Bad Kitty! Litter Box Training Challenges
Most of us love cats and have owned one at some time during our lives. Cats are wonderful creatures. But cats also need a great deal of care. They need proper attention and exercise. They need to be loved and fed regularly. They also need proper litter box care. Many people have problems with their cats and their litter boxes. They can't figure out why their cat is not going to the bathroom in the right place, or why their cat doesn't seem to want to use the litter box. These are common problems and there are some real challenges to litter box training. Many of us have faced these sorts of challenges when trying to train a cat or kitten. Here are a list of some challenges and possible solutions to them:
1. The cat does not want to use the litter box. There are a couple of potential problems here. Cats love to have a private and clean place to go to the bathroom. This means that the litter box itself needs to be regularly clean, and it also means that the room needs to be private and calm. If you find, for example, that the cat is urinating in the box and using your bathtub for number two, this is probably because it feels that the litter box is no longer clean. The tub is regularly cleaned so the cat uses the tub. This could also explain why your cat is using a very private part of your house to eliminate waste. If the litter box is in the kitchen or in a game room, the cat might feel threatened by this environment.
2. The cat almost uses the litter box but does not quite make it. This is a common problem and often is the result of a problem with the box itself. You need a good sized litter box for cats and something that is not too tall for kittens. Also, this could happen because the litter box is dirty or because you have changed the type of litter in the box.
3. Sometimes cats will use potted plants for litter boxes. This is probably because the potted plant seems like the most natural material. Kitty litter is nice for humans because it does not smell and it is fairly sanitary, but cats might not like it. If you find that your cat is using a potted plant for a toilet you need to take care of the situation. Try covering the potted plant's base with something shiny and put the litter box next to the potted plant. Also, you might want to confine your cat to a particular room without potted plants for a while during the period of its litter box training.
These are just a few different problems that people face when training their cats to use litter boxes. There are many others you might face depending your cat. Consult with experts, such as vets or pet store owners if you can't solve a litter box mystery. Good luck with the litter box training!
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