Toilet Training A Cat – Pros, Cons & Guide
Cat toilet training in easy steps:
Toilet training your cat is an easier task than you might think. Several techniques can be used for training your cat to use the toilet, and you can even buy products that will assist you in toilet training a cat.
The advantages of cat toilet training:
Teaching your cat to use the toilet can hold several advantages for any cat owner. The biggest advantage of having your cat use a toilet is that eliminates most of the disadvantages that using cat litter holds. Cat litter is expensive. After toilet training your cat, you won’t ever need to buy cat litter again. Cat litter boxes needs to be cleaned regularly or they will become smelly. With cat toilet training, the water in the toilet masks most of the offending smell and all you need to do is flush regularly – much simpler and easier than cleaning a litter box. Going away for weekends or holidays also becomes easier for your neighbor – instead of asking someone to clean out the litter box, all they need to do is flush your toilet once in a while (when they come around to water your plants and feed your cat).
How to toilet train a cat (do it yourself):
Toilet training your cat depends entirely on the cat’s personality. Toilet training sociable cats that love being praised make the training task much easier. You might want to adapt the toilet training technique described below to fit your cat’s personality. Training your cat to use the toilet can take anything between 2 weeks up to 3 months, depending on the individual cat’s personality.
Cat toilet training basically consists of a simple procedure: gradually moving your cat’s litter box closer and closer to the toilet, finally placing a bowl with cat litter inside the toilet, and removing it altogether when your cat is comfortable and used to it. Toilet training a cat is a gradual, step-by-step process, consisting of making small changes to the location of the litter box and only continuing to the next step when your cat is entirely comfortable with its current situation. You might have to wait anything between 2 days or 3 weeks before moving on a next step in cat toilet training. You might even have to go back a step once or twice when it turns out that your cat wasn’t ready to move on to the next toilet training step. Beware – cat toilet training takes a lot of patience!
Cat toilet training steps:
1. Start gradually moving your cat’s litter box nearer to the toilet until finally it should be next to the toilet. Ensure that your cat is always comfortable and sure of its litter box’s location.
2. Now start elevating the cat’s litter box. Put something non-slippery like newspapers or cardboard underneath the litter box. A normal rate to increase the height of the litter box would be about 5cm a day, but be very attentive to signs that your cat is not comfortable with the current height, and adjust the pace of raising the litter box accordingly. The cat litter box should be raised until it is at a level height with the toilet bowl. Throughout this process it is very important to keep the toilet lid open and the seat down, because your cat will get used to it and might even start climbing on the toilet seat in order to reach its litter box.
3. Move the litter box to rest on the open toilet seat. Keep it there until your cat seems comfortable with this arrangement.
4. Buy a metal bowl or tray that will fit snugly inside the toilet bowl. It would be advisable for the metal bowl to have small draining holes. Fill the bowl with cat litter (preferably the flushable type). Now remove your cat’s litter box entirely. If you have reached this step successfully you are very close to having a toilet trained cat!
5. While your cat is using the metal bowl inside the toilet, be attentive to where its paws are. The goal is teaching him to squat with all four paws on the toilet seat rim. You can move the cat while it is using the toilet and praise it (or reward it) when it is sitting in the correct position. Normally the cat will first sit entirely inside the metal bowl, then with front paws on the toilet seat, and finally it should sit with all four paws on the toilet.
6. Start using less and less cat litter. This can get smelly, so be sure to clean the bowl after every time your cat uses it. Cats scratch in sand or cat litter to cover up the smell (this is out of instinct), so if the bowl becomes too smelly your cat won’t be comfortable using it (and you probably wouldn’t be comfortable with using your toilet either). Using flushable cat litter makes cleaning the bowl very easy – just throw out the contents in the toilet and flush down, rinse out the bowl, refill with correct amount of cat litter and replace. A handy tip is to place newspaper on the floor around the toilet to help keep the room clean should your cat scratch in the cat litter. Decrease the amount of cat litter in a pace that your cat feels comfortable with.
