Cats are pretty tidy creatures. They clean themselves, keep their fur relatively knot-free, and they don’t need to be potty trained. From a young age, domestic cats know to use a litter box, unlike puppies that use your floor for the first couple of weeks before being trained to go outside. But haven’t you always wondered how they are born knowing how to use a little box? And if you hate cleaning up the cat poop, get yourself one of these these self-cleaning litter boxes that do the dirty work for you.
- Cats were originally desert animals, so think of your litter box as a small desert (that’s essentially what it is to your cat).
- Cats have no concept of right or wrong. Instead, they think in terms of meeting their needs. When your cat is using the litter box, they’re never thinking, “I’m doing the right thing.” And if your cat is not using the litter box, they’re never thinking, “I’m doing the wrong thing.” If they are consistently using the litter box, it’s because it meets their needs. If they’re not using the litter box, it’s either because it doesn’t meet their needs or there is another area in your home that better meets their elimination needs.
If your cat typically uses their litter box but every so often eliminates outside of it, it’s not because they forgot how to use it. There are actually underlying reasons.
“The litter box may be too small, in a busy area of your home or difficult to access,” “The litter box may also be too dirty; cats are clean animals and will typically avoid the litter box if it isn’t emptied regularly.” That there are other behavioral and health concerns that may be causing your cat to avoid their litter box. If you’ve cleaned the litter box, tried a different sized one, and moved it to a different spot in your house and your cat still isn’t using it, he recommends seeing your veterinarian. Not using their litter box is just one way cats communicate with humans through changes in their behavior, these are some other things your cat is trying to tell you.
