Cat Litter Box Training - 3 Tips to Keep You and Your Cat Happy

Ah yes, the cat litter box. As much as cat owners love their precious felines, the cat litter box along with the associated mess leaves much to be desired.

Even worse is ensuring that your cat uses the litter box and doesn’t urinate outside the box. As anyone will tell you, nothing gets out the smell of cat urine.

So below are three cat litter box training tips that you can use to ensure that your cat knows to use his litter box when the need arises.

1. Most mother cats have already trained their kittens to use the litter box before you bring them home. That’s why it’s important that you don’t get a kitten that was weaned too soon from its mother.

As soon as you bring your cat home, put him in the litter box, take his front paws and gently dig in the litter with them. Even if he doesn’t need to “go” at the moment, he’ll get the idea. Keep bringing him to the litter box until he actually either urinates or defecates. Then watch him throughout the day as he familiarizes himself with your home to make sure he knows where to find it.

If you find you have to move the litter box at some point, repeat this procedure until he finds it and uses it.

2. Keep the litter box clean at all times. Scoop it daily, if necessary. Cats hate smelly litter boxes and will go elsewhere if their litter box is too disgusting. Change the litter box weekly and disinfect the box every time.

3. Clumping litter is more costly but makes the job of scooping much easier. Some cats don’t like scented litter because they prefer to only smell their own scent. If you’re vigilant about keeping up with scooping and cleaning, the cat box shouldn’t really have a strong odor.

Cleaning out the cat litter box will always be an unpleasant part of owning a cat but the way I look at it, it’s better than what dog owners are faced with. Dog owners have to walk all over the backyard picking up huge pieces of dog feces, knowing that their whole backyard is their dog’s “litter box”. Yuck.

For more tips on cat litter box training, visit our blog The Cat Door.

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Types of Cat Litter

Cats are easy to teach to be clean in the house by using a litter tray. There is usually no need to teach a kitten to use a litter tray. Nearly all kittens have been taught by their mother. Simply show the Kitten the litter tray and the rest should follow. Ensure the litter tray is in a quiet place and that it is kept clean. Cats are clean animals and if the litter tray is not kept clean they may use other areas of the house as a toilet. You Cat and not you will decide what type of cat litter to use. You can extol the virtues of a type of cat litter, but if a cat does not use it, it is a failure. There are many types of cat litter these are some examples for you to consider:

CLUMPING LITTER

This type of litter forms large hard pieces or clumps when it comes in contact with the moisture from Cat waste. These large clumps can then be scooped from the litter box for disposal, leaving the rest of the litter undisturbed. Fresh litter is then added to the box to replace that which was removed. While this type of litter can be convenient, it may cause problems if a pet ingests any of it since moisture causes it to clump together. Clumping cat litter comes is available in scented varieties, unscented, flushable and non-tracking.

SILICA-BASED LITTER

This type of litter has as its main components sand and water. The Crystals are designed to absorb odours. Solid waste must be removed from the litter box but liquid waste is absorbed by the granules. There is no clumping action with this type of product. Silica-based litters are also bio-degradable and will decompose and return to their sandy base.

CLAY-BASED LITTER

Clay-based litter was the type first introduced commercially and is the most inexpensive of all litters. Although solid waste needs to be removed daily, the entire litter box will need to be cleared and refilled more often than with other types because clay litter absorbs liquid waste and odors. If a cat has allergies, this may not be a good choice since dust can be a problem as the pet scratches in the litter. However, dust-free formulas are available. When using any type of cat litter it is important to keep the litter box as clean as possible. Neglecting to clean the box can result in a cat not using the box and depositing waste in the house.

PAPER CAT LITTER

Made from pellets or recycled paper this is an increasingly popular type of cat litter. As well as being highly absorbent paper cat litter is bio-degradable and lightweight. This product can also be flushed in small quantities to a mains based waste system.

WOOD CAT LITTER

Wood based cat litters are also biodegradable. Often made from recycled wood and sustainable forest systems. Softwood cat litters are highly absorbent and have natural odour control qualities removing the need for chemicals to be added.

Terry King runs Parcel Pets, a leading UK pet supplies web site and has had pets all his life. He lives with his wife Louise, dog Sam, Cat Sabrina and 5 fish!

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Comparing the Benefits and Dangers of Cat Litter

The Smile on your son or daughters face is priceless when they play with their pet. Though just as important as it is to see them happy it is important to keep them safe! The silent dangers that lurks around you house can cause death to creep in without you even knowing it! Owning a cat is more then just cuddles and cuteness. It involves you understanding how to protect all who come in contact with your cat and its litter box!