7. When you basically don’t use any cat litter inside the bowl anymore, start gradually filling the bowl with water. The water will also help mask the smell so your cat will be more comfortable using the toilet. Be attentive to your cat’s behavior through this whole process – if your cat stops using the bowl inside the toilet, you may be moving on too fast and might need to go back a couple of steps.
8. When the water level in the bowl has reached about 4cm and your cat has no problem using it, it is time to remove the bowl entirely. Your cat should now be toilet trained. Remember to always leave the toilet seat up and flush regularly!
Products to assist you in toilet training your cat:
There are several cat toilet training kits available on the market. They basically consist of a tray that fits inside the toilet, and with a hole in the middle that you can gradually make bigger. When choosing a cat toilet training kit, ensure that you buy quality. The cat training kit should not be flimsy and should be able to support your cat’s weight even when the hole becomes large. Be aware of cheap, flimsy products you buy at toy stores or pet stores, because if your cat falls in, it might loose interest in toilet training completely.
The disadvantages in toilet training your cat:
Not everyone agrees that cat toilet training is such a great idea. They argue that it is unnatural for a cat to use a toilet, as it goes against their natural instincts to cover up their smell. Toilet seats can also be slippery and there might be the risk of your cat injuring itself. Even if your cat doesn’t fall in at all, he may become anxious whenever he uses the toilet and going to the toilet can become an unpleasant task.
A litter box also has the health benefit in that it’s easier to monitor your cat’s urine for signs of infections or sickness.
Moving locations will also be harder for the cat, because a litter box can be moved easily but the cat will first need to get used to using the new toilet. With some cats this is no problem and they can become comfortable with the new toilet very fast, while other cats might be less adaptable.
Things to remember when toilet training a cat:
The most important thing to remember is that the toilet training should be done gradually. Be very patient and never rush to the next step until you are sure that you cat is completely comfortable with the current setup.
Make using the toilet as easy as you can for the cat. Always remember to keep the toilet seat up and the bathroom door open. When you have guests, ensure that they also know about considering your cat. Flush the toilet regularly as cats do not like using smelly toilets.
Teaching your cat not to be a predator – Part 9
It is very difficult to train a cat to do anything as they are independent and not as inclined to please you as dogs are. Also, cats tend to hunt alone, whereas dogs are a pack animal that need to ambush together. If you really don’t want your cat to chase birds and small animals, I suggest the Great INDOORS. I wouldn’t suggest declawing because it is cruel and removes the cat’s natural defenses.
Remove Tempting Treats. My grandmother took her outdoor bird bath away when she saw the neighborhood cats sitting underneath it just waiting for the birds to come be their dinner. A purrfect cat feeder! Of course, if you keep its favorite prey, like gerbils, canaries, goldfish,etc as pets inside, don’t count on your cat not being a predator. Your cat might realize you are unhappy about its predation, but it will probably wait until your back is turned and then hunt. Supervise your cat closely whenever the bird or hamster is out of its cage. The cat understands "No", and may try to please you by avoiding temptation. Make life easier for both parties by putting the cage where the cat can’t get to it. Some people claim their cat has become friends with the hamster or bird, and that may be true to a point. If that bird or hamster teases the cat,though, it may decide that it’s had enough of a prey species torturing it and do what comes naturally. The predatory instinct had only been suppressed for a while because the cat had bonded with the canary, not eradicated.
Water Torture.This last one may seem a little cruel, but I’m only talking about a little squirt gun or spray bottle. When you see the cat stalking a bird, squirt them with the water. Or, et up a sprinkler system near trees containing birds’ nests. In fairness to the cat, it must be confusing to be praised for catching mice but not birds. To the cat, it’s all lunch and a fun game.Good Luck!
Cat discipline – Part 7
Cats are terrific pets but when allowed to have their run of the house, can also be very distructive and thereby expensive pets. It’s not too hard to train them away from bad behavior if you know a few little tricks to it.
