House training your new furry friend is one of the most important tasks a new pet owner has to tackle when they bring a kitten into their home.
Although it isn’t a process that happens overnight and accidents are inevitable, there are 3 things pet owners can do to make the process of litter training their kitten a bit easier.
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Do Your Research
If you’ve never had a cat before, it’s best to do a bit of research before bringing your new kitten home. Once you’ve done some research, take a trip to the local pet store and stock up on all the supplies you’ll need, such as a litter box, litter box liners, cat litter and a scoop.
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Stay Positive
When house training a kitten or puppy, accidents are an inevitable part of the learning process. It’s important that you maintain a positive mindset as cats respond much more strongly to positive reinforcement than to punishment or yelling. Rather than scolding your kitten when they have an accident, give them a treat when they use their litter box correctly.
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If Your Cat Won’t Use the Litter Box, Rule out Other Problems
After a period of time, if your cat still won’t use their litter box, there may be other issues to blame, which are entirely out of their control. While training your cat, if you notice they are constantly grooming or licking themselves between their legs, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as your pet may have developed a urinary tract infection or another medical condition.
If your veterinarian finds that your pet is in good health, your pet may still refuse to use their litter box for the following reasons:
- The box isn’t being cleaned regularly enough
- They don’t like the location of the box
- They don’t like the type of litter being used, consider trying an unscented litter
- They associate the litter box with punishment
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