There are times when the owners of adult cats are forced to struggle with their stubborn nature. That is why many pets can even leave a couple of puddles in the wrong place. It is important to break an already formed habit in a cat. How to train an adult cat to the litter box is the topic of our article today.

If an adult cat has just recently appeared in your apartment, be prepared for the fact that even during the period of adaptation to a new environment, she may show willfulness and even capriciousness. In addition, by nature, a cat is a domestic creature, which takes the need to correct needs very seriously. Such pets simply adore hard-to-reach corners, because this allows you to provide the process itself with some intimacy, and this is what cats always achieve. That is why if a pet who has just arrived in your family does not like the toilet with a grate or high sides, or is overly scared, the result will be the same: the cat will certainly find a new corner for this zone, but his intentions will not be combined with your preferences.

The first thing to take care of in order to avoid puddles on the floor is to restrict your pet's access to various nooks and crannies (areas under cabinets, armchairs, behind sofas). Keep in mind that your cat's preferences are also worth considering. Over the years, each fluffy individual has developed certain habits regarding toilets. So do not be surprised if a cat who has lived on the street for several years defines any pots and flowerpots with indoor vegetation as a tray.

When choosing a location for the location of the litter box, keep in mind the fact that it should be easily accessible to your pet. However, do not place the tray in the kitchen or in the hallway.

Another key point to keep in mind while trying to toilet train your new pet is to keep your pet in the same room as the litter box for a period of time. He must get used to it, then he recognizes his toilet much faster.

Video "Easy way to train your cat to the litter box"

In this video, experts will tell you how to effectively train your cat to go to the litter box.

Correct Tray Selection Meaning

Before deciding how to quickly train your cat to walk in the litter box, you should thoroughly consider the process of choosing a litter box. The modern assortment of these products is quite wide, but it is better to give preference to the same specimen that the cat used before (for example, in the cattery). If she did not have such experience, it is better to buy a tray with high sides (at least 10 cm). This will prevent the filler from spilling over the edges of the toilet. Choose a product that fits your pet in size (it should fit completely there).

You need to buy a tray in any case, and it is advisable to stay on the copy that your cat will like. Some cat owners buy house toilets: pets feel comfortable in them, because they are closed from prying eyes. However, removing such a device is not so easy. Separately dwell on the choice of filler. Better to buy wood or mineral. Like the tray, it matters a lot. Keep in mind that how your cat perceives the new toilet will determine the effectiveness of her training.


Training sequence

To train an adult or one-year-old street cat to the toilet is not an easy task. Immediately after you have brought your cat to a new home, show her not only the sleeping place, but also the litter box prepared for her. Some pets feel intuitively what such a device is for. Wait for the cat to use the litter box at least once, and the habit should take root quickly.

You will be able to wean the cat from shitting in the corners if you show patience. Observe your pet: if the fluffy fusses and is actively looking for a place for solitude, put it in the toilet, pet it. Most likely, he will relieve himself there. If you see a cat already bridging somewhere, bring up the litter box and sit her down.

Do not rush to immediately change the filler - let the pet feel its smell, remember why it needs this device. Then in the future there should be no problems with the toilet.


Possible difficulties and reaction of the owner

If the cat does not understand why they are trying to force her to go to the toilet not where she wants, she can show her character. However, sometimes there are reasons for this behavior:

  • health problems in the cat. If she is not feeling well, an attempt to mark corners in the apartment will be a signal for help;
  • inconvenience. The pet can be self-willed if he simply does not like the tray or the animal does not like its location;
  • the need to share this cherished place with someone. If you have several cats, and the new family member does not want to use the same toilet with them, he will not relieve himself next to him. Buy another, and spray the crime scene with a citrus-scented spray or other strong scent, and the problem is resolved.

Teach the cat good manners it is possible, even if you are dealing with an adult. The main thing is patience and perseverance.