To keep them off of tables and counters, try peppermint extract. This is the same kind you’d use for cooking and baking and therefore you know it’s perfectly non-toxic. Just dab some on to moisten a cloth or paper towel and then rub it directly on the edges of whatever you want to keep them off. Most cats hate the smell of peppermint and find it quite strong. It will deter them from jumping up on whatever and eventually they’ll get used to not going up there.
If you don’t want them ripping up your furniture, carpet and curtains, provide them with an alternative. Get them a scratching post or cat tree. Periodically sprinkle some catnip on it to entice them to go to that and not the couch or whatever. After enough time has passed, they’ll automatically want to scratch where they’re supposed to.
With adult cats, if you introduce a new one into a home that’s already got one, they may not get along very well with each other. Sometimes time will heal this but if it doesn’t seem to be, or if you just want to speed the process up some, try rubbing a little bit of cod liver oil on each of them. Then put them in a room together. Often, you’ll come back a few minutes later to find them purring away and cleaning each other. I know this sounds a little odd but I’ve seen it work.
And now for the heavy artillery. The cure-all of cat training. An ordinary squirt bottle filled with water. I had a particularly mischievous and stubborn cat. Peppermint didn’t seem to bother him enough to keep him off the counter and catnip wouldn’t keep him scratching on his post. Someone told me to try the squirt bottle of water and it worked like a charm. When he does something he’s not supposed to, I’d grab the bottle and fire off a couple shots at him. The way he’d take off, you’d think it was a gun I was shooting at him. After awhile, I’d just reach for the bottle, which I always kept nearby, and he’d be gone. A little longer and it wasn’t needed anymore. They definitely do learn.
Cat Training Aids On The Market
There are many types of cat-training aids on the market. Some of the most helpful training tools are leashes, a scat mat, catnip, toys, and food treats.
Having a simply and lightweight cat leash lets you train your cat to go for a walk or ride in the car. Cats require exercise, and using a leash while taking a walk with your cat outside will provide protection and keep the cat from running off. You want the cat to walk with you, not ahead of you, so train the cat to expect that you will be the leader. Both of you will enjoy your walks much more if this approach is taken.
The scat mat is good for showing cats that certain areas are not open to them. These devices send out pulses of static electricity when a cat enters the forbidden area. There are many sizes and colors of scat mats. Some even come in transparent versions so the cat cannot see that they are on the area. Additionally, scat mats are safe to use. They can be connected if you have especially large areas where you don’t want your cat to go. Dummy scat mats do not include the electric pulse and may be used after the cat is trained to provide reminders of appropriate behavior.
Catnip can be used on cat litter to attract the cat to the litter box. Male cats tend to respond more to catnip, which has a scent similar to the urine of a female cat. Catnip comes in different forms for training. Toys that are filled with catnip can help a cat to learn a specific behavior. For fund, catnip in bubble form is available. It is similar to the kind of soap-bubble toy that children play with, but it has an added scent of catnip. The product is safe for your cat and will not harm him or her. Catnip is also available in a powered form that you can rub on your hand. You can even buy catnip seed and plant it inside or outside your home to give the cat a real treat.
If your cat is pouncing on things like it would pounce on a mouse, it may be useful to give the cat a toy mouse. Cats, by nature, will pounce as if they are killing something. Having a toy mouse lets the cat act in a normal way. Some toy mice on the market can be wound up so the cat can chase them. Others may be stuffed with catnip. Training a cat has a lot to do with letting it fulfill its natural instincts. A cat that can perform its normal activities will be a happier and healthier companion.
Offering healthy food rewards is another good tool for training a cat. Many cat treats include vitamins so you will know that the cat is getting what it needs nutritionally. If you are a baker, you might want to try to make your own cat treats. There are even prepackaged mixes available.
Remember to be patient with your cat while it is learning.
