TRAINING YOUR CAT TO USE A LITTER TRAY

In order to train your cat to do anything, it is important that you establish
clear rules as soon as you get them, and are strict with them. If the cat is not corrected every time it pees on the carpet, or scratches the furniture, it can
become confused about what it is and isnt allowed to do. All cats should
be trained from a young age. If you have an older cat, it can be much harder to
train: the saying You cant teach an old dog new tricks can
also apply to cats!

When the cat does something that you dont want it to do, firmly say
no, and correct the cats behaviour. For example, if the
cat is peeing on the carpet, put it in the litter tray or if the cat is scratching
the furniture, put it by the scratching post. If you chase the cat away, it
may think that you are trying to play with it (especially if its a kitten)
which will encourage the behaviour.

Often, the mother will teach its kittens to use a litter tray, but in many
cases they dont learn. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as
having a neglectful mother or being taken away from their mother too early.
Quite often kittens from farm cats will not be litter trained as they are used
to living outside.

Firstly, make sure that the litter tray is placed in an easily accessible,
quiet corner of a room. It doesnt need to be full to the brim with cat
litter, but needs just enough for the cat to bury its business
in. Generally, the cat litter should be changed every day, but this can vary
depending on how many cats you have, and whether the cats are allowed outside
to do their business.

Begin by frequently placing the cat in the litter tray, especially when it
looks like it is about to go to the toilet. (You can usually tell if they start
scratching/trying to dig in a corner of the carpet, or if they crouch with their
tail up.)

If the cat goes in the wrong place, it is important that you clean the area
thoroughly, and dont rub the cats nose in it (!) Cats find their
toilet through scent, so if they can smell where they have been
before, they are likely to go there again.

Tips:

* Many cat owners remove solid waste from the litter tray quickly to prevent
odours.
* If the cat doesnt use the litter tray, it could be that it isnt
clean enough! Cats are very picky about cleanliness.
* Make sure the cats litter tray is somewhere private some cats
wont use the litter tray if they think theyre being watched (!)