There are many benefits to having a litter box including the obvious such as: freshness and hygiene. Though how many truly understand the dangers not only for humans but your other pets. Getting your cat or kitten de-wormed is a great start to their overall health however even with this precaution a cat or kitten can still develop round worms or hookworms. These types of worms can be passed to anyone who comes in contact with them and their litter. There are no obvious symptoms which make it virtually impossible to detect other then getting them checked by a veterinarian.

Most of you have heard of Toxoplasmosis; if not it is a disease contracted through touching or inhaling the cat litter box while pregnant. They recommend that any women pregnant not so much as breathe the dust of the cat litter. It is recommended that they not be around it or have someone else change it during pregnancy. Exposure can cause severe birth defects in the unborn baby.

When we have more then one pet we don't think of the dangers exposure to one pets needs may create in the other animals. Dogs particularly get into things; it's in there nature. However exposing them to your cats litter can be slowly killing them. The symptoms of this type of exposure appear as other conditions. This can prolong the exposure and the number of deaths due to exposure to especially clumping litter has increased.

Some symptoms of exposure are:

- Dehydration

- Anemia

- Diarrhea

- Digestion issues (IBS)

- Parasites

It is hard to determine whether exposure is causing these problems one should just get rid of the clumping litter and stick with clay litters when having multiple types of pets. Keeping the litter away from other pets and keeping a closer eye on your cat will also help prevent exposure. Regular check ups at the vet will give your cat a healthier and longer life!

Discover how to order safe and easily disposable free cat litter that is safe for humans and pets at http://FreeCatLitter.weebly.com/

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Perfect Litter for Cats - Free Cat Litter

Cat Litter is a necessity for many cat owners and the average cat owner will spend more than one thousand dollars every year on purchasing cat litter. Cat litter (often called kitty litter) is one of the materials used in litter boxes to absorb moisture from cats.

However, what is unknown to many cat owners, their cat litter could have damaging health effects for their pet. For example, many cat litter manufactures use clay to make their litter which traps smells but can create mess around the house.

There are many types of cat litter. The main types are clay, sand, clumping litter, crystal and wheat. Each one has it's own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Some of these are:

Sand or dirt: cheap, easy and quickly available. BUT it does not absorb oder and it tracks easily.

Basic Cat litter: Inexpensive. Less likely to be tracked through the house. BUT lots of cleaning and the box can smell. Dusty.

Clumping litter: Easy to clean, less oder. BUT cats can track it through the house easier. Dusty. Maybe harmful if ingested.

Crystal litter: Easy to clean. Low smell. No dust BUT maybe harmful if swallowed. Crystals roll everywhere. Cats may not like walking on it.

Wheat Litter: Much like clumping litter but more environmentally sound and safer if ingested. BUT there is more cat oder. Tends to expensive. Dusty.

When choosing cat litter, it is important to purchase one made from safe materials that cannot be ingested by cats and also have the ability to neutralize bad odours quickly. The cat litter should also clump for easy disposal.

To Find Out More About The Perfect Litter for Cats, Please Visit Free Cat Litter

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Davis

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Perfect Litter for Cats - Free Cat Litter

Cat Litter is a necessity for many cat owners and the average cat owner will spend more than one thousand dollars every year on purchasing cat litter. Cat litter (often called kitty litter) is one of the materials used in litter boxes to absorb moisture from cats.

However, what is unknown to many cat owners, their cat litter could have damaging health effects for their pet. For example, many cat litter manufactures use clay to make their litter which traps smells but can create mess around the house.

There are many types of cat litter. The main types are clay, sand, clumping litter, crystal and wheat. Each one has it's own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Some of these are:

Sand or dirt: cheap, easy and quickly available. BUT it does not absorb oder and it tracks easily.

Basic Cat litter: Inexpensive. Less likely to be tracked through the house. BUT lots of cleaning and the box can smell. Dusty.

Clumping litter: Easy to clean, less oder. BUT cats can track it through the house easier. Dusty. Maybe harmful if ingested.

Crystal litter: Easy to clean. Low smell. No dust BUT maybe harmful if swallowed. Crystals roll everywhere. Cats may not like walking on it.

Wheat Litter: Much like clumping litter but more environmentally sound and safer if ingested. BUT there is more cat oder. Tends to expensive. Dusty.

When choosing cat litter, it is important to purchase one made from safe materials that cannot be ingested by cats and also have the ability to neutralize bad odours quickly. The cat litter should also clump for easy disposal.

To Find Out More About The Perfect Litter for Cats, Please Visit Free Cat Litter

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Davis

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