Tips for litter box training kittens – Part 5
I never had a cat of my own till I got Ernest as a small kitten, when my children were really small too. Of course, I had grown up with cats in the family, the grand aunties and grandmas had them and any toilet training was none of my affair. I recall they would let the cat out to ‘do its business’ in nearby fields or wasteland, and problems in the house did not seem an issue. So when Ernest arrived, rather suddenly one late Saturday afternoon, I had no books, and nobody to hand to tell me how to go about the litter training. I sought advice on the phone, from my mother and mother-in-law. Both had different views, so I took the best parts and modified as I went along.
The first important point is never to scold or hit, even gently, when a kitten has an ‘accident’. OK, it is most annoying when you see puddles – or worse, a little pile of something – on your best rug or carpet. The tip here is to clean this up and put it in the litter tray. Yes, that way, you are telling the kitten WHERE such stuff belongs, and it can smell where it should ‘go’. My mother-in-law advised me to prepare myself for many little accidents at first, by covering all floors with newspaper! Somewhat over the top and very annoying in a rustling sort of way, you would agree. My mother said I should rub the kitten’s nose in its deposits, then place the animal on the litter tray! Rather harsh, and NOT what I did, or advise anybody else to do. I struck a happy medium. I put the litter tray near the back door and surrounded it with newspapers. Whether I did right or wrong, about half an hour after I fed the kitten, I would set it on the litter tray; rather like potty training a child, and involving repeated patterns. This seemed to work very well.
One tip I read was if the kitten, or cat keeps peeing in the same place, (not the litter box or tray), then feed it there. Because felines are very clean animals, this will put them off going back to that spot and peeing. Well, nobody likes to eat in the bathroom, now do they? If you do this for a few days, maybe less, the message goes home and no more unauthorised peeing. Strangely enough, I have Stephen King, the novelist, to thank for a good tip for getting rid of cat pee smells. I cannot remember which of his books I found this in, I read so many of them, but it worked. Put some white wine on the offending area of carpet or floor, sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda and leave overnight. In the morning, wash this off
Cat Training Is Not Always Easy
Cat training is not always easy, but it is possible if you want to have a well trained cat that will add a lot of fun, joy and laughter to your family. A cat that is not properly trained will not understand what is acceptable and what is not, which is why cat training is so important to both the cat and his/her owner.
It is much easier to instill good habits on a kitten as opposed to an older cat, which is something that every cat owner should take into consideration prior to selecting a new addition to their family. It is thus best to begin your cat training as early as possible.
Well first, let us at some basic fundamentals when training your cat:
1) The bonding process is especially important while you attempt cat training.
2) It is important to remember that reprimands don’t work well in cat training. This is a totally unacceptable method and instead of having a positive impact will have a negative impact.
3) Cat training tries to encourage good behavior and discourage bad behavior.
Now, let’s look at some of the problems you may face as a cat owner and how to resolve them.
So is there any method to prevent or reduce scratching?
One method would be to spray some lemon juice on certain targeted areas where your cat is about to scratch. Another method is to use repellants instead. However, using repellants may not be a good way as your cat may be sensitive to them. Of course the cat will never stop scratching but using caps is also a good method to prevent damage when your cat scratches something. Cat training for indoor cats may also involve the implementation of a scratching post, which will prevent them from ruining furniture or carpet with their nails.
These are some of the house cat training methods to prevent your cat from scratching your favorite furniture or objects.
Another typical problem that many cat owners face is training them how to use the litterbox.
One method to train your cat will cover a period of several weeks during which the litterbox is elevated and moved until it is near the toilet. During this period, the litter can be suspended above the toilet using either a small bowl or box. At the end of this training period involving the toilet, the cat will be able to use the toilet by perching over the bowl.
Being a cat owner is not a one day process, it takes time and patience to train your cat to your ideal expectations but remember not to rush things as it will have a detrimental effect instead.
