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Caitlin Lewis, Community Outreach Manager for the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, dispels common myths about litter-box training for cats. In addition, she shows what and what not to do to help get your cat using the litter box as quickly as possible.
Hi, I'm Caitlin Lewis, Community Outreach Manager for the Humane Society of Greater Dayton on behalf of IAMS. Today we're going to learn how to train—or retrain—your cat to use the litter box. Contrary to popular belief, mother cats do not teach their kittens to use the litter box. Kittens begin to dig in and use dirt and dry, loose material at just a few weeks old without ever having observed their mothers doing so. This natural instinct is used in training kittens to use the litter box. Until your cat is reliably house trained, she should not have free run of your home. When you leave the house for any length of time, your cat should be confined to a single room, preferably one with nonporous floors, such as a kitchen, bathroom, utility room, basement or garage. Provide your cat with a bowl of water and a warm place to sleep at one end of the room, and a freshly clean litter box at the other end.
Until the house soiling has been cured, your cat should have a regular feeding schedule so she will develop a corresponding litter box schedule. In order to reward your cat for using her litter box, you must be there at the time she uses it. Most cats, especially kittens, will need to go shortly after waking, after eating, and after exercise. To help predict when your cat will go, feed her at regular times. If the input is on a regular schedule, the output will follow likewise. Call her to the litter box from a variety of places around your house, especially areas where she has soiled. When your cat gets to the box, scratch the litter to get her interested. Similarly, throughout the day, whenever your cat has been asleep for over two hours, wake her up and call her to the litter box. Encourage your cat to hop into the litter box and praise her when she does so. Even if she does not go, she's learning that the litter box is a great, clean place to be. If your cat does use it, then praise her in a gentle voice. When she is finished, gently stroke her, give her a treat, and let her know how pleased you are with her behavior. If mistakes occur, pick up the cat and set her down in the box. Do not discipline just before placing the cat in the box. The cat will associate any reprimand with being placed in the litter box, and will assume the litter box is the wrong place to go. Punishing a cat after the fact teaches her to be afraid of you. Never rub your cat's nose in a mess, or bring her over to it for a reprimand. She will have no idea why she's being reprimanded. But she may be inclined to eliminate in hidden spots, such as behind the sofa, to avoid another reprimand. Basically, punishment doesn't work with cats. Prevention and praise for getting it right are the keys to training. Clean any accidents immediately with half and half solution of white vinegar and water. This will help to eliminate the odor, and hopefully prevent kitty from returning to that spot. Consider covering the area with a plastic sheet; this will make it unpleasant for your kitty and discourage her from going there again. When your cat is still learning to use the box, leave a tiny bit of urine or feces behind in the box. The scent will remind her what the box is for. As soon as she is using the box reliably—and this could be as quickly as a day or two—remove all liquid and solid waste regularly. Scoop out solid material once or twice a day, and stir the litter to keep the surface dry. If your cat is having trouble using or finding the litter box, move it to an area where she can start seeing it all the time. When she stops playing and start sniffing or scratching at the floor, gently place her in the litter box. If your cat or kitten suddenly stops using the litter box for no obvious reasons, then take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Once your cat gets into the hang of finding the litter box and using it, they should have this skill for life. Now, let's recap. Provide your cat with a clean litter box that's easy to access. Get her interested in the litter box by scratching the litter. Reward your cat for using her litter box immediately after she uses it. And remember, prevention and praise are the keys to training. Punishment does not work with cats. I'm Caitlin Lewis on behalf of IAMS.
Even if a cat food is formulated to provide all of the essential nutrients, it is of little value if the cat won’t eat it. Quality cat foods are carefully formulated not only to be highly nutritious, but to be highly palatable as well.
Palatability is a term used to describe how well a cat likes the taste, smell, and texture of a food. A premium pet food manufacturer spends a considerable amount of time conducting controlled feeding studies to determine the right combination of ingredients and processing techniques to produce a nutritious, palatable food.
There are two ways to test and measure the palatability of cat food:
First bite: The first palatability test is called the first bite preference, and measures the cat's first impression of a food's aroma and appearance.
Total volume: Because the novelty of a new diet can cause highs and lows in first bite tests, a second test, the total volume measurement, is conducted. Total volume determines the staying power, or ability of a diet to maintain the animal's interest over time. This is the cat's overall choice of food based on taste, texture, and nutrition for the entire test period.
In order to obtain and interpret accurate results, palatability studies must be performed by experienced animal technicians, with data analyzed by research nutritionists. Feeding studies are conducted by offering an animal two bowls of food at the same time. Each bowl contains a different diet that has been carefully weighed and recorded.
The technician observes which food the animal chooses to eat first, then records that as the first bite preference. After a specific time period, bowls are removed and any remaining food is weighed and recorded. Diets are also switched from left to right each day of the study to ensure that animals are not eating one diet simply out of habit.
The total volume measurement is determined by calculating the difference between the beginning and ending weights of each food. This procedure is repeated using the same two diets with the same group of dogs or cats for five days. At the end of the five-day study, all observations and data are compiled and analyzed to determine the overall palatability of each diet.
Cats are attracted by not only the taste of a food, but also by the sight, aroma, and texture. Cats can be very particular about the shape and size of dry food kibbles and also prefer a food with an acidic taste.
Liquid digest is simply protein that is enzymatically broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. The enzymatic process reduces large protein pieces to smaller protein pieces and free amino acids. By adding small amounts of acid, the enzymatic or digestive reaction is stopped, and a stable liquid ingredient is produced. After a dry food formula is cooked, formed into kibbles, and dried, the liquid digest is sprayed evenly on the outside of the dry kibbles. This is called enrobing. Not only does the liquid digest make the food highly palatable, but it also adds to the overall digestibility of the food.
Yes. We use liquid digest made from chicken to enhance the palatability of dry foods and to contribute to the nutritional value of the diet. Some pet foods include flavor enhancers, such as onion powder, which simply mask the aroma and taste of the ingredients and provide no nutritional benefits to the animal.
