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Cats are not born with the knowledge of knowing how to use their litter box; it's something that's learned from their mother and siblings. House soiling or missing the litter box accounts for nearly half of all cat behavior problems. Most house soiling problems are self-limiting and will clear up within a couple of weeks or months. Your cat can be a healthy, clean member of your household if you follow a few brief but important guidelines.
Starting young is important - when your cat is a kitten, put him in a small room (preferably a tiled one) at night, and when you're away from home. Make sure he has somewhere to sleep, plenty of food and water, and an open litter box. The enclosed space will help reinforce your kitten's use of the litter box by giving him less choices about where to go to the bathroom.
During the day when the kitten is out playing and exploring the house, pick him up about once an hour and place him in the litter box, holding him there for about 10 seconds. The kitten will either use that opportunity to use the box or will jump out and scamper away. Keeping to a schedule will give the kitten positive reinforcement about using the box.
Also, for the first few times in the litter box, hold the kitten's paws and "scratch" at the litter with them so the kitten understands about covering his waste.
If the kitten does goes outside the box clean it up very well so he has no scent to associate with the spot in the future. Using a carpet cleaner or Nature's Miracle or some other enzyme cleaner will make sure the kitten doesn't find that spot again.
Kittens and cats often reject dirty litter boxes, leading to litter mishaps that are otherwise usually easy to avoid, so be sure to keep the litter box very clean during this training period.
Do not punish your cat. If you do, you are only teaching your cat not to eliminate in front of you. Instead, reward the animal when he does use the litter box with some cuddling or even a treat.
To maintain a good relationship between you and your cat, conscientious litter habits are a must - both for you and your pet. On your end, that means keeping the box free and clean and in usable condition, while on your cat's end that means just actually using the box. If these tips don't seem to work at first, don't give up. Animals learn by repetition. Before long, your cat will be doing his part to keep your house healthy, clean, and happy.
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