Cats and litter box training – Part 6
Cats are very clean and have a natural instinct to eliminate to sand and soil. They instinctively feel the need to cover their feces. Kittens learn appropriate elimination techniques by watching their mother and start learning at about three to four weeks of age. Litter box issues, and elimination disorders, are the main reasons cats are given up to shelters so litter box success is important. Here are some steps you can take to insure success.
Household Introduction –
Once you have introduced your new cat to the household take her to the litter box and gently place her inside. Repeat this routine throughout the day. Once she uses the box leave her alone. Cats like their privacy when using the box.
Until you are sure your cat is using the box, confine them in a smaller area with access to the box. Do not allow them to find alternate places to eliminate.
Keep the cat away from houseplants. The dirt around the household can be hard to resist .
Multi-floor households should have at least one litter box available on each floor.
Litter Box –
A good rule of thumb is to have one litter box per cat in the household, plus one. Some cats will not use a box that has been used by another cat. Some cats prefer to use one box for urination and one for defecation.
Consider purchasing your cat a new box which does not contain the smell of other household cats.
The box should be large enough for the cat to easily turn around.
Litter boxes should be easily accessible.
The box should be located in quiet area with little foot traffic. It should be placed away from the cat’s food and water supply. It should be easily accessible.
The litter box can be cleaned with a water and vinegar mixture.
Litter –
There are many types of litter currently available. Many cats prefer unscented litter with a sandy texture. However, there are versions which come in pellets, and other textures, which can be successfully used.
If you cat has been re-homed to your household, try to start the cat off with the type of litter used in their previous environment.
Switch them over slowly to the type preferred in your household. Mix “old” type of litter in with the “new”. Slowly increasing the percentage of “new” to “old”.
Avoid clumping litter which uses sodium bentonite. It can cause intestinal issues if ingested.
Litter should be scooped daily and the full box of litter should be switched to fresh litter at least once a week.
Mistakes –
Determine the reason your cat chose to eliminate outside of the box. Is the box clean enough? Cats can be very fussy about the cleanliness of the box. Did they have access to the box? Is the environment quiet? Has something changed?
Clean any mistakes immediately with an enzymatic cleaner designed to work with cat urine and odor. If spots are not thoroughly cleaned your cat may return to the spot for future elimination.
Do not punish a cat for not eliminating in the box. Instead show them the box and praise profusely when used.
If accidents continue, this could be a sign of a urinary tract disease or intestinal parasites and they should see a veterinarian.
Offer your cat a calm, clean and quiet environment for their litter box. Once settled into a successful litter box set up do not make any unnecessary changes. If mistakes are made, take a look at the litter box from a cat’s point of view and make any appropriate changes or consider a visit to the veterinarian.
Why cats are difficult to train – Part 27
well, we all know that its said that cats are impossible to train. well, i will have to disagree. I Have grown up all around cats, and i have had many come and go. my mom and i always have to get mad at them for what they do. we always catch them scratching or doing anything else that they do, and all we do is say no. but it is repeatedly said to them. after a week or two, they seem to stop at it, so we move to the next thing. jumping on the kitchen table. we always take them and hold them to the table and then say no more than once. they finally get the hint, so it seems to work for me and my parents. when we do this, the cats seem to stop. so when they say that you cant train a cat, don’t listen to them. if you keep to it and you try and try, your pets will learn to do what you train them to do. we have kept this up for years and years, and it hasn’t failed us not once. for you out there with the trouble of pet problems, keep to it and you will have success in the end. and it is even the same with your dogs, people, animals are very smart and if you tell them to do something, they will listen. dogs are the first to listen, because they strive on your companionship, and don’t want you mad at them for the simple things that they do. all together, keep to it, people.
Useful Advice for Cats: How to Care for your Human
For us cats there are several sweet advantages in having a human as a pet. However, remember you are taking on a big responsibility when you adopt one or more humans. Humans are demanding pets that need daily care and attention.