How "nice" after a hard day to collect piles around the apartment and scrub the puddles waiting for the owner in the most inaccessible places. A newspaper on the priest, a water pistol at the ready, slippers fly around the apartment, but nothing helps - the mustachioed bully "mines" the territory again and again. So that this plot does not come true, even before the pet appears in the house, you need to learn how to train the cat to the litter box.

In general, cat owners are a little more fortunate than dog breeders: even small kittens quickly understand why this plastic piece is needed. If the baby was born in a cattery, then everything is even easier: a self-respecting breeder teaches kittens to the litter box from the age of three weeks. The mother cat also does not remain indifferent, showing the children exactly where they need to relieve themselves. The owner can only find out from the breeder what kind of filler the kitten is used to.

But if the pet toilet is an innovation, you will have to take on the responsibility of the educator. Fortunately, cats are naturally clean, and even pets taken from the street quickly get used to the litter box.

An adult vagrant cat, taken into the house, will quickly get used to the toilet if, instead of filler, sand mixed with earth is used. This is unhygienic, but it is acceptable as a temporary measure. As soon as the pet learns to use the tray, you can add more and more filler to the sand, gradually reducing the proportion of "natural" material.


So, to train the cat to the toilet, the owner will need:

  • a suitable litter box for cats with high sides if the animal is an adult, and with low walls if a kitten has settled in the house;
  • filler;
  • mild, odorless, non-caustic disinfectant;
  • scoop for excrement;
  • brush for washing the tray.

Tray space is an always accessible nook. It is imperative that the cat does not associate negative experiences with the litter box, such as being frightened by a falling object or the sound of pouring water. You can not punish a pet next to the tray, rattle household utensils near the "place of deployment", etc. Once the pet gets used to the toilet, the delicacy can be left behind, but at the initial stage it is necessary. Another important point- the cleanliness of the tray. Excrement should be removed regularly, and the tray itself should be thoroughly washed as needed.

Since it is necessary to train the animal to the tray from the first days of the appearance of a mustachioed newcomer in the house, it is advisable to take a couple of days off. If the pet gets used to relieve itself where it is necessary, it will be quite difficult to re-educate it. Typically, kittens, like most adult cats, are looking for a place to go to the toilet after sleeping, having a hearty meal or playing an active game. In search of a place, the pet behaves restlessly, tramples, sniffs, sometimes scratches with its paw. As soon as the owner noticed this behavior, you need to calmly, without frightening the cat, pick it up and put it in the tray. No negativity: do not forcibly hold, do not grab the paws, do not sit down, pressing on the croup. If a cat associates an unpleasant experience with a litter box, she will never want to climb into it.

Cats are known for their dislike for change, so the litter box should be put back in its permanent place right away. The pet must have free access to the litter box: you must either leave the door to the room open, or mount it in interior door cat's hole.

As a rule, a cat, experiencing certain urges and finding itself on a free-flowing filler, itself understands what is what: it begins to circle around itself, dig. Having noticed this, it is advisable to turn away or step back a little, since most cats do not like to relieve themselves in front of strangers. This is not shyness, but a natural instinct: "meditating", the cat is vulnerable to enemies. For the same reason, the tray is a favorite place for digging: the pet hides "waste" so that the enemy does not find it by smell (and you also need to hide your stay from potential prey).

So, if the cat sat down on the tray and did its job, you need to praise the clever girl in an affectionate voice, stroke it, treat it delicious. It is not recommended to immediately remove the "traces of the crime" - let them lie down until the next time so that the cat can smell the designated place. If the pet flatly refuses to sit on the tray, tries to escape, you need to wait for the moment when it starts to "attach" again and try again. Persistent, but not rude. If you missed or the owner did not keep track of, you need to transfer the pile or paper soaked in urine to the tray, and then take the pet to the toilet and show her where the waste has "moved".

