How to House Train a Cat

Housetraining a domestic cat and acclimatizing him to the parameters of the family life is vital to the overall well being of the pet, and to the happiness of the owner. If you neglect or fail to enforce positive behavior on your kitty during the preliminary stages of housebreaking, the problem gets doubled when the kitty grows. So, it is imperative that you properly house train a cat to deter him from displaying unfitting behaviors at home. But, before you really start off with the housebreaking process, you need to comprehend a few basic guidelines that will assist you to train your kitten with ease. Here are a few tips that will help you go through a quick and simple cat/ kitten housetraining experience.

How to Begin Housetraining
First, understand that a cat learns through experience. No matter how much you yell or use the cane, he can't figure out anything, until and unless he makes certain associations. So, try to associate things you want your cat to do/ follow with extreme pleasurable and rewarding experiences. For e.g. cuddle him or give him treats when he uses the litter box. Likewise, associate negative feelings with activities that you want him to avoid. But, refrain from meting out punishment unnecessarily or giving rewards and praises for undesirable behavior.

Litter Box
The most critical aspect of the housetraining procedure for cats is the 'litter box training'. Proper housetraining and making the cat get used to the litter box, helps you to avoid soiled carpets and a reeking home. First and foremost, always provide the cat with a clean litter box as cats are very finicky about cleanliness. They would rather prefer your clean rug to the litter box, if the litter box stinks or is not properly sanitized. Regularly clean the box with water and a few drops of lemon or vinegar. Replace the old litter with 1 inch of fresh litter everyday.

Litter Box Training
Always feed your kitty at a scheduled time, so that his defecating time also gets biologically adjusted. Once he eats his food, engage in a play session. Encourage him to hop into the litter box during these play activities. Start by scratching the litter to arouse his interest. Once he gets inside the box and eliminates; praise him in a gentle voice, pat him and provide him some treats. In this manner, he will learn that the litter box is the proper place to defecate. With recurrence, the behavior will get reinforced and develop into a habit.