With responsibility come both advantages and disadvantages. If you adopt a human, you must get used to spending time at home. Your human does not deal well with being left alone – they will get into all sorts of mischief. For example, if you are gone just two or three days you run the risk of seeing posters put up all over the neighborhood. Your human will put out an APB on you ! Often with an embarrassing text that reveals all sorts of personal details – and usually accompanied by an unflattering photo of you – with morning fur and crumpled whiskers. Exactly the kind of thing that attracts ridicule from all the neighbor cats.
So please consider carefully if you are ready for a life with humans. In addition, remember humans generally grow very old, so there is a big chance that you will spend the rest of your life with your human.
Entertaining your Human
The litter box provides a great opportunity for entertaining your human. Naturally there is all the fun your human can have cleaning and scooping out the box. A lot of human time can also be used getting fresh litter – going to the pet store, transporting it home etc. However many humans like new challenges. Utilize your litter box time in the best possible way. Make interesting and artistic renderings of countries or well-known islands. Your human will have lots of fun guessing which one you made. Humans like game shows – so this should be a popular activity. When your human increases in skill, you can also make portraits of family and friends. Start with profile portraits – this will make it easer for your human.
Shedding
Make it a priority to shed indoors on appropriate surfaces. Fleece is a particularly suitable material to shred on. All you need to do is pass close by your human when he or she is wearing fleece. All cat hair within a radius of 2 feet from the fabric will immediately be transferred to your human. No brushing necessary for several days ! Another good solution is to get access to a filled clothes hamper. Jump in and give all contents a good work over. An extra bonus with this method is that most cat hairs will survive a trip to the washing machine. Your human will be stylishly accessorized with cat hair on all outfits.
Extra Food
All chances for a bit of extra food must and should be taken advantage of. Whenever your human is in the kitchen, you have a prime opportunity of getting an extra snack. When your human is busy at the kitchen counter place yourself in your humans blind angle (just behind the ankle is usually a good spot). And the second your human moves one or both feet you jump back screaming your most heart-wrenching cry. Your human will automatically assume that he/she stepped on you. When your human looks back scared to see what is happening look up at him/her with a painful expression on your face (practice this before hand in front of a mirror). Your human’s bad conscience will often result an edible apology.
Grass Etiquette
Before you eat grass, make sure that you are close to a suitable place to throw up. Delicate furniture fabrics, precious carpets, and shoes are all good places. If you choose furniture: aim for the part that has non-removable fabric. When you are getting down to business, make sure you back up a step or two so that you cover the largest area possible. Another technique is to do several items with pauses in-between. Persian carpets will give a good camouflage effect and your little gift will often not be discovered until somebody steps in it.
Preventing your human from wasting valuable time
One of the most important tasks we cats have is to prevent humans from wasting their time. Humans love to spend their time on things with no relevance for cats. For example watching TV, reading, talking on the phone – and many other things that have no entertainment value for us cats what so ever. Many methods are available to prevent human time waste – use your imagination. Some especially effective techniques will be mentioned here.
Watching TV; make sure that you always position yourself between the TV and your human. On the coffee table for example. You can also lie on the TV and let you tail or paws swing down in front of the screen. This method is most effective with small screens where you can cover a large percentage of the screen. It is a bit trickier with a flat screen – and only recommended for the agile kitty. A variation can be used with a computer screen. Flat screens often leave a lot of empty space on the desk – so just get up in front – remind your human of how wonderful you are.
Cleaning; stalk the vacuum cleaner and attack when it passes by. You can also pretend that you want to attack the vacuum cleaner but “accidentally” catch a foot instead.
Garden work; jump repeatedly up-and-down and scatter any leaves that your human has raked together. Attack gardening tools – especially while they are in use. Immediately dig up any newly planted seeds, plants and flowers.
Closed Doors
Under no circumstances accept closed doors that separate you from your human. At all times you have a right to know what your human is doing. If by accident you have been placed on the wrong side of a door you need to make your human aware of this ASAP so he/she can remedy the situation immediately. Loud meows and scratching on the door should be sufficient to get your humans attention. If this is ignored you need to take more drastic measures: Make a sound as if you are going to throw up. All humans in a 50 feet radius can hear this sound. This sound can also be heard through closed doors. The “puke sound” will always result in your human’s immediate presence.