In some cases, although the owner acts correctly, the pet does not want to go to the litter box. Perhaps she does not like the cat litter: the container is too small, the filler smells harsh, the choice of the place is poor. In such a situation, only an experimental approach and careful observation of the cat's behavior will help. In other cases, the pet has already chosen a place for the toilet and does not want to change the habit. To overreact the bully, you need to block her access to the chosen place and destroy the smell left on the floor or furniture. Any chlorine-free disinfectant will work. You can buy deterrent spray or spray citrus juice on the washed-out area.

Demonstrative piles and puddles left on furniture or in the middle of the room are a signal that the cat is uncomfortable. The culprit can be stress, a new pet in the house, a sloppy child, or insufficient attention from the owner. It is necessary to find the cause and eliminate it. Sometimes cats tell us about pain with this behavior - in this case, only a veterinarian will help.

Taking responsibility and bringing home a kitten or an adult cat from the street, you need to be prepared for the fact that, in addition to establishing contact with an animal that does not trust its new owner, you also need to teach the pet basic skills, for example, teach it to the litter box.

This will require a huge amount of patience and time, because street cats have their own established habits, which can be difficult to overcome.

Tray training your street cat

It is necessary to take into account the habits of street cats, namely the fact that they relieve themselves in earth or sand, and then bury their excrement. Knowing this, you can try pouring sand into a large tray that will possibly attract the animal. In order for the animal to understand what the sand tray is for, you need to lay scraps of newspaper or toilet paper soaked in cat urine on top of the sand. You can try putting hay in the box, some street cats go to the toilet only for hay at first.

Places that the animal considers most suitable for relieving needs should be treated with deterrent sprays or thoroughly washed with an odor-neutralizing agent so that the pet cannot smell its urine. In case of failure, you can put a bowl of food in the marked places or spray the place with valerian; cats do not like to shit where they eat.

After eating or sleeping, you can try to close the cat in the room where the litter box is located, usually in the toilet, or in another confined space, such as in a cage. The cage should be spacious so that the tray can be placed inside, while the pet can relieve itself calmly, without restriction of movement. To train your outdoor cat to litter, use a new box with low sides, large enough to bury the excrement in the sand.

You need to monitor the behavior of the pet. If there are signs that indicate the pet's desire to relieve itself, then you need to immediately pick up the animal and transfer it to the tray.

From the moment when the street cat begins to walk into the tray with sand, you need to wait a while until the animal takes it into the habit. Then gradually, in small portions, mix the filler into the sand. As a result, the sand needs to be completely replaced with toilet filler, but there is no need to rush. It is better to choose a filler woody and odorless. If you plan to teach a street cat to a tray without filler, then at the first stages of training, a filler (special or sand) is poured under the grill and a small amount on the grill, and only then gradually removed, the amount of filler is reduced, getting rid of it altogether.

If the pet started going to the litter box only "in a small way", then it is advisable to purchase another box. Usually meowing pets start doing their "big" things in another box.

Gradually, the box with the filler should be moved to another location towards the permanent toilet. The animal should not notice a strong difference in the position of the tray.

It can take a month or more to train an outdoor cat to litter. The main thing is to be patient and praise the pet for the correct behavior. Some animals quickly understand what is required of them if there is already a cat accustomed to the toilet in the house.

