Determine how wild
First, it’s worth understanding whether the animal has always been homeless or whether it was recently abandoned.
A wild kitten born on the street, as a rule, hisses and is afraid of people, and has unkempt fur. If the animal meows at the sight of a person, does not try to hide in panic, and its coat is relatively clean, then, most likely, it was recently kicked out of the house. It will be easier to tame such a kitten. A feral animal can also be raised, but it will take more time, and some problems may still not be solved. For example, a cat may remain distrustful of strangers or fearful of them for the rest of its life.
Features of training
It’s worth noting right away that you need to gain strength and patience, since this process very rarely goes quickly.
In general, cats are quite clean creatures, although they are often capricious, but they are very sensitive to the issue of toileting.
They usually choose hard-to-reach corners as an ideal place to defecate, so during the period of getting to know the new home, it is advisable to close all the spaces under the furniture so that the cat does not get through there.
Some people mistakenly believe that training an adult pet is much easier than training a kitten, but this is not at all true.
Each animal has special character traits, in particular adults, who have already formed and developed certain habits regarding going to the toilet.
A cat that has lived on the street for some time is accustomed to doing its business literally under every bush and in other corners inaccessible to prying eyes.
The first and most important point is the installation location of the tray.
It should be easily accessible, but at the same time isolated so that the cat can retire there. A corner in the bathroom or on a warm balcony is perfect. For obvious reasons, it is not worth placing the tray in the passage corridor, and especially in the kitchen.
If this is a full-fledged house with walls and a roof, an exception can be made.
During the first time your cat is in the house, it is better to keep him in a closed room to avoid the temptation to mark new territory.
First actions
When the pet is in the house, he needs to be given some time to get used to it in a dark corner. At first, you should not disturb him or touch him with your hands. But some procedures must be carried out almost immediately, without delay. First, you need to check your nose and eyes - discharge from them indicates the presence of infection. Secondly, you should wash the animal using a special shampoo for kittens to get rid of ectoparasites. Be prepared for the fact that the kitten is not accustomed to such procedures and therefore will bite and scratch.
The pet will need to be shown immediately to a veterinarian so that he can determine its age, take the necessary tests and advise on vaccination, feeding and care.
Over time, he will begin to understand that a person does not wish evil.
When your pet begins to trust you, you can start picking him up, stroking him behind the ear and tickling his belly. In addition, he must gradually be accustomed to games. If a kitten scratches you, he should say “no” in a stern tone and leave.
By patiently and systematically performing such manipulations, in three days you will receive an affectionate and domestic cat. If your new friend has begun to trust you, then you can start introducing him to the rest of the family and letting him near the children. An adult wild cat can be domesticated in about a week. The main thing is to be patient and radiate warmth and love, because animals feel everything.
Taming
When the selected pet gets used to the house a little, you can begin to tame it. To begin with, you should place a bowl of food next to the secluded place where he sits out. At first, it is recommended to offer the kitten wet food - such food will most likely attract the attention of a hungry animal, and it will come out of hiding.
You should gradually move the bowl of food closer to the middle of the room in which the pet is hiding, forcing it to come out further and further. You can then offer food by placing it at arm's length.
When you manage to feed the kitten by hand, you can try to pet it, but without sudden movements, gently placing your hand on its back or muzzle.
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Choosing a tray and filler
You need to select a suitable container based on the size of the cat so that it can safely dig there. The height of the side can be different and the higher it is, the better, but 10 cm is considered the golden mean.
If the pet has previously had owners, you can ask them which litter box the pet went to.
You can purchase a full-fledged house in which the cat can retire and be in its comfort zone. Such trays have both an advantage in the form of built-in absorbent filters and a disadvantage in the difficulty of caring for them.
The most common and budget-friendly are ordinary plastic boxes; the same ones, but with an insert mesh at the bottom, are a little more expensive.
Which type is right for a particular cat can only be determined through trial and error.
A very important role is played by filler, of which there are many types on the shelves of pet stores.
It can be wood filling made from compressed sawdust, clumping, absorbent, mineral, silica gel or made from cellulose waste.
