Cat poop in a litterbox.. How to?

Hi,

I love cats and other pets.. My children are growing and I can finally have a kitty in our house.. but what I really hate is their poop! 

I understand that I need this litter box thing..

My questions are?

How can I train them? What do I need?

What is the best age to train them?

and 

Will there be effects with their attitudes and in eating?

I hope some of you are kind enough to answer my inquiries.

and thank you so much, I am learning a lot with this forum.

Super Petlover said:

How can I train them? What do I need?

What is the best age to train them?

and 

Will there be effects with their attitudes and in eating?

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Welcome to TCS!

1) Most cats instinctively know how to use the litter box. If you adopt from a shelter, chances are they already know how to use the box. Most of the time you just need to show them where the box is -- carry them and put them in or beside the box. The only ones you need to train are very young kittens who are orphaned or separated from their mother at a very young age (before 12 weeks), because mother cats train their young.

2) Cats don't like to eat near their litterboxes, so the box should be far away from their food and sleep area. We have a ton of articles that explain better what you need with litterboxes to avoid behavioral problems:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/choosing-the-right-litterbox

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/litterbox-problems-in-cats-the-ultimate-guide

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-many-litterboxes-should-you-have

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-minimize-litterbox-odor

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/litter-box-maintenance

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/new-cat-checklist-what-you-need-to-get-before-bringing-kitty-home

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/choosing-the-right-cat-litter

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-often-should-i-clean-the-litter-box

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/when-and-how-to-switch-to-a-new-type-of-litter

These are good starting points, and of course, you can always post your questions here on TCS.

You can also try a product called Dr. Elsey's Litter Attract.  Usually with a kitten it's not necessary.  Yet it works really well.

1. From what I've learnt from Sooty, when I got him neutered, most cats just already know how to use a litterbox.

2. There shouldn't be. But beware of this possibility: For Sooty, when I got him the litterbox, he went a bit insane with littering. He'd go around the place, find something to litter on, and he'd litter on it. But that's just Sooty, your cat might not be like that.

I'd try and explain better, but I'm not very good at it, and I'm a bit ill.

I wish you luck with the litterbox!

I agree with the others; most learn from Mama by the time they are old enough to be adopted. They are a bit like human toddlers when they are young; they have accidents if they don't stop playing to go.  Ideally a cat doesn't leave it's mother before 12 weeks of age so it can learn these things and social skills.  They will need to learn where your box/boxes are.  Some young ones do better if you temporarily have more small boxes on hand; in case they realize that they've not stopped playing and now they need to go ASAP! 

Oh my gosh all of your answers made me excited yet nervous..

Do I need to render so much time on this?? or just whenever I see my kitty, I just bring her to the box..??

uh! anyway, if I have time, I'll read the articles..

I just want her to poop in the litter box.. not under the coffee table, not on mats and definitely not under my bed..

Thank U guys so much, I appreciate your replies..!

Super Petlover said:

Do I need to render so much time on this?? or just whenever I see my kitty, I just bring her to the box..??

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I'm not sure what you mean by this.

Are you wondering if you have to spend that much time training? Then no, adult cats and kittens who aren't separated from their mother will learn quickly. Just bring her to the box once or twice and she'll "get it".

Or are you wondering if you have to spend that much time understanding litter boxes? Then yes. Cats are not "fire and forget" animals. They have needs just like any other animal. Understanding the where, when, why and how of litterboxes will ensure that your kitty never poops anywhere except the litter box. So if you "just want her to poop in the box", I highly encourage you to read the articles and understand about litterboxes.

super petlover There is some confusion here b/c your question appears to be about adopting a new cat, not training a cat that you have had.

I saw on your other post that your kitty is 2 yrs old. How long have you had her? Is she spayed? Is she indoors, indoor/outdoor? When was her last vet visit?

FhiCat said:

 
I'm not sure what you mean by this.

Are you wondering if you have to spend that much time training? Then no, adult cats and kittens who aren't separated from their mother will learn quickly. Just bring her to the box once or twice and she'll "get it".

Or are you wondering if you have to spend that much time understanding litter boxes? Then yes. Cats are not "fire and forget" animals. They have needs just like any other animal. Understanding the where, when, why and how of litterboxes will ensure that your kitty never poops anywhere except the litter box. So if you "just want her to poop in the box", I highly encourage you to read the articles and understand about litterboxes.

Click to expand...

I meant do i have to render a lot of my time in training my kitty to use the litter box.. I get your answer.. My cat is showing some improvements, it's not that hard.

and yes, I'm reading the articles one by one and I'm learning  a lot.

thank you so much!

Starting a new kitten is different from re-training an adult cat. Cats should use a litterbox instinctively, so when they don't it usually means something is wrong. A vet checkup would be the first thing to do. Since this is an adult cat with a prior history of not using the box, yes, it may take a lot of time. But usually, if a kitten has been with his/her mother long enough, it takes very little time to make sure they use the box reliably. Just a few reminders when they're too busy to notice would be all it would take. The rest of the time they should use the box themselves.