Teach a cat to use the sandbox step by step

If this is the first time you welcome a cat in your home, you should familiarize yourself with the fact that this animal is wilder than it might seem at first, and without a doubt, besides being endearing, it is also an impeccable hunter.

Generally the use of the sandbox is not due to a learning process but to a maturation process. From the 4 weeks of life the kitten will begin to use the sandbox instinctively because, as a hunter, the cat needs to hide the smell of its feces in some way so that the possible “prey” do not detect its presence in the zone.

In spite of this, sometimes this process does not occur in such a simple way, that is why in this article we show you how teach a cat to use the sandbox.

Considerations before taking into account

The type of sandbox and the location of it and the sand used are key to avoid any problem in the use of sandpit, let’s see how we can make it easier for our cat to urinate and defecate where it belongs:

• The sandbox must be wide enough so that the cat can turn inside of it, in the same way it must be deep enough so that the sand does not come out.
• If our cat is small, we must ensure that it can access the sandbox without problems.
• We should not place the sandbox near the cat’s food, but in a peaceful place, where the cat can have privacy and also be always accessible to our pet.
• We must choose a suitable sand, those that are perfumed are not recommended. Find out more about the types of cat litters that exist.
• The location of the sandbox must be final.
• We must withdraw stools daily and change all the sand once a week, but we should not clean the sandbox with very strong cleaning products, this will make the cat not want to approach.

My cat still does not use the sandbox

Sometimes the innate tendency of the cat to use the sandbox does not manifest itself, but this should not worry us, we can solve it using simple tricks:

• Once we have located the sandbox we must show it to our cat and remove the sand with the hand.
• If the cat has urinated or defecated out of its sandbox but somewhere that is acceptable and meets the same location conditions as its box, a practical and easy solution is to change the sandbox.
• If the cat is going to evacuate or urinate in a place that is not suitable, we should take it gently and take it running to the sandbox so that it associates that this is the place where it should be done.
• The first days we must be less strict with the hygiene of the sandbox so that the cat can easily detect the smell of its trail and go back to its box.
• In the case of puppy cats that still do not go to the sandbox alone, we must place it inside the box when waking up and after meals, taking its little leg gently and inviting it to dig.

Each time the cat uses the sandbox we must use positive reinforcement to reward your successes and facilitate their habituation.

If the cat still does not use the sandbox.

In the event that we have used the tips shown above and the cat still does not use the sandbox, thus exceeding the 4 weeks of age (when he starts to develop his instinct), the best thing we can do is go to the vet so that it makes a complete exploration and can thus rule out the presence of any disease.

We also invite you to continue browsing to discover why your cat does not use the sandbox. Maybe that’s how you find the answer.

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