I often hear from people that you can't take a street cat home. First of all, it can be difficult to train a kitten to use the litter box, but an adult is generally impossible! Secondly, the street person will always beg and rush into the street.
Perhaps he will remember the street for a while. But if you do not live in a studio apartment with a bunch of cats and feed the cat well, then there is no point in running outside - there is food, there is territory. Of course, you should also take into account the peculiarities of character: affectionate - stroke, playful - play and you will be happy.
Of course, happiness is impossible if the animal "shits" wherever it wants.
Given: a one-year-old cat who has lived on the street since birth. I often saw him in the yard, including doing the toilet, so while accustoming, I took into account his already known habits.
In addition, the cat had a broken pelvis, and after the operation he wore a collar for 3 weeks, which made it much more difficult for him to climb into the pot, adopt toilet poses, and sniff the litter box.
On the street, the cat, most of the year, relieved a small need, climbing on the "bush" of a sow thistle, apparently he liked this method because the paws are always dry. For other needs, he used sand.
Attempt number times
I brought home sand from familiar places and put it in a tray that my cats once used, but it had been lying around for a long time as a spare (of course, it was washed). But the cat chose a different place. I dipped a piece of rag in his urine and put it in the tray. The next day, the rag was pulled out of the tray by the cat and wet cases were done on it, and a whole stream flowed to the side of the rag :(
Second try
Since the cat needed to restrict movement, a cage was built for it. The cat moved into the cage. The cage contained: a bed, a bowl, a tray, and there was still a little space. I put disposable diapers on the floor of the cage.
I decided that I had made a mistake by offering the cat someone else's old tray and bought a new one, with low sides to make it easier for him to climb. At the bottom of the tray she put a piece of diaper with the smell of his urine, and on top she poured filler (woody and clay mixed). The cat again did not appreciate it and chose one of the corners of the cage as a toilet.
Third attempt
The cat underwent surgery and for the first day I was almost always there, sleeping next to the cage. And for the next few days I rarely left him. Therefore, I was able to constantly monitor his behavior. The cat turned out to be a rare livestock and very soon began to get up, walk and always went to do his business in the corner of the cage that he chose. I moved the tray there, he began to dig in another corner. In principle, it is easy to predict when the cat will go to the toilet, because during the day, periods of activity are replaced by sleep. I caught the cat when he started digging and put it in the tray. This usually happened in the morning, evening and closer to midnight.
Usually, when accustoming, it is advised to use the carrot and stick method, i.e. scold if the cat is caught red-handed and praise when things are done in the tray. At the first attempt to scold the cat, I saw that he was very frightened and then endured for a long time. Therefore, I left only the gingerbread for him. He starts digging - I put it in the tray - does it there - I praise and iron.
Fourth run
The situation with constant supervision did not suit me. I changed the tray again to larger size+ good grill (from Vaka). My cats also wear these. I like these trays not only because of their good size, but also because they have a long distance from the bottom to the net. At this distance, I sprinkle silica gel, and on top of the grate, what the kote can dig into. Under the grate, together with the filler, I again put a piece of a diaper with a smell. On top of the grate, I poured wood filler and a bunch of hay.
The cat liked the hay very much, he furiously rummaged in it, said to me interrogatively: "Why are you?". I answered him: "Do-do" :)
So we got the habit of feeding in the morning, after a while "Mrya-mrya?" - "Do-do" and the cat did in the tray. In the evening and at night, the same story.
At first, the collar hindered him greatly, but he went to his own tray (a couple of times there was an embarrassment - the cat was in the tray with its front paws, and the priest was outside). Once the collar was removed, it no longer missed.
When I removed the cage, I left the tray in the same place. The cat turned out to be neat, when the silica gel got dirty, he began to chatter too much and showed me his displeasure with his whole appearance, replacing the filler immediately removed the problem. Often cats go to the toilet in a small way, and then immediately in a big way, and so he did not like to go to a freshly painted litter box. I solved this issue by installing a second tray of the same type. After that, there was not a single blunder or discontent. It took me about a month to persistently train the cat, but you need to understand that his trauma hindered us a lot. Over time, I gradually removed the hay (about 2 weeks later) and began to pour one handful of wood filler.

