Cat owners find it difficult when they understand their cat isn’t civilized in pooping like them.
Their real disappointment starts when they purchase a covered litter box, and their pet isn’t using it. So, it’s time to know how to transition cat to covered litter box.
Cats don’t know how to use the litter box. You need to start them from the very beginning. First, you need to get ready with the necessary supplies.
Then, you should train your cat to follow a target according to your instruction.
Once your cat is ready, try to take your cat to the covered litter box. You should place the correct litter box in the right place for quick results. Your patience and dedication is the key to success here.
Will My Cat Use An Enclosed Litter Box?
Cats are fond of clean litter boxes with sufficient space. They don’t care if it’s enclosed or open. Pet lovers prefer enclosed litter boxes because it works against odor and keeps cat poop out of sight.
However, an experiment by the Pet Health Network observed that 70% of the experimented cats used covered and open litter boxes equally. The other 30% also brought equal results- half of them went for the enclosed litter and another half for the open litter.
So, your cat will get used to an enclosed litter box if you train it from an early age. In the first few days, making it habitual to use the litter will be challenging. Once it starts working, there’s no going back for your cat.
Steps To Transition Your Cat To The Covered Litter Box
Transitioning your cat to a covered litter box isn’t easy work. Cats don’t understand as quickly as dogs due to their underdeveloped brain structure.
So, you need to train them for several days with your patience and proper guidelines. Here are some tips on transitioning a cat to a covered litter box.
Preparing Necessary Supplies
To habituate your cat with decent potty training, first, you need to place the litter box in a specific place. The training will be slightly tricky if your cat is already habituated to an uncovered litter box.
Therefore, place the new covered litter box in the old place first.
If your cat is a newborn, use the litter box for the first time, then select a convenient and calm place. Now, you’ll need to prepare the following training supplies.
- Litter box with clumping clay
Cats love to use litter boxes with silica dust like clumping clay. They find it most comfortable here. But using a corn-based or wheat-based litter box is also excellent.
- Clicker and target stick
This is nothing but a device that generates a “click” sound to hold your cat’s attention. The target stick helps your cat to understand your instruction.
Once you indicate the litter box with the stick, your cat will move accordingly.
- Reward materials
Just like other pets, cats also love to receive rewards from their owner. It accelerates their thirst for learning, following the order of the trainer.
If you’re dealing with a kitten, you can offer some kitten food after one successful session. For adolescent cats, you should offer their favorite dishes.
Start By Training With The Target
This is the core part of training your cat. If your cat is already trained to follow a target, your hassle is reduced to half. However, the steps are pretty simple.
- Hold the target stick in front of your cat by standing a few inches away from its face.
- If your cat isn’t responding, rub a treat before the target stick. Then, repeat the process again.
- Once your cat starts responding, start moving the stick. Take the stick to a target, and treat the cat if it starts there.
Once your cat is ready to follow the target, it’s ready to visit the litter box. Indicate the litter box with the stick and see if it works.
Keeping treats near the litter box is the worst idea. Instead of doing that, you can follow the next trick.
Transfer The Litter To The New Box
Sometimes, your cat may not understand your purpose or what you’re trying to train. To clarify your cat’s confusion, you should transfer the litter from the old box to the new box.
Here are the proper steps to alternate the litter tray with the new covered litter box.
- Bring back the old tray for your cat to use for the first day.
- On the next day, place the new litter box without the top.
- Now, observe for hours if it’s used by your cat.
- Then slowly extend the time to a whole day.
- The sooner your cat gets adopted to the new litter box, the sooner you can disappear from the litter tray.
Repeat The Process Every Day
According to RSPCA, your cat will take an average of 4 weeks to be prepared with potty training.
If you don’t keep going through the training process repeatedly, it’ll take longer. Show patience, move according to the rules, and, most importantly, don’t create any pressure.
What If Your Cat Won’t Use The New Litter Box?
First, you need to figure out why not use the litter box. There could be several reasons:
- The litter box isn’t user-friendly
- Your cat isn’t fond of the clay type
- The litter box location is inconvenient
- Dirty or old-fashioned litter box
The solution is included in every problem. First, ensure you’ve purchased a litter box from a reputable company.
It must be comfortable, durable, and with a good design. Secondly, ensure that the silica dust is worth your cat. Some cat species don’t like clay types. Try alternate types for their comfort.
Thirdly, keep the litter box conveniently, I mean out of the crowd. It should be placed in the corner of the room, not much away from the cat’s habitat.
Most importantly, ensure that the litter box is pretty clean. A dirty litter box is one of the biggest reasons to demotivate your cat.
FAQ
Let’s introduce the most common question about placing your litter box.
Where to Place Your Hooded Litter Box?
If your room isn’t big enough, placing one hooded litter box in the corner of your room is sufficient. For big rooms, try to put a few same types of hooded litter boxes in every corner. Place it away from their food and water serving area.
Conclusion
Now you have a clear idea of how to transition cats to covered litter box. Litter box can reduce the hassle of cleaning cat litter dust from the floor. If you invest a little time in training your cat, your tension for the rest of its life will disappear.
It’s okay if your cat doesn’t understand even after passing the expected time interval. Some cat species take extra time to learn new things. You must adhere to the training process until your cat is prepared.