Cats & Kittens

03 Jun 2007 | Digg | Del.icio.us | Reddit | Print

Kitty's Litter Box

By Renske Buursma

One of the most serious issues with owning a cat is that you have to deal with litter box issues. Smelling litter boxes can be nasty business. And cleaning litter boxes can sure be a chore, and not a fun one. Not to mention that fact that people who change litter boxes are reportedly more susceptible to certain cat diseases than people who do not.

But forget all that! Now there are new litter box designs to choose from out in the marketplace that can make the task - and smell - of changing kitty litter much easier. Here are two of the more popular designs out today:

1) One popular design is a self cleaning litter box. Needless to say, this type of box is ideal for families with multiple cats, as cats do not like to use dirty litter boxes. The rake removes soiled litter into a removable receptacle and leaves the box fresh and clean. The cat owner can easily discard the dirty litter without having to do anything more than pulling out the receptacle containing the dirty litter and throwing it away.

2) Another popular type is the hooded kitty litter box. These boxes not only offer privacy for the more sensitive of cats, they also help keep down dirty litter dust. This hooded box is great for single cats, if someone can change the box frequently so that it stays fresh and clean smelling. Plus for people who are not into handling dirty, soiled litter, there are removable liners for these types of boxes. You just lift out the whole soiled liner and toss it in the trash, then replace it with a new liner, add in your fresh cat litter, and then replace the lid.

Teaching Kitty to Use the Litter Box

To teach you cat to use the litter box, remember two things above all: keep the box in the same place for routine and habit to develop and take hold. And Keep it clean.

Note: do not place the litter box near your cat's eating or sleeping hot spots.

Next:

a) Place your cat in the litter box and rake your fingers through the clean litter.

b) Your cat may take to the box immediately. Praise him - a LOT.

c) After your cat eats, place him in the litter box after a few minutes of digestion time have elapsed.

d) If your cat messes elsewhere, don't scold. Instead, place the box where he most frequently has accidents and encourage him to use it.

If you run into difficulties, call your vet. And handle with care!

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Renske Buursma, pet store owner with lots of helpful articles and a free newsletter about pet care at http://yourhealthypetsonline.com.

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