Here it is worth making a choice based on the recommendations of friends or veterinarians, the type of filler and its cost.
Trial and error will also allow you to find exactly what suits your cat.
By the way, some pets prefer either no filler at all, or pieces of newspaper placed on the bottom.
However, such options are not entirely hygienic, since the cat’s paws can play the role of filler here, which will constantly get dirty.
Train to the tray
An outdoor kitten is used to going to the toilet on the ground or sand, so to begin with, you can take a regular rectangular tray without a mesh and pour sand and soil into it. This is not very hygienic, but is a temporary measure. The kitten should be placed in it every time it starts to fuss. As a rule, it is enough to do this several times for the pet to understand the purpose of the tray. In no case should you punish him if he doesn’t understand right away, but you should persistently put him in the tray again and again.
Over time, the sand must be replaced with filler. If the process of litter box training has already been completed, but the kitten still sometimes goes to the toilet in places not intended for this, then this is evidence that he feels uncomfortable for a number of reasons: due to stress, lack of attention, a new pet, etc. d.
How to behave with a kitten picked up on the street?
To tame a kitten, it must first be isolated from people and other cats in an enclosed space, such as a cage. It is best to place it in a quiet place and cover it with a towel on top. The kitten needs to be provided with a tray and saucer of water.
After the conditions for the new pet have been created, it must be left alone. During this period, it is not recommended to approach him or disturb him. Soon the animal should get hungry.
After three hours, you can approach the cage and talk to your pet in a gentle voice, try to offer him delicious food. For example, fragrant chicken or special cat food. The main condition is that the fluffy ball must take food from your hands. If he hisses and does not want to eat, move away and leave your pet alone for a while longer. A feral kitten must understand that food must be earned by good behavior. Realize that you are his friend and provider, and not his enemy.
When the animal stops hissing and rushing at you, you can open the cage a little and extend your hand to it.
Movements should not be sudden. Please note that a feral kitten will be frightened by these actions because it is not used to people. He may continue to hiss at you. There is no need to pay attention to this. If the kitten tries to hit your hand with its paw, it needs to “blow back” (brush it off), which will let it know who is in charge. When the baby calms down and stops reacting to you, you need to give him a small piece of aromatic food. This is complementary feeding, and the main portion of food will come a little later.
After about 15 hours, the kitten will get hungry, come out of the cage and take food directly from your hands. If this happens, we can conclude that you are on the right track. Do not make sudden movements, speak loudly or shout. This may make the pet scared, and everything will have to start again.
After the kitten begins to approach you, you need to try to pet it while holding the food in your hand. If he reacted normally and allowed himself to be stroked, you can unclench your hand and allow him to eat from your palm. This is how the kitten begins to get used to affection.
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Cats are naturally very intelligent, observant and quick-witted animals, but at the same time they are too capricious, capricious and stubborn. How these fluffy and purring creatures combine these qualities in their character remains a mystery. There is still no consensus on what actually happens: is the owner raising the cat or is it the owner? And if a small kitten is easy to accustom to the rules established by a person, then with an adult cat you will have to “negotiate” and seek a compromise .
If you decide to take into your apartment an adult cat with already formed habits and character, then be prepared to calmly and patiently go through the adaptation period, during which the pet will need to be accustomed to a tray, scratching post, etc.
There is no universal way to litter train an adult cat, but there are general proven recommendations that are worth listening to. When choosing your own training tactics, be sure to make adjustments to the conditions in which the cat lived before, how it reacts to a new environment, whether everything is in order with its health and other factors.
So, first you need to purchase a deep and spacious tray, and also determine the optimal place for it in the apartment. A good place would be some secluded corner in the bathroom, toilet or on the balcony. The main thing is that the animal has unhindered access to its toilet, and that it is convenient for you to maintain cleanliness and order there. Cats are delicate animals and need to hide from human eyes to relieve themselves.
At first, sand will work as a cat litter if the cat previously lived in the yard and is used to going free to relieve itself. But you can immediately accustom him to wood or other types of litter for the tray, which are sold in any pet store.
