Monday, November 14, 2011

Cat Training - Can It Cure Litter Box Problems?

Cat training-can it cure litter box problems? Most cat lovers will tell you that a cat not using its litter tray is probably the biggest problem it can give its owner.

This ranks way ahead of scratching, biting and the many other aspects of cat misbehaviour. If a cat stops using its litter tray and the problem goes unnoticed or ignored for just a short while, it soon manifests itself in the most pungent and unpleasant way.

Nobody wants their home smell of a large cat litter tray.

So what is the best way to approach this highly odorous problem?

Cat training.

Health

The first and most important thing you must do is to make sure your cat is not suffering from a health problem. There are several medical conditions that can cause cats to stop using their litter tray.

They include bladder irritation or infection, diarrhea or diabetes among others, so it is vital that you seek a vet's opinion as soon as possible.

The sooner you find the causes for your cat's behaviour, the easier it will be for you to train it to use its litter tray correctly.

Once this has been done and a health problem has been ruled out, the next thing is to find out what is reason causing your pet to stop using its litter tray. This is where the detective work comes in.

A common cause of litter tray avoidance is stress.

The causes of stress come in many forms.

The most common cause of stress is moving house.

A recent article in a national newspaper reported that the stress of moving house can produce the feeling of aging between two and four years to a human. It ranks as one of the most stressful things we do in our lives. And the same applies to cats.

They are suddenly taken from their comfortable and safe home to a totally strange environment where all their familiar landmarks have disappeared.

Some cats will be so stressed with the move they may hide away in some dark place where they feel safe, or worse, try to escape and return to their old home

. Nobody can consider staying in the same house just to satisfy their pet cat, But careful considerate steps can be taken to ease the cats stress when a move is undertaken.

Moving and rearranging your furniture can bring the same disorientation. Cats will mark their territory with pheromones that are undetectable to humans

. Once theses have been removed, their comfort zone has disappeared.

Careful cat training can ease your pet's distress and get it back in the habit of using its litter tray

. Another cause for your cats stress could be a bereavement.

The debate as to whether cats, or any animals, can grieve is still on going.

But the sudden absence of a much loved and familiar face will confuse your cat. As the rest of the family grieve the cat will pick up on the change of people's behaviour, and may feel confused. This again is stressful to your cat and may affect its litter behaviour.

The death of a companion pet could also affect your cat and cause stress Are you using the right cat litter for your pet?

Another reason your pet cat has stopped using its litter tray, could be the litter its self.

You will be aware that there are many types of cat litter on the market.

Sand type, wood chip, clay type and more. As a rule it is best to avoid scented litter. Most cats do not seem to like it, but there are always exceptions to the rule.

The main thing is, once you have found the type of litter your cat likes, stick with it. Cats are very picky when it comes to their toilet. A sudden change of litter could mean some unpleasant mess and odours for you to deal with.

There are many more reasons why a cat would stop using its litter tray. But with careful cat training, these and the many other problems your cat may be suffering from can be over come.

It is not possible to shield your cat from every stress inducing situations, but cat training will help it cope with day to day problems

Barry Robinson is a life long cat lover and internet reviewer.
To learn more click on http://www.cattrainingsecrets.weebly.com/


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