How to go about ensuring cats use their litter tray
If your cat refuses to use a litter tray, it can be a big source of frustration and can mean that they urinate and/or defecate in areas that are really not appropriate.
Here are some of our top tips for encouraging your cat to use their litter tray!
Where to Put the Litter Tray
Location can be one of the big reasons why cats choose not to use a litter tray. Ideally, you’ll want it to be completely separate from where they eat and spend their relaxation time.
If the litter tray is too close to these areas, it can be very off putting for them and their natural inclination is to avoid it at all costs, in favour of somewhere that is more appealing to them.
Privacy is another factor to consider. Cats like their litter tray to be located somewhere with a good amount of privacy so they won’t be interrupted while they’re doing their business. If there’s a risk of their privacy being invaded, it’s likely that they won’t use the litter tray because they don’t feel comfortable enough.
Changing the Litter Regularly
For the most part, cat litter needs to be changed on a weekly basis but you can look to do it more often than this if it starts to smell. A lot of cats won’t want to use the litter tray once it has any kind of odour attached to it.
On a side note, it’s a good idea to make sure that you keep the cat litter topped up so that it doesn’t get too low. If there isn’t enough for your cat to cover things over afterwards, this can also be off putting for them.
Size of the Litter Tray
A litter tray that is reasonably small in size can work against you as it doesn’t give your cat enough space to move around freely while they’re using it. A larger litter tray can be a much better option for helping them to feel comfortable so you may want to look at whether you need a different size to the one you currently have, especially if there aren’t any other obvious issues with location or the contents.
Training Your Cat to Use a Litter Tray
What if your cat has been refusing to use their litter tray or you’ve brought home a new kitten that needs training to use it?
First of all, you’ll need to introduce them to the litter tray. Show your cat where it is and then place them inside it so they understand that they should be going in it. They may not be too enthusiastic about the idea of using it to begin with.
If this lack of interest means they don’t look to use the litter tray at all, you’ll have to go a few steps further to build a positive association.
If your cat carries on using other areas, take your cat over to the litter tray or encourage them to use it instead. Don’t tell them off or punish them as this will likely help them to form a negative association with the litter tray or make them even less inclined to use it.
If your cat isn’t an indoor cat and tends to go outside to the “toilet”, it can be a good idea to wait until they ask to go outside and take them over to the litter tray at this point.
If they take the hint and use the litter tray, praise them and start building a positive connection to the litter tray. It’s best not to give them access to the outdoors again until they use the litter tray on their own initiative on a regular basis. Some cats will take longer to get into the habit.
Do you have any other tips for encouraging cats to use their litter tray? Let us know in the comments section below!