen the one that suits you, your cat and your home, it’s important to note that trays need to be regularly cleared and maintained and placed in quiet areas of the home.
Otherwise our furry friends are likely to avoid them if they are dirty or placed somewhere where there is a lot of footfall like in a busy room.
One of the most modern options available is the very high-tech Litter-Robot III Open-Air – Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box. This piece of equipment (see below) makes cat ownership easier every day. It has a larger, more ergonomic entry and litter chamber along with the new self-adjusting cat sensor that is able to accommodate all cats, regardless of size.
When you’ve got more than one cat it’s a good idea to have separate boxes for each of them. Popular choices for multiple trays include the Trixie Paulo Cat Tray with Rim or its squarer sister product the Trixie Classic Cat Tray with Rim.
Keeping trays away from the cat’s food and water is a sensible tactic because they, like us, like their hygiene to be respected.
Scented litter may smell like a good idea but it can be very off-putting for some cats. If you’re faced with training a cat that has lived elsewhere in the past then it’s definitely worth finding out what litter they have used in the past. Some cats prefer one litter and won’t use another unless it is introduced slowly over time by mixing it with the litter they are used to.
The Cats, Dogs & Peace of Mind recommendation is to choose either Catsan Hygiene litter or its clumping equivalent.
As always with training any pets, perseverance is absolutely the key. And be prepared to have to pick up your cat and place it in the litter tray from time to time so it can come to terms with what you expect it to do. If you have a consistent poroblem of cat spraying in your home then you need to find out more about intense training.
At Cats, Dogs & Peace of Mind we have experience of all types of litter tray and cat litter, so you can rest assured that when we visit your cat’s tray will be cleaned and cleared as regularly as you like. Get in touch to find out more.