Sleeping Time
It is important for us cats to prioritize our sleeping time. The objective is to get as much sleep done as possible while your human is awake. You will then be especially well rested and bushy-tailed at night when it is your job to keep your human awake. There is the classical “play with toes” approach: attack everything that moves under the duvet. You can also reenact highlights from last year’s Grand National Steeplechase by repeatedly galloping across the bed. A couple of loud meows will give it an extra exiting dimension for your human
Houseguests
Houseguests require special attention and handling. The following procedures should be followed:
Houseguests that either do not like us or are allergic to us: As soon as they sit down – jump onto their lap.
Noisy children that run after you and/or pull your tail: It is your duty to punish them – it can be necessary to use both claws and teeth. However, be prepared that this can result in noise that is even more annoying and of an even louder decibel level.
Guests that try to get in contact with you by ingratiating themselves and speaking in a sweet voice: Should just be ignored. If they try to approach you, back away 5-6 feet – but never further away than they feel encouraged to try again. With a bit of practice this game can he kept going for hours.
Bad Weather
Even in bad weather, it can be necessary to go outside. The rain and wet ground will result in an unpleasant layer of dirt and mud on your paws. However, this can easily be dried off on certain appropriate indoor spots. Find a light carpet, a duvet cover or nice piece of furniture and walk over it a couple of times. When your paw tracks are almost invisible, your paws are clean and you are ready to go outside again.
Training your Human
Sometimes it can be necessary to discipline even the most well trained human. However, do remember never to hit a human. At the most, mark with a soft paw on the human’s arm or hands. Try first to make your human understand what it has done wrong. And most importantly: be patient! The human intellect is relatively limited and it can be difficult for them to understand our wishes and needs.
Even after approximately 5000 years of domestication, the human species still has primitive instincts and it does take time to train your human completely.
Door Training
One of the first things you need to teach your human is to open the front door, the garden door and backdoor when required. This is done by walking up to a door and making an impatient and very loud meow. Make some tripping steps with your back paws obviously indicating that you need to go to the outdoor litter box. When your human has gotten up from the couch and opened the door you decide that you do not really need to go outside right now. Just for appearances, you can stand in the open door and pretend that you are thinking about the situation for a few seconds before you turn around to go inside again. Repeat this procedure several times a day. This will keep your human in good door opening form.
Inspection of the House
A house usually has unlimited possibilities for suitable sleeping spots. Every possibility no matter how theoretical should be investigated and tested. Cardboard boxes, cupboards, drawers, couches and beds are obvious localities, but places such as old slippers (size 11 or higher) open gym bags or kitchen cupboards should not be overlooked.
The house should further be investigated for all possible toys. An old sock can represent several hours of entertainment if you get your claw on a loose end and unravel a couple of miles worth of yarn. You human will love to tidy up after your play.
The life expectancy of cats
There are many variables that determine the lifespan of a cat. One of the most important is that the cat be a purebred, since many different breeds of cats tend to live longer than others. I have a 24 year old Siamese, who would still pass as a much younger cat. This is not to say that Moggies will not live long, but breeding does come into it.
The second most inportant thing is how you feed and take general care of your cat. Agood diet certainly helps by keeping the cat in good condition, as does regular Worming, and of corse keeping the cat free from fleas. Fleas actually drain minute amounts of blood from a cat, and obviously the more fleas, the more blood taken, therefore the more strain on the cats system.
None of us can 100% guarantee that our cat will not have an accident, so really, I don’t think that event should be taken into the cause of longevity. Needless to say, a house trained cat which lives indoors 24/7, therefore is not subjected to the vageries of climate, stands a better chance of a long happy life.
Therefore, I would say breed for longevity, feed for it, and good animal husbandry will see the average cat live a long, healthy life.
