Litter Train a Feral?

Some people think that this is an impossible task, others may ask why

you feel the urge to do so, but as feral caretakers know, there are just

some instances when you want to. The cat in question may be turning into a friendly,

or the situation may be dangerous and you need to rescue, or an injury may

result in your having to bring the cat in for follow up medical care; whatever

the circumstances, the question of litter training does occur.

Of course, you may find it is a non-issue as some cats readily take to a box, but for those

cats for whom it just seems impossible, try these tips.

First find the largest box you can, and remove the lid if it has one.

If a standard large litter box is not comfortable for the cat, find

a large plastic bin at one of the box stores. Fill it with soft garden dirt,

placing a small amount of the cat's feces in the box if you can find it.

(Only do this if you are certain it came from the cat you are trying

to train.) Make sure you place the box far enough away from food

and water bowls in a room that you can close and has an easy to

clean floor. After the cat has eaten, shut him in the room with the box for a

few hours. This will insure that he cannot eliminate in a hidden area of your home.

After a few days of this, the cat will know where the box is and what to do.

Then you can start letting him out in larger area of your home, or all over while

supervised; only shutting him in if you are away for any length of time.

Do this for as long as it takes for the cat to get the idea. Once he has started

using the box, slowly switch over litter. You do this by addinig small amounts

of litter each time you scoop or clean the box. Do not use harsh chemicals,

such as bleach during this period, as you want the cat to continue using

the box instead of shunning it. (You should never use a harsh chemical

when cleaning litter boxes, it is unhealthy and any cat may shun the box

because of smell.)

If, for any reason, the cat stops using the box and shows inapropriate

elimination (and you are sure there is no medical reason to do so0, back

up a few steps and continue the training. Eventually, you will have switched to

an all littler box and the cat wil be trained.

Some cats will take to a box right away, being easily trained, some will

take longer. Some will seem near to impossible, and it will take determination

to find the right size box, the right kind of litter, the right placement in your

home, etc. Be patient, never blaming the cat for faulty bathroom habits, he did

have all of the outdoors before and he may be having a hard time adjusting

to indoor life, not just new bathroom training.

Happy litter training!