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Typically when you get a cat home from the shelter or pet store it's already quite practiced at using the box, but sometimes if you're raising a kitten or a cat that is having difficult with housebreaking you'll find yourself litter training cats. This isn't as easy as one might imagine; most owners assume that a cat is just going to naturally eliminate in the box without much hassle, but unfortunately this isn't always true. When litter training cats, you don't want to expect too much and you don't want to make mistakes that will only elongate the process.

Reward Positive Acts

For example, when litter training cats many owners make the mistake of scolding a cat when it eliminates in other areas of the house. Unless you catch the cat in the act, he probably won't understand what you're upset about. Cats don't have the ability to associate two separate events such as the time they eliminated on the carpet and the fact that you're yelling right now. Instead, when litter training cats you want to concentrate on rewarding the positive, meaning praising them lavishly when they do use the box and even doling out a special treat that they get only when they use that box. Felines respond better to positive rewards than they do punishment, which is important to remember when litter training cats. So instead of scolding, work on rewarding.

Keeping The Box Clean

You also need to be mindful of your own habits when litter training cats. Even though they're animals, cats are a bit fussy when it comes to their own "bathroom." They don't like to relieve themselves anywhere near where they eat or where the humans eat, so don't keep the litter box right off the kitchen. They also like privacy and not a lot of commotion near their box, so make sure it's in a private place that doesn't get a lot of foot traffic. When litter training cats, you also need to keep the box very clean. It needs to be scooped out once a day and completely emptied and washed once per week. Cats are very sensitive to odors and if the box smells of urine or waste at all, they can avoid using it. Remember this when litter training cats; they may be animals but they still want a clean bathroom just like humans do! If the box is not being cleaned regularly and properly then they may avoid using it and eliminate in areas of the house instead. So while cleaning out a cat box is not anyone's idea of a good time, it's something that is part of being a responsible pet owner.

Keep in mind that litter training cats is not an exact science and can wear on your patience, but it can be done. Your pets need to be rewarded and praised for a job well done and you need to remember that setbacks will happen, but in the end you'll have a well-trained cat that regularly uses the box.

If you'd like more of my Cat Training Tips, check out my "Insider Tricks and Secrets to Training Your Cat".

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