I just bought kitty a new covered litter box with a door to control odor and spills. She seems confused about how to push the door open. But when I lifted the cover she stepped right in and then I covered her and she used it. But I can't do that all the time!

At the moment she still has her old uncovered box around. Should I block access to it so she'll be forced to use the covered one? Or would that be dangerous since she may not know what to do and just not use a box!

Is there anything I can do to teach her how to use it?

I just bought kitty a new covered litter box with a door to control odor and spills. She seems confused about how to push the door open. But when I lifted the cover she stepped right in and then I covered her and she used it. But I can't do that all the time!

At the moment she still has her old uncovered box around. Should I block access to it so she'll be forced to use the covered one? Or would that be dangerous since she may not know what to do and just not use a box!

Is there anything I can do to teach her how to use it?
Take the door off. Mine also came with doors. I took doors off.

I would agree. Get rid of the door.

Same here... I got the covered box to help with odor and spills as well - I set it up the first night, checked in the morning and it hadnt been touched (Ollie ALWAYS goes at about 5am every day)... I figured he didn't like or understand the door, so I took it off and he ran right in and did his business!! Precious little kitty held it in instead of going on my rug! Even with the door off, the spills and odor are still contained

Well, you need to teach your kitty how to use the door before you block off her litterbox.

The easiest way to do it is by taking off the top, with the door on it, and putting a cat treat on the floor inside. If she's not getting the idea, push the lid just a bit, so she can start to squeeze through.

Once she's done with her treat, put a treat outside the box. Make sure that the treat on the inside and the outside are far enough from the door that they can't just swat-and-grab it without fully using the door.

If you repeat that a few times a day, and leave the lid out on the floor for her to play with, she'll get it. It just takes a bit of time.

ACTUALLY the BEST thing to do is get rid of it! Covered litterboxes are for HUMANS so THEY do not have to scoop or clean so often and THEY do not have to smell the poops and pees.

The cat DOES have to smell it as the covers keep the smell in - even IF they have a charcoal filter!

My cats actually prefer the covered litter boxes. I had one covered, and one uncovered, and they actually didn't use the uncovered one. I popped the cover section on it (I had been using it to teach them about doors, as I wrote about above), and voila! They're using both boxes now. It's in the same location, so I guess they just didn't want to go in such an exposed space.

I have three dome shaped "covered" litter boxes...my kittens & adults love them. They have privacy & I don't have a mess. All three litter boxes are scopped twice a day & dumped, washed & refilled every 2 - weeks. All is good :)

thanks for the advice!
I took the door off and now she only uses the covered one, not her old one.
:bigthumb:

My cats actually prefer the covered litter boxes. I had one covered, and one uncovered, and they actually didn't use the uncovered one. I popped the cover section on it (I had been using it to teach them about doors, as I wrote about above), and voila! They're using both boxes now. It's in the same location, so I guess they just didn't want to go in such an exposed space.

I agree. I have a covered and an uncovered.
They will only go in the uncovered if they have to (if the bedroom door is shut and they are in there.)

I scoop daily..