Teaching a cat to use the litter box
Cats learn from their mother
When they are born, kittens are unable to urinate and defecate on their own. The mother licks the babies in the anus area to stimulate and aid the kitten with this task. Around the 3rd-4th week of life, when the kittens begin the weaning phase, the mother and the other adults of the family teach the kittens to eliminate independently. The adult cats show the kitten the right places (the litter box) and "how to do it". The process for the cat is to sniff to find the most suitable area, dig, turn around, and gradually squat down, empty the bladder or defecate, smell the soiled area and finally cover the feces.
The kitten’s needs
A kitten and an adult cat have completely different needs. At
4-5 months of age, to guarantee easy access, the litter box must have low edges and be placed a few feet away from key resources such as food, water, the bed, scratcher, and toys. When the cat starts to grow, the box (with dimensions suitable for the size of the cat, open or closed, one more than the number of cats in the house) must be moved away from the food and water bowls, scratcher, resting places and toys. Just like humans, kittens enjoy eliminating in complete tranquility, I recommend placing the boxes in a secluded place of the home and away from common high traffic areas. The balcony is not always a good choice since cats do not like to go outside when it is raining or cold. In addition, going through the cat flap or through an open door to access the balcony could lead the kitten to eliminate inside the house.
The Kitten’s preferences: litter box and litter for cat
The characteristics of the box and the peculiarities of the litter box are very important for the kitten.
Here's what to do:
- The box should have edges 1-2 inches high so that the kitten can enter it easily. In addition, the size of the box must allow the little cat to turn around, dig and cover once inside. I recommend not to wrap the box with special hygienic plastic bags as they can hinder the digging and ability to cover their droppings by getting tangled in the cat's nails.
- The kitten also has preferences regarding the size, dustiness and agglomerating capacity of the litter. Usually, a medium-sized granule is the best choice since it is not too small (to avoid it being trapped between the fingertips) and is pleasant to the touch. The litter must be slightly dusty, without any artificial scents and moderately clumping; it is necessary to create a layer of at least 1-2 inches so that the digging and covering of the feces is easier. The dirty parts of the litter box must be removed at least twice a day as the kitten prefers to always have an immaculate “bathroom” available!