On the first day, you need to carefully observe the cat’s behavior, and it is also recommended to temporarily limit its movement around the apartment, let it get used to the new environment in the room where its potty is. Or immediately, as soon as you notice that the cat begins to fuss and look for a secluded place, take it to the tray and put it in it. If the cat begins to protest and jump out of the litter box, patiently and calmly return her to the litter box again until she is able to relieve herself there. After each successful trip to the toilet, praise the cat, pet it, treat it with something tasty, because they really understand everything!
A few successful “get-togethers” in the tray, and in the future the cat will begin to go into it without reminders or mistakes. This describes, of course, the ideal and most optimistic scenario for the development of events during potty training of a cat. In practice, everything is not so simple, because cats are different
stubbornness and unpredictability.
“If the mountain does not come to Magomed, then Magomed goes to the mountain” - this wisdom is often remembered when a cat flatly refuses to go to relieve itself in the designated area
place. If attempts to make her potty friendly have not been successful, and the stubborn animal has chosen a completely different place for the toilet, move the tray there. Over time, after the cat gets used to the litter box, you will gradually return it to its place. After all, you are the boss of the house, right? With all the love for your purring pet, it’s hard to disagree with the fact that the hallway, kitchen and bedroom are not the place for his toilet. Hygiene, aesthetics, cleanliness and convenience of all family members always remain in the first place.
Cats have a very developed sense of smell, so it is necessary to carefully clean and disinfect the places of their “crimes.” The puddle can be blotted with a napkin, which is then recommended to be placed in the tray, as a pointer and guide for the cat, and the floor should be washed and treated with vinegar essence or ammonia
alcohol.
In case of an “accident,” shoes, flooring or upholstery of upholstered furniture should be cleaned and treated with special products that, with their specific smell, will force the cat to ignore these places in the future.
There are also special products designed for litter box training; they are usually produced in the form of emulsions or sprays. The tray filler is treated with training agents. Don’t forget to also clean the litter tray and change the litter on time, because cats are very clean and squeamish by nature. The cat itself will tell you how often it needs to be cleaned by its behavior, just carefully observe its behavior, try to decipher its signals and hints. Difficulties with litter box training may arise if you get a cat that is too selective and has a harmful character. If your patience and calmness are running out, and she still doesn’t want to go to the litter tray regularly, then try putting her in another toilet, removing the grate from it, or buying another filler . Some especially original cats can stubbornly ignore their litter box, but at the same time do “their business” in the owner’s toilet without any problems. As you already understand, each specific case requires an individual approach.
It is impossible to predict exactly how quickly you will be able to toilet train an adult cat. Success will depend equally on the character of the animal, its intelligence, state of health, temperament, and on your diligence. Just don’t forget that hopeless situations do not exist and nothing is impossible . With sufficient
With patience and consistency on your part, the cat will sooner or later be forced to obey the rules and recognize the litter box as the only permitted place for “toilet matters.” Sometimes litter box training can take several days, sometimes it can take a week or more.
What if you are lucky and the cat that you fell in love with and decided to take from the street to your home turns out to be very smart and will immediately master the litter box? Be persistent , patient and creative
, and then the process of adapting a yard cat to home conditions will be successful, quickly and calmly!
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Nuances of catching
Adult cats are afraid of humans and it is not easy to catch them. As a rule, at the sight of animal shelter workers, these creatures flee for their lives, hiding in bushes, basements and other nooks and crannies. That is why, if you decide to catch a cat, take with you an old blanket or a fishing net.
When your catch is in the nets, take it home and place it in a box prepared in advance for this purpose. Place a regular tray not too far away - let the animal sniff and get used to it a little. If possible, allocate a separate room for the newcomer or place him in the bathroom. Let him stay in a closed area for the first time: this will help him relax a little. If you have a small apartment, place the kitten in a cage and cover it with a blanket. In any case, your main task is to create a calm environment for the animal.
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How to easily train a kitten or adult cat to go to the litter box