So, what I recommend:
1. The first week to limit the cat, for example, one room (or kitchen, loggia). It is advisable that there are no upholstered furniture in the room, which the cat can choose as a toilet. So it will be easier for the cat to get used to (especially if there are still animals) and you will need to clean less.
2. Take a new tray with a good, stable grid (or without it) and add a few handfuls of what you can dig into, so that you can actually dig a hole and bury it later. For example, clay filler or not too large wood granules. If the kote is from the street, add hay or sand there. Sand is not the best way since what you can't bring from the street with him, but for the first time for accustoming, it's worth trying. This is very important stage, because a good tray with a sufficient amount of filler may please the cat right away and you just have to go to step number 7.
3. If the kote has already gone to some place in the room to go to the toilet, then moisten a piece of the napkin in his urine, put it in the tray (instead of the moistened pieces of napkin, it is quite possible to use spray-training). Wash the place of embarrassment with vinegar and put the tray in this place.
4. In the morning, after feeding, we observe the cat, catch the moment of finding the toilet and put it on the pot. While you are not at home during the day, the kote will most likely sleep, and in the evening you can catch him again.
5. As soon as we see that the kote has done things in the tray, be sure to praise.
6. If the kote is peeing steadily into the tray, but is walking somewhere in a big way, then start another tray.
7. If you want to change the filler or remove it altogether, then do it gradually. If you want to change the location of the tray, then gradually move it to the desired location.

So you ask why the cat so beloved and adored by everyone does not go to the litter box? Is he protesting? Are you sick? Dissatisfied with your life? Let's figure it out!

There are several reasons why a cat has stopped going to the litter box. And this, believe me, is not always revenge or anger. There are far more important aspects of not going to the toilet in the right place.

  1. Inflammation of the genitourinary system or injuries. For this reason, the animal often goes to the toilet and simply does not have time to reach the designated place. If there are stones in the urinary tract, the ducts are trapped and the cat cannot defecate. There is no need to rush to conclusions and punish an adult pet. You should consult a doctor and examine the animal.
  2. Not everyone knows, but cats are very clean animals. And if suddenly a four-legged friend refuses to go to the toilet in the right place and "plays pranks" in another, then in this way he expresses a protest. Perhaps he does not like the filler, perhaps there are "traces" of the crime from the last time in the tray, perhaps there is bad smell... There are dozens of such “possibly” ones.
  3. But the cat does not want and therefore does not go to the tray. He doesn't look like her. Maybe the owner liked the model, since it is combined with the interior of the room, easy to clean, etc., but the pet did not like the design at all. The animal prefers an old, unsightly product.
  4. A street cat, and an apartment one too, can be confused by the smell of filler. The owner, perhaps, likes the smell of lavender (as a rule, fillers are sold with this smell, but not the essence of how important it is), but the animal does not need these scents at all.
  5. I doubt that a person would want to go to the toilet in a noisy square with prying eyes. So is the cat. He loves solitude in this matter. Therefore, the cat litter box should be located in a secluded place.
  6. If the time has come for the cat to actively reproduce, he can begin to mark the territory. Scolding a pet is not an option. This will only increase stress and worsen the situation. You should consult your doctor. If a cat's "wedding" is not planned in the near future, then the veterinarian will advise drugs that act as a sedative and completely discourage cats from going to the "bride".
  7. Jealousy! If another animal appears, then the old-timer can show character. After all, the youngest is loved more, caressed more, he is given all the best. Everything is like with children!
  8. Vindictiveness. Another quality that haunts the owners. In retaliation for swearing, the cat can shit where it is not needed. Therefore, it may be worth talking to your pet and asking for forgiveness. It may sound silly, but sometimes it helps, believe me. Cats are smart. They understand everything. This is how you look reproachfully at your feline "son" or "daughter": "Well, why did you go to the toilet here, and not in the right place?" You scold them, scold them, and they understood everything, lowered their eyes. I am ashamed of them. This is how it happens!

Features of litter training for adult animals

Toilet training for an adult pet will be more difficult than for a kitten. However, there shouldn't be any particular problems if the cat has previously lived in an apartment. Usually such animals get used to satisfying physiological needs in a new toilet rather easily.

To simplify the process, ask previous owners for an old tray and some used litter. Show your cat a new litter spot right away. If the pet goes into the tray once, she will use it constantly.

You need to tame a street cat in the same way as a small kitten.

Procedure:

  1. Monitor your pet after sleeping, eating.
  2. When the cat shows signs of anxiety and starts looking for a suitable spot, gently place it in the litter box and move away.
  3. If the pet starts raking the litter and relieves the need in the tray, there should be no problems with the toilet in the future.
  4. If the cat rejects the toilet, shows signs of anxiety, calm the animal down.
  5. Return the cat to the litter box over and over again until she does what she needs to do.

Another solution to the problem:

  1. Track your cat. When she chooses a place and is ready to relieve herself, substitute a tray there and put the animal in it.
  2. Do not change the used filler or leave a small part of it saturated with "fragrances".
  3. Place the litter box in the right place, then the cat should find the toilet by smell.
  4. If next time your pet is again prepared to do its business in the wrong place, quickly put it in the tray. The cat will smell its scent and use the toilet.

At first, use river sand as a filler for the tray, which must be mixed with earth. In the future, gradually add the composition purchased at the pet store to the sand-earth mixture. To train your pet to use the litter box, gradually reduce the amount of material used.

Sometimes even a trained cat can be stubborn and go to the toilet wherever possible. In this case, buy special means(drops "Sharp cat", spray "Toilet training"), they make it possible for the pet to develop the skill of using the litter box as a toilet. The preparation is applied to fresh filler or grill. At the same time, you can use "Antigadin", they treat the places where the cat has relieved.

If you become the owner of an adult cat or a cat who confidently walked into the litter box with the previous owners, you still have to devote a few days to accustoming your pet to a new toilet.

The first step is to find out what kind of litter box your pet is used to. Trays are different sizes, depths, open and in the form of a house. It is best to get the same or as close to him as possible. Find out if there was litter in the tray, and if so, what type. Try to repeat exactly, down to the manufacturer and the name of the product (a different smell can confuse an already frightened cat with a move and change of owner).

Ask the cat to hand over some of the used litter or a tissue soaked in the tray. And send it all to a new tray. Place the used filler on top of the fresh filler and smooth it slightly. Wet wipe place under the wire shelf (even just run it several times along the bottom of the tray is enough).

Immediately after the move, pet your new pet for a few minutes - and take it to the litter box. Here he must be seated and calmly, benevolently have a conversation in the spirit that here, they say, is your new tray, here you need to write and poop. But you clever cat(smart cat), I'm sure you will understand everything right away. See how convenient it is: dig in the litter or empty tray with your foot and praise the animal.

Now you can let him go to get acquainted with the room (do not forget to show where there is water). It remains only to watch the newcomer, so as not to miss the moment. When he decides to go to the toilet. If you went to the tray - everything is great, we praise, we admire his intelligence and ingenuity! If the excavation began in another place, we urgently catch it, run it into the tray and again conduct an educational conversation. And so on until the "first contact" takes place. He's the most important.

However, you shouldn't relax for a few more days. Better to control where your pet goes to the toilet.

Problems with litter training often arise during the move process. The most difficult thing to explain to an adult animal where its toilet is is becomes when changing an apartment to private house, and vice versa.

In the first case, it is necessary to repeat as much as possible the situation to which the pet is already accustomed - put the tray in a similar place, at first do not change the container to a new one.

You can help your pet get used to the new litter box by using a small amount of used litter from an old container.

In the second case, the difficulty is created by the habit of the cat to use any place near the house as a toilet. The same applies to street cats that are taken home. The animal will have to be trained to the litter box using the same methods as a small kitten.

Upbringing

Follow these simple rules:

  • Do not assault.
  • Show the animal that he is not allowed whatever he wants. Explain to him that you cannot hang on curtains, jump on your shoulders, etc.
  • Get a special scratching post and teach a kitten to it, then you will not face the problem of damaged furniture.
  • A cat and a dog in the house is a special situation. Contrary to popular belief, these animals can get along together. It is better to take a kitten and a puppy, rather than adults, then they will get used to each other. A cat and a dog require a lot of attention from the owner, so consider if you can give it.